Digital ph reader reliable?

[The guy of fish]

hi, I wanna test my ph but I don’t want to buy strips. I will be adding drift wood and almond leaves to lower the ph in my aquarium and was wondering if one of the digital ones you put in the water that just reads it will be reliable? Would it read accurately and could I use it over and over

 

[EntoStentor]

I'd go with a liquid test, tried and tested.

 

[characinkid]

I would agree, the digital ones typically need to be calibrated to get very accurate results which is a pain...

 

[Pterophyllum sp]

$30 digital "pen" type meter = BAD in my experience. $300 digital "probe" style meter = awesome. With that said, unless you need be able to measure below 6.0 regularly, liquid style drop test for the win

 

[The guy of fish]

What brand of ph test strips would cost the least while also being effective and reliable

 

[EntoStentor]

What brand of ph test strips would cost the least while also being effective and reliable

None are.

 

[squint]

Science and industry all use pH probes.

Get a name brand like Oakton or Hanna and calibration solution.

It will work great.

Don't let it dry out or soak in water unnecessarily.

 

[duanes]

Before I retired from work as a chemist I used probes daily, they would be calibrated once per day with pH 4, 7, and 10 standard solutions and regularly need to change the salt block. There may be less fussy units today, the ones we used ran in the $300 cost range, but in truth were no more accurate than well made strips when measuring down to the tenth place. (i.e pH 7.8 or 6.4, or 9.1)
For most field work we used the strips.
They must be kept dry, and not used beyond the expiration date.
I now use API or other brand liquid tests for my tanks, and checking fish collection site data.

 

[tiger15]

I bought a pH probe from ebay that lasted about 6 months, and then drift off calibration. I tried to calibrate it with standard liquid with no success, so I trashed it. My API liquid pH is several years old, still works as good as in day 1.

pH probe is a precision tool that can read to 0.1 pH, but it needs periodic calibration and may not last long. Liquid pH cannot read beyond 0.3 pH precision, but it lasts forever and never needs calibration.