rediculous!

BLAH! Try ordering online,or see if your local megapetrmart matches online prices.

Celeste said:

this is just a little rant. why cant they make a test strip specifically for cycling tanks that measures Ammonia, Nitrites, and nitrates??

they have to have a $10 bottle of just ammonia test strips, and another $10 bottle of Nitrate/Nitrite/PH/alkalinity/hardness test strips..

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You'd be better off buying a liquid chemical master test kit. Almost everyone agrees that they are more accurate than the strips.

I paid around $30 for my Aquarium Pharmacueticals Master Freshwater Kit (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH and pH High) at the LFS. They're only $15.99 (with shipping probably around 22$) at BigAlsOnLine.com and 14.99$ at PetSmart.com. You might be able to get your local PetSmart to honor that online price.

The good thing about the Master Kits is that they will last a LOT longer than those test strips. Mine says there are 75 tests for Ammonia (which is one of the ones that takes the most liquid) and even if I test my water weekly, it should last at least a year.

Roan

I agree with Roan -- I personally bought both the Freshwater Master Kit and the strips -- I wanted to have a double-check of my chem kit. I have found though (and others here have confirmed) that the 5-in-1 strips are somewhat inaccurate. I seem to get accurate (within .1 or .2) reading from the pH pad -- and my kH and gH pads seem okay too -- but the nitrite and nitrate pad read WAY greater on my pads than on my chem kit. They agree with my chem kit when the readings are zero -- but even very small readings with my chem kit result in VERY pink pads for trites and trates.

I am soooo glad to hear that about the strips!! I had been testing my tank using them and my trates were outragous according to them, I had others at this site tell me the same thing about the liquid/stip test so I did order the liquid cant wait to get it and test my tank to find out the real results!!! It's just nice to hear someone else say that I was feeling so bad, had been doing 30-50% water changes every 2-3 days and still was testing high. I would suggest getting a liquid testing kit also, I believe these guys on here do know what they are talking about, been coming here with lots of questions and they have helped me in sooooooo many ways!! --Thanks guy's/gal's your are GREAT--

this is just a little rant. why cant they make a test strip specifically for cycling tanks that measures Ammonia, Nitrites, and nitrates??

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I believe it's got something to do with the chemical reactions involved. The ammonia test needs to be swished for 30 sec, while the 5in1 needs only one quick dunk.