Liquid vs. strips for water testing

[SMinNC]

Being new to aquariums, I'm going to recommend liquids.
Hey, ya need to flip some burgers and mop some floors before you run the place.
Besides, all the chemicals and vials are cool. And set the mood for learning something.



The yadda yaddas........

I started with Tetra kits. And used them for years, before going to strips.
I used tetras Laborett...
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1379248/cl0/tetralaboretttestkit
plus a nitrate kit...
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...-USD-18535##6##p&query=nitrate&hits=12&offset=

I also tried some of these...
Seachem Multi Test
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...-USD-18541##0##b&query=nitrate&hits=12&offset=
Has a plate with 6 places to test.

And even some high dolla stuff like...
Salifert
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+16565&pcatid=16565

and one I don't remember the manufacture of. That had powder in packets instead of liquid. As in, open the packet, dump contents into vial.

The last different kit I tried was APIs Nitrate kit.
Just had to give them a try, with all the favorable mentions here.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+13524&pcatid=13524
This one had to have the most "time specific, sit/shake vigorously" stuff I've ever dealt with.


With all the negativity towards strips here. I bought a laborett and API nitrate kit.
I've found no major differences with the results of the strips compared to liquids.
The strips seem to show a very slightly higher reading of KH and pH. But nothing that would cause any concern with either.

How can I say that?
99.8%+ of the time. We use what comes out of our tap, and call it good.
Which can vary from 7.0 to 8.5 pH. And 3-12 KH.
Sense we're all ok with that part. All we're looking for is consistency.
Weekly water changes do alot for consistency.

What to test for...
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
KH

and the just cause its nice to know things...
pH
GH

And if your going to use CO2. One of these...
Red Sea CO2 Indicator
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18478/si1380875/cl0/redseaco2indicator



Some options...

API -
Freshwater Master Test Kit
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsU...quariumpharmaceuticalsfreshwatermastertestkit
KH
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18541/si1380816/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalskhkit

Tetra -
Laborett Test Kit
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1379248/cl0/tetralaboretttestkit
Nitrate
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18541/si1379246/cl0/tetranitratekit

Jungle Labs -
Test Strips
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+4494&pcatid=4494
Ammonia
Take a pick.
I use tetras liquid. Because the ammonia strip requires shaking the strip in a vial anyway.
Just to note, that I did see an ammonia strip that didn't require anything more than dip in the tank a read results. I just don't know where I saw it right now.

I did give one of these(ammonia) a try a while back, and it seemed to work properly.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+14790&pcatid=14790

============================================

Pros n cons

Liquid:

Pros-
People say they're acurate, and probably are. Its the humans that cause the problem. ...see cons.

Cons-
My biggest problem/complaint with "drops". Has got to be the "was that an air bubble or a drop?!??" thing.
It never seems to fail to happen on my 3rd solution to add. As in, I've done spent 10-15 minutes on this one test. And plfoopht... "uhhh was that really a drop?!"
So then its right to the "close enough(consistency) thing.

Maybe its just me, and maybe that a.d.d.s stuff?
But keeping track of seconds and counting drops with... kids with non stop questions, phones ringing and dogs barking at the wind... usually gets screwed up.

Strips -

Cons-
People say they aint no good.
Need to be treated like a fish out of water. As in. The cap is off the bottle(fish outa water). Replace immediately.
Not that big of a deal really. Remove cap/ remove strip/replace cap.


Pros-
Quick
Dip in tank for 1 - 1.2 seconds.
Hold lvl(horizontally) for 30 seconds for kh,gh,nitrite,chlorine. Wait another 30 seconds for nitrate.
I've had the last 3 out of five work just as good as my brand new strips, at a year old. The bad two were obviously discolored and went into the trash.

=======================================================

Gotta go. The dogs barking and kids fighting. :clap:

 

[Wycco]

It may vary strip brand by strip brand.

My problem with the strips was not anything to do with accuracy- it was difficulty to read.

With the liquid kit I currently have- the colours are obviously different.

With the strips I had- the colours were all just slightly different shades of the same thing... and then when you try to compare your result to whats on the strip- it wasn't really exactly the same as any of them- it would look a little like several of them.


There just seems to be more room for human error in mis-reading the strips. I don't remember the brand of strip I used- my liquid is made by Tetra though and it's easy to read.

I no longer have to go into a 15 minute debate with my wife where we puzzle over the strip to determine which colour it looks most like. (OK 15 mins is an exageration... but we would puzzle over the strip together trying to figure out which colour it was!).

I guess the plus side with the strips is that it made me spend time talking with my wife- brought us together more... LOL.

So- use strip test kits if you want a healthy marriage- unless you start arguing about the colour- then it will probably drive you to divorce I guess.

 

[mighty mouse]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! I'm getting everything today (except the fish.)

 

[SMinNC]

It may vary strip brand by strip brand............

Thats funny, because I had just the opposite problem with colors.

But I guess I have that problem to a degree with any of the tests I've used. Not exactly sure if its 23mg/l or 35.

It all goes right back to the consistency thing.
It was this color the last time I checked and the 183 times before. Nothing wrong or needing fixed.
Or
Uht ohhh! I haven't seen pink sense my second week of cycling! Water change time!!!

So yea, maybe the best advise, is to use the same test.