Best/Easiest test kit

[Pleco1st]

So this is really bad to admitt to but I have never tested the levels or anything in my tank for the last 3yrs.....

The idea of testing has always made me nervous because I have no idea what levels are good, what levels are bad and so on and so forth I also don't want the testing to have to be a long hard process that I have to do before I struggle to understand the data.

I have always just played it by ear so to say in the fact that I change/rinse the filters in my fluval 206 on rotation based on what the instruction say and I treat the water with conditioner when I do water changes. Other than that I really don't know.

So I guess what I am looking for here is some tips on what levels I should be aiming for and also what are a couple easier but decent testing kits or equipment I could use. I want to learn more so I can be a more responsible fish keeper.

Thank you!

 

[Pleco1st]

All help appreciated =]

 

[Pleco1st]

Also this may be a silly question but when you are on the thread page looking at all the threads that have been posted what does each color envelope next to them stand for? Like some have purple envelopes some are orange some have a lock on them some are opened. haha I know I should probably be able to figure this out but I havent be able to yet.

 

[Mr. Nowhere]

So this is really bad to admitt to but I have never tested the levels or anything in my tank for the last 3yrs.....

The idea of testing has always made me nervous because I have no idea what levels are good, what levels are bad and so on and so forth I also don't want the testing to have to be a long hard process that I have to do before I struggle to understand the data.

I have always just played it by ear so to say in the fact that I change/rinse the filters in my fluval 206 on rotation based on what the instruction say and I treat the water with conditioner when I do water changes. Other than that I really don't know.

So I guess what I am looking for here is some tips on what levels I should be aiming for and also what are a couple easier but decent testing kits or equipment I could use. I want to learn more so I can be a more responsible fish keeper.

Thank you!

You'll want to get the api freshwater master test kit

0 ammonia 0 nitrite low nitrates (below 30 ppm)

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi Pleco.
Going from no testing to full testing is a big step but I can do all the following in 10 minutes. I use API Freshwater Test Master for Ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates & The API water hardness pack for testing Gh and Kh. Along with temp these will give you a 'picture' of your water. Then you are in a strong position to decide on increased WCs, manipulation of the parameters or of course no action required.
My tank is set up for tetras and Cory's and RCS.
PH 6.9
Temp 26.0C
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10-20
Kh 6
Gh 6
These are my chosen specs and work for me. Other members will have different ideas. It has to be your choice based on your knowledge, your fish and your source water specs.
It tweak my Kh and Gh as my source is zero for both and Ph was unstable with a Kh of zero. I choose to match Gh to Kh after research suggested this would be a better balance.
Keep a record of your results and you can easily see the effects of any changes you make. This was particularly useful when I started pressurised Co2 injection.
Personally I find the chemistry of the water very interesting and a major part of fish keeping.



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[Fishperson]

You need to test for (in order of importance): nitrates (NO3), ammonia (NH3), nitrites (NO2), pH, and lastly GH/KH. Nitrates are most importance because that will be the main reason to do a water change. Whenever they get above 30 ppm you should change the water. 20 ppm is a good target, but 0-40 is good for most fish (delicate ones like discus and rams are very different). Ammonia is t really important after you are done cycling. If your fish have burnt gills, gasping at the surface, or are clearly struggling (it should be fairly obvious), test the water and then change it if it's above .5 ppm. This shouldn't happen after you are cycled. Nitrite is, for all intents and purposes, the exact same as ammonia. Literally the exact same target parameters, process, etc. pH isn't important for hardy fish as long as it stays stable. If you are keeping delicate fish or want to breed, then you need to worry about that. The way pH moves is if you have plants that take up co2 and put in oxygen during the day, but put out extra co2 at night while not photosynthesizing. Some of this co2 fuses with water to form carbonic acid, lowering the pH. This is more likely to happen when your pH is not buffered. Having a high KH means that your pH is also likely to be high, but mostly that it will be well buffered, i.e. quite stable. You don't really need to test for KH/GH unless your tap KH is already low. You should look up your city's water report for that.

If you keep planted or saltwater tanks there will be many more things to test for.

 

[Pleco1st]

You'll want to get the api freshwater master test kit

0 ammonia 0 nitrite low nitrates (below 30 ppm)

Thank you, that was the test I was leaning toward since it seems most inclusive.

 

[Pleco1st]

Hi Pleco.
Going from no testing to full testing is a big step but I can do all the following in 10 minutes. I use API Freshwater Test Master for Ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates & The API water hardness pack for testing Gh and Kh. Along with temp these will give you a 'picture' of your water. Then you are in a strong position to decide on increased WCs, manipulation of the parameters or of course no action required.
My tank is set up for tetras and Cory's and RCS.
PH 6.9
Temp 26.0C
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10-20
Kh 6
Gh 6
These are my chosen specs and work for me. Other members will have different ideas. It has to be your choice based on your knowledge, your fish and your source water specs.
It tweak my Kh and Gh as my source is zero for both and Ph was unstable with a Kh of zero. I choose to match Gh to Kh after research suggested this would be a better balance.
Keep a record of your results and you can easily see the effects of any changes you make. This was particularly useful when I started pressurised Co2 injection.
Personally I find the chemistry of the water very interesting and a major part of fish keeping.



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What does increased WCs mean? And what does Kh and Gh a measure of. I know Kh affects Ph but I just don't know what it exactly is. I have very hard water and so I always treat it well in advance to using it, I keep the water at a temp around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. I do also agree that water parameters are a major part of fish keeping and I will admit that I was being a lazy aquarist by not testing the water but I want to do better. thank you for all your input =]

 

[Pleco1st]

You need to test for (in order of importance): nitrates (NO3), ammonia (NH3), nitrites (NO2), pH, and lastly GH/KH. Nitrates are most importance because that will be the main reason to do a water change. Whenever they get above 30 ppm you should change the water. 20 ppm is a good target, but 0-40 is good for most fish (delicate ones like discus and rams are very different). Ammonia is t really important after you are done cycling. If your fish have burnt gills, gasping at the surface, or are clearly struggling (it should be fairly obvious), test the water and then change it if it's above .5 ppm. This shouldn't happen after you are cycled. Nitrite is, for all intents and purposes, the exact same as ammonia. Literally the exact same target parameters, process, etc. pH isn't important for hardy fish as long as it stays stable. If you are keeping delicate fish or want to breed, then you need to worry about that. The way pH moves is if you have plants that take up co2 and put in oxygen during the day, but put out extra co2 at night while not photosynthesizing. Some of this co2 fuses with water to form carbonic acid, lowering the pH. This is more likely to happen when your pH is not buffered. Having a high KH means that your pH is also likely to be high, but mostly that it will be well buffered, i.e. quite stable. You don't really need to test for KH/GH unless your tap KH is already low. You should look up your city's water report for that.

If you keep planted or saltwater tanks there will be many more things to test for.

So because I keep a planted tank my tank pH should be well buffered, i.e stable, correct? Also because it is planted and I will be starting a flourish excel regiment what else do I need to test for? Oh and how often should I be testing? Once a week, every other day, once every two weeks??

 

[Pleco1st]

Best/Easiest Test Kit

I want to note, that despite my lack of water testing I have only killed one fish and that would be my very first pleco in my first tank and that was because I didn't let it cycle anywhere close to what it needed but my bf and I have learned from that and have seemed to be able to keep a stable tank without testing but because I want to upgrade to a bigger tank I want to do it the right way and not by guessing. So thank you all for bearing with me in this learning process.

 

[Caliban07]

Ammonia: highly toxic. Causes gill damage. Comes from fish respiration, fish urine, decomposition of fish waste, uneaten food, decomposing organisms such as dead fish, plants etc. broken down by nitrosomonas nitrifying bacteria to form nitrite. Levels should be 0ppm.

Nitrite: toxic to fish in low amounts, causes asphyxia in fish by reducing the capacity of oxygen cells can carry. Comes from nitrification of ammonia by nitrosomonas bacteria. Levels should be 0ppm

Nitrate: harmful in high volumes. Causes gill irritation and depresses fish immune systems leaving them susceptible to disease. Comes from nitrification of nitrite by nitrobacter/spira nitrifying bacteria. Levels disputed the majority argue under 20ppm.

Ph: per hydroxyl ion. A scale of acidity to alkaline (base). The more hydrogen ions in the water the more acidic the water. Should be kept stable. Logarithmic scale. 1 point shift either way will with make water 10x more acidic or 10 x alkaline. 2 point shift will be 100 x. Must not fluctuate. Levels 6.5 to 8.5. Depends on fish but most will adapt.

Kh: carbonate hardness or alkalinity. Not to be confused with alkaline in ph scale. The higher the kh the more stable ph is likely to be. Unsure on levels. Google.

Gh: general hardness. Calcium and magnesium content of water mainly. Most fish will adapt. Preferred by livebearers. Unsure on values. Google.




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[Caliban07]

Note: nitrate removed by water changes.


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[Pleco1st]

Wow! Thank you so much, that is so precise and clear-cut that even I can understand that =] when I was trying to google a lot of that I would get things jumbled from all the mumbo-jumbo talk they use. Thank you again for putting it in layman's terms!!

 

[Caliban07]

Wow! Thank you so much, that is so precise and clear-cut that even I can understand that =] when I was trying to google a lot of that I would get things jumbled from all the mumbo-jumbo talk they use. Thank you again for putting it in layman's terms!!

No problem. Glad I could help


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[Fishperson]

What does increased WCs mean? And what does Kh and Gh a measure of. I know Kh affects Ph but I just don't know what it exactly is. I have very hard water and so I always treat it well in advance to using it, I keep the water at a temp around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. I do also agree that water parameters are a major part of fish keeping and I will admit that I was being a lazy aquarist by not testing the water but I want to do better. thank you for all your input =]

WCs stand for water changes. PWC stands for partial water change but there really is no difference. GH is the amount of calcium and magnesium ions in your water, basically the amount of dissolved metals. All you need to know is that high KH means stable pH.

I actually think that testing frequently is unnecessary. I test only for nitrate and phosphate every week, and phosphate only because my tank is planted. After cycling levels don't fluctuate much. Your fish and plants will tell you if any obvious change has occurred, and remember, things and parameter changes happen for a reason. Your pH wont just drop out of nowhere, it'll be because of the addition of driftwood or co2 or something.

 

[Fishperson]

So because I keep a planted tank my tank pH should be well buffered, i.e stable, correct? Also because it is planted and I will be starting a flourish excel regiment what else do I need to test for? Oh and how often should I be testing? Once a week, every other day, once every two weeks??

1. Yes your tank should be well buffered if you are supplementing co2. Either way a GH of 6+ is recommended and is safer.

2. If you're just dosing flourish then just nitrate imo, if the tank is cycled. Once you get into EI and PPS pro then you should test phosphates and some others depending on your lighting and plants.

3. I would test for nitrates every week, before your usual water change time. Keep them below 40 ppm and you are good with most fish, although 20 ppm or less is best. Once your tank has been set up and stocked you may not even need to test that because you'll pretty much know how high they get to. Either way I recommend at least a 25% water change each week.

 

[ScotJudd]

Just to pick up on point 1 from fish person. If injecting Co2 then the Kh should be >6 to avoid a drastic fall in Ph. Gh generally has little or no effect on Ph.
I think that's right ........


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[Fishperson]

Just to pick up on point 1 from fish person. If injecting Co2 then the Kh should be >6 to avoid a drastic fall in Ph. Gh generally has little or no effect on Ph.
I think that's right ........


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I think you're right. I forget the difference sometimes.

 

[Pleco1st]

So I went and bought and kit and here are my results. I'd say pretty good for never testing in the last three years lol
It looks like I'll have to work on lowering my pH (8.2), but then again I really don't want to be messing with the pH too much if all my fish seem happy and not stressed out, right? And then I might possibly try to lower my nitrate although I've read below 40ppm is okay and it seems like I'm in between 5 and 10ppm. And ammonia could come down from 0.25ppm to 0ppm.
Overall I'm pretty happy. And that was really easy, haha not sure why I was so scared to do tests on my water.


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[Fishperson]

Nah don't mess with it. As long as they all seem fine then there is no need.