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How Do You Test Your Water?


Rozmere
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Thumbnail: API test of my untreated tap water on March 29, 2023. The water currently in my tank is different.

I know it sounds like a strange question, or at least it sounds like a question a beginner might ask and most long-term aquarium keepers should probably have a quick answer based on their experience. However, the reason I'm asking is because I've been out of the aquarium scene for a while and now that I'm getting back into it I've discovered that my municipal water supply has gone through an unfavorable change at some point and it's no longer as easy to create a comfortable environment for my desired fish. Also, I've been testing with two different test strips (API and Tetra) because they are readily available and affordable for me, but receiving "somewhat" different results.

I've found myself turned on to newer products that a lot of people say have come a long way in development while I've been gone. For example, Fritz Fishless Fuel and Fritz Zyme 7 for speeding up the cycle, and the Seachem water adjusting products which were around when I was active in the hobby but I never needed before. However, a comment in one of my other threads stated that "hobby-level" water tests (especially the strips) are still highly inaccurate. So that raises the question: how do "YOU" test your water parameters? What do you find most reliable or at least "close-enough" for your peace of mind?

As someone who has a very low income and no fish stores for hours around me (virtual aquarium wasteland in this part of the U.S.) I refuse to accept the concept that the hobby is just no longer available to unwealthy people.

Since my readings are currently making me scratch my head pretty hard tell me your thoughts and suggestions.

Edited by Rozmere
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I use API titration drops. But they’re not always perfectly spot on.

ACO test strips are good, but parameters might measure a bit differently from API.

Look up your municipal water report. It is public record in US. Did your company start using chloramine? Call and ask.

Test straight from your tap without treatment.

Remember that certain dechlorinators / water treatments will throw off water test results for awhile.

Is your issue with your cycle? Or other water parameters?

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I need to invest in a GOOD test kit myself cause what I have is a generic 
brand & I've had it a few years, I don't really test mine that much cause 
I just watch the tank & it will tell me what it's missing or needing done.

If something doesn't look right or smell right or act right then there's 
something wrong some where, but for those that test their water that's 
not a bad thing to be doing, cause not all water is the same for every 1.

Being I just done a MAJOR overall with my 75 gal it will take a few days 
to readjust it's self again, cause I had to fix a few problems that was a 
call for action to get done, but as for water testing I don't do it at all.

But starting NEXT WEEKEND that's going to change for some VERY
SPECIAL FISH
I will have by then, so I can't be nilly-willy like I have 
I've invested a LOT of $ into this 1 tank & fish so this is a MUST for me.

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Well, I personally love Sera test kits. I use gh, ph and ammonia/ammonium from them. If I could afford more, I would get more liquid test kits of theirs. 

For strips, I use tetra 6in1. But personally not really happy. Just using it for kh and nitrite/nitrate at this point. Planning to go back to JBL ones once I finish them all.

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On 4/15/2023 at 6:22 PM, Lennie said:

Well, I personally love Sera test kits. I use gh, ph and ammonia/ammonium from them. If I could afford more, I would get more liquid test kits of theirs. 

For strips, I use tetra 6in1. But personally not really happy. Just using it for kh and nitrite/nitrate at this point. Planning to go back to JBL ones once I finish them all.

Why wait till you finish the others off just get em & that way 
you'll have them on hand when you're done with the other 1's
& if you test often then get 2 that way you won't run out for 
awhile till you can get some more, that's what I would do myself.

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On 4/16/2023 at 1:26 AM, Flying fox 6523 said:

Why wait till you finish the others off just get em & that way 
you'll have them on hand when you're done with the other 1's
& if you test often then get 2 that way you won't run out for 
awhile till you can get some more, that's what I would do myself.

test kits are super expensive here. It is like, I can easily buy a new fish tank cheaper than a single test kit lol. So, that becomes a bit problematic when they are this pricey. 

Also the later I get, the further the expiry date would be! So still a better choice I believe.

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On 4/15/2023 at 6:29 PM, Lennie said:

test kits are super expensive here. It is like, I can easily buy a new fish tank cheaper than a single test kit lol. So, that becomes a bit problematic when they are this pricey. 

Also the later I get, the further the expiry date would be! So still a better choice I believe.

That's why I never invested in them cause of the price
& cause I don't chase my water like most people do  
so yea I totally get you on that, I've heard it's better not to.

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Thanks for the replies! It looks like there is a fairly wide range of ideas here.

On 4/15/2023 at 3:42 PM, Fish Folk said:

Look up your municipal water report. It is public record in US. Did your company start using chloramine? Call and ask.

The most recent report online seems to be from over 2 years ago and no mention of chloramine.

On 4/15/2023 at 3:42 PM, Fish Folk said:

Is your issue with your cycle? Or other water parameters?

Both really. I added Seachem's alkaline buffer the other day to raise the KH to 80 ppm which was inside my target range, but today, according to the tests, for some reason both the GH and KH are right back down to where they've been staying, GH 60-75, KH 40 (ish). The Nitrates have finally started showing a change and read about 10 on both tests, the Nitrite has also finally seemed to show up, on the API it reads at about .5 and on the Tetra it reads about 1.5. The ammonia seems to read between 1 and 2 (?) I find this particular test strip the hardest to decipher but it's all I have to go by at the moment.

On 4/15/2023 at 3:44 PM, Pepere said:

My preference is for the API liquid test kits.  I use the Master Test kit and the GH, KH tests.  I trust the accuracy of this the most.

Yeah, I would like to be able to get an API master test kit but I just can't really afford it right now.

On 4/15/2023 at 5:19 PM, Flying fox 6523 said:

I need to invest in a GOOD test kit myself cause what I have is a generic 
brand & I've had it a few years, I don't really test mine that much cause 
I just watch the tank & it will tell me what it's missing or needing done.

I appreciate that and if my tank was fully established with plants and fish I would "somewhat" be the same way, however, right now all I have in there are a few plants which I want to make sure have adequate minerals and nutrients to survive while I'm trying to get through the initial cycle stage. I'm not sure if my sparse sprigs of dwarf sagittaria are just melting back a little or just straight up dying because of the sheer lack of anything in the water other than the initial fluval liquid fert and bio-stratum substrate. The two anubias nana seem to be doing okay but they are a slow-to-grow/slow-to-die plant so it's a bit difficult to detect much with them. So, anyway, right now, there isn't much to observe other than the tests.

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For years I meticulously tested every tank, every week, using the API Master test kit. For a super long time, my results were always the same, so these days I dip an ACO test strip every 6-8 weeks and confirm that everything is still the same. 
 

I made the decision early on to not alter my water and work with fish that do well in my water. I also made the decision early on to be as consistent as possible to give my fish a stable environment. Considering I try to do the same thing every single week my parameters have been stable for years and I test with strips every once in a while to confirm what I already know. 

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I use the ACO test strips to test nitrites, nitrates and to get a ballpark for GH and KH. I pretty much ignore the PH results, because they seem inconsistent. 

I use API liquid tests for ammonia and KH. 

I use Sera liquid tests for PH and GH. 

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On 4/16/2023 at 1:41 AM, Flying fox 6523 said:

That's why I never invested in them cause of the price
& cause I don't chase my water like most people do  
so yea I totally get you on that, I've heard it's better not to.

As I have a water softener I have to check my gh, otherwise my gh reads 0 from the tap. I love keeping shrimp and snails so they do need enough gh for shell growth and healthy molting/life. Also I keep my gh different in every tank based on the inhabitants so yea. It is like a must to have for me as I have to dose my gh myself :,) 

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On 4/16/2023 at 1:55 AM, Lennie said:

As I have a water softener I have to check my gh, otherwise my gh reads 0 from the tap. I love keeping shrimp and snails so they do need enough gh for shell growth and healthy molting/life. Also I keep my gh different in every tank based on the inhabitants so yea. It is like a must to have for me as I have to dose my gh myself :,) 

I totally understand how that is a must to be done 
I've never kept shrimp & snails just mainly fish.

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On 4/15/2023 at 6:29 PM, Lennie said:

test kits are super expensive here. It is like, I can easily buy a new fish tank cheaper than a single test kit lol. So, that becomes a bit problematic when they are this pricey. 

Also the later I get, the further the expiry date would be! So still a better choice I believe.

O.K. yea, I forgot about the expiration time.
see, that's why I don't get into the technical 
biological mumbo jumbo of certain things.

It's all about how much everything cost to 
enjoy a little bit of happiness B-4 we die. 

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