Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: Fiona on April 30, 2016, 07:27:33 PM

Title: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Fiona on April 30, 2016, 07:27:33 PM
I picked up a brand new carton of tetra test strips from a charity shop today for £1.50p. A bargain I think  :) Just to try them out I tested my 200l tank. I've always struggled to read the nitrate test using the APi liquid reagents but knew it was somewhere between 40-80ppm, however the test strips show my nitrates at 50ppm and considering my tapwater is 40ppm I don't think thats bad.

Just remember I've had frogbit in for a few days now so maybe I should test with the API test too.
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Sue on April 30, 2016, 07:32:34 PM
Check the use-by date, if there is one, before relying on the results if they came from a charity shop. You never know why the owner gave them away.......
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Manjr on April 30, 2016, 07:52:01 PM
Is it easier to decipher/see the graduation of the nitrate colours on the test strips. All I seem able to do is tell if it's getting too red when using the liquid test (API). Is it worth trying them to see if I can differentiate the reading better, are the colours in a graduated strip or in steps like the liquid test comparison chart as I think a graduated strip would be simpler to read.
Edited, just seen the strips on t'interweb and that has answered my question in the negative I think. Surely someone somewhere must be able to come up with a better method for testing nitrates?.
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Fiona on April 30, 2016, 08:57:37 PM
Expiry date is 09/16. There was a hideous fishbowl as well and I actually bought that because my son has a triops kit and it seems the ideal thing to start that in.

I have to say I'm not surprised my nitrates are only 10ppm higher than my tap water as although the tank is quite densely planted I do have a tendency to over feed. I've always been frustrated by the API readings, I'll try a test tomorrow when I can do it in natural light
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Sue on April 30, 2016, 09:03:56 PM
I am lucky because my tapwater has nitrate in the colour gap between 0 and 5 ppm so even allowing for nitrate building up in the tanks, it is still in the easily distinguishable colour section.

I have read just today that the Salifert nitrate test is easier to read, if more expensive to buy.
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Fiona on April 30, 2016, 09:39:39 PM
Ta Sue. I don't think I will though, we can drive ourselves nuts with tests.
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: fcmf on April 30, 2016, 11:43:12 PM
I find the test strips much easier to read for nitrate and nitrite than liquid-based tests, although have never tried Salifert.

Fiona, assuming you have 5-/6-in-1 test strips, I'd be interested to know how your other readings compare with your liquid-based ones, especially for hardness/PH. Both JBL and Tetra test strips tend to give me a lower reading for PH than liquid-based test kits, while both and especially the Tetra one tend to give me a much higher GH than either the liquid-based test kit or my water company data.
Title: Re: Tetra test strips.
Post by: Fiona on May 01, 2016, 12:19:22 PM
Until the strips I'd never tested my water hardness.

My water supplier says this CALCIUM 146 mg/l.   TOTAL HARDNESS 365 mg/l. Degrees German   20.
The strips read GH 16d KH 10.

The strips and the API test kit reads 7.6 pH for tap water