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New NT Labs Testing Kits available now in the USA
- Thread starter Art
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Never used a nitrate test kit in many years
hypnogogia
New Member
Like @Zeus. I no longer test nitrate, mainly because I’ve noticed huge discrepancies between different tests, as well as inaccurate results when I knew how much nitrate was in the water. Decided nitrate testing is unreliable. In fact, I don’t test for anything anything these days.
Most of the test kits work by proxy hence aren't very accurate, watch your plants and do they look healthy. The time and cost of testing is counter productive IMO - even Purigen which works isn't worth it.
Regular Water Changes (WC) suitable for high and low tech tanks takes care of most problems in are tanks, plus polishes the water. Once we have plants growing well the surface area of all the roots in the substrate far exceeds any bio media in the filters, the breakdown of ammonium compounds isn't an issue. I even use to use urea prills as a source of Nitrogen compounds. Although I did have a slight advantage as my PLC (programmable logic controller)and auto doser was able to dose the ferts many many times a week, think I had it so it got one drop every 12 mins for Macros. That was there wasn't a sudden load of urea - little very often
Obviously we have to watch out for dead livestock which can be a issue if not spotted.
Like fish pee.
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- #6
So @Zeus. going to ask you to tell us more about this on a separate thread. You can't just drop PLC and auto dose without further explanation and pictures!
I do appreciate your comments and my test kits are gathering dust in my closet as well. The only time I test is if there is something off and I want to see if anything is wildly off instead of wondering if NO3 is 10 or 12.
However, I have found that many, many people still do use test kits to help them manage their aquariums. This is true of most beginners in the planted aquarium hobby. They are not used to using calculators and are likely not rolling their own fertilizer.
It is for this reason that I'm always on the hunt for improved quality test kits that I may recommend during that phase. IMHO, in the beginning, even ammonia, KH and GH tend to play an important part in the learning journey and even as we grow more experienced but want to double check that things are within a range.
Do you measure anything now-a-days @Zeus., @hypnogogia, @Hanuman?
You can't just drop PLC and auto dose without further explanation and pictures!
20 controllable sockets with multiple on/off Temp measurement/control and twin rails 0-10V for dimming kessil 360s which allowed me to do a 'moonlight passover' one kessil on at about 10% for say 25 mins which IMO was a great viewing time
Ammonia/nitrite when starting/resetting a tank because it's critical for fauna. That's it. The rest I have learned to assess by looking at plants and fish. All these tests can sometimes be highly inacurate and misleading. NO3 tests are notorious in that regard. I really don't see the point in testing all these elements, specially when you are using RO and know what you are adding to the water.
hypnogogia
New Member
No I don't. I measure (by weight) what I put into my water, so I know the gH, and Kh. I also have a pH probe for the CO2 system.
There was a time time that I measured Nitrates every week and was having high readings of 60ppm. Plants were growing really well and I tried unsuccessfully to reduce the nitrates (as measured). Then one day I used a different test snd it measured 20ppm of nitrate. At that point I gave up and concluded testing is pointless. Watch the plants and know what you put in.
No, only have 50l on the go, ticking over. Plus use to use tap water which was very hard and Nitrates in water varied with the seasons as farmers fertilized their crops, Water company use to blend the water to keep it within legal limits.
Since moving we have a bore hole, so water just costs the electric of pumping it out, so RO water would be the way forward when the time comes, renovating house ATM
- Thread starter
- #11
@Zeus. that is absolutely stunning. You put my Neptune Apex controller to shame. Very well done, my friend. It deserves a separate showcase.
On the testing, I can certainly understand your points and the inaccurate test results. IME, people newer to the hobby are not using RO water and are not rolling their own fertilizers. Unknown tap water and a capful of whatever magic aquarium plant juice the pet store sold them is what they got.
Testing can give us some idea of what's going on. Of course, if the test kits are not expired and they did the test correctly.
If ICP testing were cheaper and easier to do, would you feel tempted to test a few times a year to see if your math matched?
On the testing, I can certainly understand your points and the inaccurate test results. IME, people newer to the hobby are not using RO water and are not rolling their own fertilizers. Unknown tap water and a capful of whatever magic aquarium plant juice the pet store sold them is what they got.
Testing can give us some idea of what's going on. Of course, if the test kits are not expired and they did the test correctly.
If ICP testing were cheaper and easier to do, would you feel tempted to test a few times a year to see if your math matched?
With any test kit the key is to create a reference sample. Years ago I did a kitchen table experiment years with Salifert and API kits.
The API kit was basically worthless. The readings were so wildly off that you would never want to make any changes based on that kit. The Salifert is actually quite accurate and repeatable.
I still test from time to time just to confirm my assumptions on accumulation are correct. But it's like once every six months or so.
The API kit was basically worthless. The readings were so wildly off that you would never want to make any changes based on that kit. The Salifert is actually quite accurate and repeatable.
I still test from time to time just to confirm my assumptions on accumulation are correct. But it's like once every six months or so.
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Krandall
Community Member
I am much more likely to test tap water than tank water, quite frankly. While people on on FB and this forum might be using RO/DI water. That is not what most people use when I speak to hobbyists at club meetings. And if they don't know what they are putting into their tanks, they are going to be fighting an uphill battle from day one. There are ways of managing things if they know what's the tap water, even if it limits plant selection.
As far as ammonia and nitrite are concerned? IMO, the best medicine for that is patience. Something sorely lacking in the hobby among beginners. If I could bottle THAT, there would be no need for ammonia or nitrite kits. (for the most part... I know there are exceptions)
I hate API, not only because the test kits are hard to use accurately (though Bailin Shaw tells me if they are fresh, and shaken HARD and LONG enough, they are accurate... but how many newbies know to do that?) But also the "Master" kit is not "master" enough to be suitable to trouble shoot even a low tech planted tank.
I rarely test tanks, but when traveling in the wild, Christel and I have always liked to double-check (or triple check) our results. I usually buy a new, complete, Sera kit before a trip, and she has a new German kit... can't remember the brand off hand. Our test results have always shed nicely, AND have been fairly close to the lab results on water samples that she has taken back home to be done in Germany. So I feel quite confident in the Sera kits for my purposes.
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- #14
I'm going to have to look if we have instructions on how to do this. I have never done it but heard this is good practice.
I am in an area that provides a tap water analysis sheet and I trust that it doesn't vary given where the water is from. So, I don't test my tap. Like @GreggZ I will likely test a couple times to double check my math and expectations of what the tank is running, usually at the end of the week before a water change.
One issue is the quality of the test kits and I think your responses speak to that. Unfortunately, cheaper, less accurate brands will always be the preferred choice for Big Box stores so it is hard for beginners. I wonder which one's Christel is using?
Of course, Christel refers to Christel Kasselmann, the author of the famous Aquarium Plants book, for those that are not familiar with her and her work.
So, what is the best advice to give a beginner that is sitting there watching their aquarium and wondering if the water is OK?
