Test Kit Question

[tmurphy171]

Hi All,
Newbie question. When reading test results I find it difficult to determine what color the tested water matches to on the test result card. Some of these colors are so close to each other their appear to me as being the same. Should I use the lowest reading that matches or the highest? Thanks in advance!

 

[loganj]

What kind of kits are you using? Some of them are nearly impossible to read. For example, the Aquarium Pharm Nitrate kit...works great for levels up to around 20...much past that and you can't tell. I usually will assume a reading in between if none of the colors match up well.

 

[tmurphy171]

What kind of kits are you using?

I'm using Aquarium Pharm for nitrate and Red Sea fresh Lab for Ph, Ammonia and Nitrite. The Ammonia card in the Red Sea kit has horribly close colors for .25, .5 and 1.0 ppm and 2.5 and 5.0 ppm.

 

[loganj]

Try an Aquarium Pharm ammonia kit...the colors are better. I haven't really found a FW nitrate kit that I liked. Although, if it's up in the red color range, it's too high anyway. I'm going to try some Hanna kits soon and I'll post my opinion of them. LaMotte makes really good test kits, but you'd have to pick up a part time job to pay for them.