What is the most accurate why to check your water parameters????

[nimo69]

Hi everyone I need your help on this issue? So is the drops better or test strip? or monitors? the drop same more accurate no calibration and easy to use . I just orderd the hagen aquarium master kit .
Please let me know which is better and why ???

Nimo69 :) :) :) :) :) :) :bandana: :bandana: :bandana: :bandana: :bandana: :bandana: :bandana:

[Alight]

Monitors are probably better if kept calibrated, but they're quite expensive.
Hagen test kits are OK for pH, and P04. Haven't tried their ammonia or nitrite kits.

Their nitrate kit does not read nitrates accurately between 0 and 20 which is the range you should stay well withing. Their kit reads too low, which can be dangerous. For example, 10 on an aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit reads less than 2 on a Hagen. On the other had, the AP test kit reads higher than the actual amount

[alpine]

Nimo, I am new at this. I have bought Jungle test dtrips, nutrafin test kits and AP set . I am the most please with the AP set.


roberto.

[Carol_Roberts]

I use aquarium pharmeceutical test kits. The drops are easy to do and more accurate than than strips. I buy my test kits online or from big store with high turnover so I don't get "old" kits.

[funkyfish]

AP is what i use love it easy to use and pretty accurate

[Alight]

Don't know if it's OK to post store names, but Petsmart has had an online price for the AP master kit that includes the nitrate test kit, for 13.99. If you take in a copy of the online price, they will give you that price at your local petsmart store. Great deal, since you don't pay shipping. The lowest online price I've seen is 12.99 at Big Al's.

[alpine]

Alight, thanks for the info. I get the AP kits but Petsmart is $24.99 , so when I need a new one I will do like you mention .


roberto.

[Greg Richardson]

Never knew that about Petsmart. Thanks for info. I love online prices but when you only need a few items shipping cost kills you.

[drayman86]

When I decided to get back into fishkeeping after having kept many types of freshwaters, I knew I wanted to get discus. I also knew that water parameters were pretty critical with these fish. While I'm a rank amateur when it comes to discus, I have a fair amount of experience with scientific instrumentation.

I like accurate, precise instruments that are easy to calibrate and have good repeatability. Nothing beats laboratory-grade equipment, and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get such. I shopped around an found this site:

http://www.automatedaquariums.com/

I purchased the SM101 pH meter, and have been extremely happy with it:

http://www.automatedaquariums.com/mw_m101.htm

When the time comes for conductivity (hopefully I'll one day have to be concerned about conductivity with breeding pairs), I''ll go with something like this:

http://www.automatedaquariums.com/mw_c65.htm

The way I figure it, I'm going to spend lots of money and lots of time with my fish and would like to have water measurements that I can have confidence in.