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Test strips or liquid with test tubes?


sweetpoison
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I used to have liquid with test tubes ~  I loved playing the role of Scientist🤫

But that was a while ago.   So somebody suggested I get the test strips much less expensive.

Are the test strips less accurate then the liquid with test tubes? I already bought test strips because someone said they were just as good and accurate

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I use both. Test strips are nice & fast, can tell you quickly if anything's changed since the last time you tested. But the liquid tests are (generally) more accurate & I use them to confirm what the strips are telling me, or to get a more precise reading. I can figure out the general range from a strip, but I can get exact numbers from a liquid test. 

On 6/13/2022 at 2:37 PM, Pepere said:

I use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.

I can test for PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate in about 8 minutes.

I use a syringe to accurately and quickly fill 4 test tubes, and then add reagents and then shake required time and set them down on desk. Takes all of 2 -3 minutes, and then do other things while waiting 5 minutes for reagents to work.  Its fast enough for me.  

I'll have to try this @Pepere. It takes me at least 20 min to perform all the liquid tests (I added the GH/KH tests & occasionally the Phosphate test). I always feel like I'm doing things inefficiently when I do the tests one at a time. 

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On 6/13/2022 at 12:39 PM, sweetpoison said:

Are the test strips less accurate then the liquid with test tubes? I already bought test strips because someone said they were just as good and accurate

There are good test strips and bad test strips. There's also good storage and bad storage of test strips.

I would recommend either Tetra test strips, API master kit (liquid tests), or the Aquarium Co-op test strips.

They all work and they all give me accurate results.  You might have an easier time reading one scale compared to the other, but you're going to pay a lot more for the Tetra/API tests compared to ACO strips because they want you to want to actually test your water!

 

Strips are easier for me because they take less time, and because there is less user error (prior to trying to read results).  Again, I've had no issues with anything mentioned above.

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I test my water much more often now I have switched to test strips.

I also believe there is much less room for human error (drop counting, shaking and  such)in the process so the results will be more consistent. It's consistency you need to understand the changes in the water.

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As someone who also likes to play scientist I've migrated to test strips. Here's why:

  1. Any readable amount of Nitrite means there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Either method is equally capable of telling me, "Hey, you need to fix this."
  2.  I just want to know my Nitrates are above 0 and less than 50. Test strips are pretty good with those sort of ballpark ranges.
  3. If something is easier I'm more likely to do it.

I still use the KH reagent but that's because I need a reliable value for my co2.

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On 6/13/2022 at 3:39 PM, sweetpoison said:

I used to have liquid with test tubes ~  I loved playing the role of Scientist🤫

But that was a while ago.   So somebody suggested I get the test strips much less expensive.

Are the test strips less accurate then the liquid with test tubes? I already bought test strips because someone said they were just as good and accurate

I bought test strips because I was questioning the liquid test results.  After using both and getting the same results, I dropped the liquid tests about 4 years ago, saving time and money.  It takes less than ten minutes for me to do the test and record the results including temperature on my 4 active aquariums.

Both tests are only indicators and there is a greater possibility for human error with the liquid tests.  I actually have two test vials with marked fill levels that are different from all of the others.

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On 6/13/2022 at 5:37 PM, Pepere said:

I use a syringe to accurately and quickly fill 4 test tubes, and then add reagents and then shake required time and set them down on desk. Takes all of 2 -3 minutes, and then do other things while waiting 5 minutes for reagents to work.  Its fast enough for me.  

Me too, Pepere. The syringe is GREAT.

I did a side-by-side comparison one day and the test strips showed 0 nitrate while the liquid showed 5 nitrate. Knowing the liquid is more precise, I went by that.

Also!  TEST STRIP HACK (from a Cory video) - Cut the test strips in half and you get double the tests!  It's like getting a BOGO on test strips!

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I’ve never kept a species of fish/plant/invertebrate where the slightly higher accurate readings of the test tubes would have made a difference compared to the test strips. I would say 95% of fish keepers are perfectly fine with using strips and the master test kit would just be an unnecessary cost. That being said, I can see it being more useful if you’re keeping something that is very sensitive to water parameters. 

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I recently starting using test strips. At first I though the strips were wrong, but it was pointed out by one of the forum members that if you're not careful, it's possible to contaminate the master test kit bottles. Had a bad Nitrate test bottle and pH bottle, which pretty much sold me on strips

I use the test strips to do a quick check to make sure that nothing is wildly off. And I'll use reagent kits for KH, GH, and pH mostly to test my tap monthly for my water changes and for my plants. 

Strips are definitely super convenient .

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I also switched to strips because the liquid kit kept giving me crazy readings. Especially with my ph and Ammonia.   I started to think the liquid kit I bought was defective.  I brought my water into the co-op and it tested way different than the API liquid kit.

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I've seen the test strip Vs liquid kit debate so many times in UK Facebook groups. General consensus there is strips are rubbish and you're killing your fish if you use anything but liquid tests. From what I can tell the justification for those comments is because the internet said so!

I've used both the API master kit and tetra strips and tested them against my tap water using the water suppliers monthly report as a standard.

Both were pretty much spot on or at least my interpretation of the colour charts said they were accurate.

Both are certainly accurate enough for an aquarist so if you like lab coats and beakers use liquid or if you're lazy like me test strips are the way to go.

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