How do you capture your water to test it?

i just dip the tube in the tank but i always rinse before and after.
i may look into getting one of these syringes though it sounds good.
dixon
 
I just rinse the tubes and my hands well before ever dealing with the aquarium water...Other than that I assume that anything on my hand is going to be minimal in changing water chemistry...I mean I put my whole arm in there weekly for Pete's sake!
 
I have a lot of tanks, so I wash well before hand and just dip the tubes to fill. The eye dropper is good and works very well. But my hand usually ends up in the tank with the vac, so....
 
Who's Pete?
 
Little guy, watches the door, I didn't think he was tough so I gave him some guff but my knees paid the ultimate price.....
 
I use syringes, too. I buy 3 cc and 6 cc oral feeding syringes for birds. The measurements on the syringes also help when dosing plant ferts or measuring exact amounts of Prime (since you need so little of it).
 
slowlyburn said:
I dont see the point in the whole finger over the straw trick though... Dont they tell you NOT to cap the test tube with your thumb when shaking it? Then why would would you do it to pull water from the tank? It may give incorect readings...

I don't think you're visualizing it right. You dip the straw only half way in the water. The part of the straw above the water is what you put your thumb on. This creates a vacuum and you can pull the straw out with the water inside it. Your fingers never touch the water.
 
I just use my siphon to guide the water in there. that's always been the way I did it, since just putting the tube in there can introduce the mixing chemicals to my water, which isn't good.
 
i used to dip the tubes in the water. then i got smart and went to walmart and at their pharmacy they will give you for free a couple baby medicine syringes. they are 6ml. i also use them to dose ferts more accurately than using the cap.
 
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