Strips or test tube to test water?

[fish_breeder_05]

I am still on strips, but since they are $10 a bottle and only last a few weeks I am saving up to buy a test tube kit as it could do about a thosand tests and you only have to buy a refill pack instead of the whole kit over again when the day comes that you need more

 

[Genral72]

tests tubes are more accurate

 

[Leopardess]

Not that it really needs to be said again, I suppose, but yes, test tubes are better. More precise.

 

[Gena575]

The test tube, I have the AP test kit as well and petsmart had them for $13.49 last week. It doesn't matter what the shipping is because by the time you spend all the money on all the different test kit stick types and know that each of those only give you 10-25 tests each...you are much better off making the plunge and buying the better kit in the first place.

My semi-local Petsmart carries the AP master kits for $27.99. I printed off the page from Petsmart.com and took it in and they matched the $13.49 price, no questions. I'm not sure if this is the forum I read that tip on or not, but thought it was worth passing along.

Gena

 

[Leopardess]

Your local petsmart was out-charging the petsmart website by that much?? Ouch.

 

[Gena575]

Your local petsmart was out-charging the petsmart website by that much?? Ouch.

I know! Crazy! But in the end it worked for them. I ended up buying a few plants that I wouldn't have if they hadn't matched the website price on the test kit. I gotta quit with the plants though...my poor fishies are living in a jungle...oops I'm rambling

 

[carpediem]

I use the AP test tube kits. My only gripe is the test tubes themselves. They couldn't possibly design a container that is more difficult to put water in or pour water out of in an accurate fashion. Also, the #$%& things have such a small bottom, all you have to do is look at them wrong and they fall over. Given that my fingers are always wet and I'm always dealing with at least 6 to 8 test tubes at a time, I'm bound to knock one over if not drop one on the floor where it, of course, shatters.

The old test kits had plastic tubes with nice little stands so they weren't so easy to knock over and break. Some marketing genius must have realized that people would have to buy another test kit if they broke all the tubes. Myself, I'm looking for an alternative at a scientific supply store.

 

[JoeRags3]

Masters test water kit all the way!!! I used a 5-in-1 quick dip test kit for a while VERY inaccurate!! I could never get a proper reading on nitrites and it didnt even have an ammonia reference.

 

[mishi8]

I use the AP test tube kits. My only gripe is the test tubes themselves. They couldn't possibly design a container that is more difficult to put water in or pour water out of in an accurate fashion. Also, the #$%& things have such a small bottom, all you have to do is look at them wrong and they fall over. Given that my fingers are always wet and I'm always dealing with at least 6 to 8 test tubes at a time, I'm bound to knock one over if not drop one on the floor where it, of course, shatters.

The old test kits had plastic tubes with nice little stands so they weren't so easy to knock over and break. Some marketing genius must have realized that people would have to buy another test kit if they broke all the tubes. Myself, I'm looking for an alternative at a scientific supply store.

I use a medicine dropper to put water in the tubes. If you break tubes, you should be able to buy new ones without buying a kit, or just ask the LFS if they have any extras. I got a few from PetSmart for free.

 

[carpediem]

I use a medicine dropper to put water in the tubes. If you break tubes, you should be able to buy new ones without buying a kit, or just ask the LFS if they have any extras. I got a few from PetSmart for free.

I have a few pipettes that work good for adding water to and taking water out of the tubes, the only problem is that it's difficult to rinse them off. I could be testing water from a Tanganyikan tank at the same time I'm testing water from a discus tank and you don't want to mix any of the water or it will throw off the tests.

I would like to find a few small plastic graduated cylinders because they always have that little spout on the top that makes it easy to pour a tiny bit of water out of the tube at a time. Glass ones would be fine also, if they had a wide bottom.