Freshwater aquarium test kits: What do you recommend?

[CJsNvrUrly]

A lot has changed since the last time I kept a freshwater aquarium. I used to test the water by adding different drops to vials of water from the tank, but I don't remember any of the specifics. I'm confused by all the products that are currently available. What is a good, basic, all-around kit to test for "the usual suspects" (ph, nitrates, nitrates, ammonia, etc.)?

[Panopticon]

Mardel 5 in 1 Test Strips http://www.virbacpets.com/mardel/product.php?pid=173
(pH, hardness, alkalinity (buffering capacity), nitrite and nitrate)

$9 (25 ct) @ That Fish Place http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/product/productInfo.web?&infoParam.itemKey=214195
but I found them on sale at B&M PetSmart for $7. I verified their accuracy with a master reagent kit.

[ArtP]

The liquid test kits give you more bang for the buck and are accurate (100+ tests each compared 25 in the 5 in 1 strips). The three main things that are important are pH, ammonia, and Nitrites. These are the things that go bad quickly and/or kill the fish. I like the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand of liquid test kits.



Nitrates, Hardness, and the other things are nice to know but may not be that important unless you are trying to breed the fish or decide to keep delicate specialized fish.

Essentially you could/should buy the Ammonia test kit first (since that will be the first thing out of whack), then buy the Nitrite kit the next week (second deadly thing), and then follow with the pH kit.

Also a good Local Fish Store should be able to test your water for free or little cost.

EDIT: Most local fish stores tend to keep their freshwater at the same pH as the City Water supply unless it is a specialized fish. Over the years, for a community tank, I find that keeping the pH the same as the tap water is usually best (unless area has an extreme pH or hardness). Detroit tap water comes out at about 7.2 which is great for most fish.

[deckeda]

Hey guys my SO is getting into freshwater fish. What's a good Internet forum for her to check out?

[ArtP]

[quote deckeda]Hey guys my SO is getting into freshwater fish. What's a good Internet forum for her to check out?
Not too sure spend most of my time here...



One cool thing if your SO is computer savvy, is Tetra Care. It is a email/phone support line (think Applecare) if you have any problems or questions. What I like is that they send out email reminders about Tank Maintenance and Helpful tips about aquarium keeping. The do have a forum there too but little activity last time i checked.

More info here: http://www.tetra-fish.com/registration/t...acare.aspx

Edit: Tetra Forums: http://www.tetra-fish.com/forums/

[Panopticon]

[quote deckeda]Hey guys my SO is getting into freshwater fish. What's a good Internet forum for her to check out?
Here's a few forums I've found. They all have links to other, more specialized groups she may need later.

http://www.fishtankforums.com
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/
http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=start&webtag=ab-freshaquaria&lgnF=y
http://forums.aquariumhobbyist.com/
http://www.awforum.net/freshwater/
http://www.fishforum.com/

[Stavs]

I like the AP Freshwater Test Kit. If you have a Petsmart near you, print out the web page that has it listed ( http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...4441776772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030152&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1171975568782&itemNo=0&Ntt=freshwater+test+kit&In=All&previousText=freshwater+test+kit&N=2 ) and they will price match their web prices. I paid $14. If you dont have a Petsmart, I suggest http://www.thatpetplace.com or Big Als Online.

Stavs

[PeterB]

CJ, yes, I have one that I really like -- I think it's similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Freshwater-Master-Te...dZViewItem

... except the one I have has a chlorine test in it too. That was important for what I was doing (frogs) because chlorine will kill them. Also, I did find out by this kit that there were serious differences in pH and hardness between locations -- for example, Cambridge city water was pH 8.6 or greater, with a bit of hardness and a fair amount of chlorine, while water from my home in CT was pH 6.5, with no chlorine and fairly soft.

[CJsNvrUrly]

Thank you to everyone who provided much needed, useful information!
I'm happy to say that, after purchasing a liquid test kit (as opposed to the strip type) and checking the levels, the ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are dead-on. Only the ph remains a little low.

Not too shabby!

I'll check it again, day after tomorrow