So I been using tetra ammonia test strips as well as the 6-1 (nitrite, nitrate, kh,gh ph,chlorine) . I need to know if these are proven to be 100 percent accurate or 100 percent inaccurate because i just did an ammonia test on all 3 of my tanks and all 3 tests were exact. All test read 6ppm ammonia and that is a bunch of bs, I find it very hard to believe. The 6-1 test strips i get very similar results if not the same at times. I do have a very humid basement where the tanks and strips are. Maybe thats why? But how accurate are these? Is the api master test kit 100% accurate for sure and should I get that instead?
Test strip’s accuracy
- Thread starter sean2024
- Start date
I have a 30 tank fish room running along with large display tanks and tried the Aquarium Coop test strips two weeks ago after watching a video that Cory put on about his vigorous testing prior to release. They are not worth the paper they’re printed on. I tested the same tank multiple times and a dozen other tanks and they’re so significantly off when compared to the API liquid test. I was simply focused on nitrates as the tanks are all cycled. I was getting test strips showing 50-100ppm consistently and barley 10ppm on the liquid test. Speaking with Aquarium Coop I was told that was well within the allowable tolerance which to me unacceptable so they’re in the bin as we speak. If you’re going to test if get the API kit and call it done.
jesus, thats crazy. Lmao, thats crazy!! Definitely not allowable! That's exactly what I thought. All 3 of my tanks were not only exactly 6ppm on ammonia but the 6-1 tests on all 3 were exact. Im like there’s definitely something wrong here lol. Theres no way my tanks are like that with the water changes I do. Im definitely ordering an api master test kit rn. Thank you man!
That could have something to do with it. Also heard that the test colors can run on the other while testing. I forgot how though.
Yeah that had happened to me before. As soon as I took the strip out of the water, two different color test squares ran on each other. Iv’e always used these and they just dont seem accurate. Im gonna go with the master test kit. Plus it cant workout with the humidity in the summer so.
In my opinion test strips are about as useless as a myriad of other off the shelf snake oil type products that you can purchase at your LFS.
Even when you do get a sensible reading that you are maybe expecting, you still can't be 100% sure that it's right because of all the unexpected readings that they've given you in the past.
You can't really go wrong with the liquid API test kits. But operator error can skew these results massively too. You need to follow the instructions to the letter, especially in relation to bottle number 2 on the nitrate test, which needs a really good shake before usage.
The colour chart is a bit naff too, the shades of orange are a bit too close to accurately gauge nitrate readings of 5-20ppm. But at the end of the day, any shade of orange isn't bad, just don't let it go near to the red shade, which is 40ppm.
Even when you do get a sensible reading that you are maybe expecting, you still can't be 100% sure that it's right because of all the unexpected readings that they've given you in the past.
You can't really go wrong with the liquid API test kits. But operator error can skew these results massively too. You need to follow the instructions to the letter, especially in relation to bottle number 2 on the nitrate test, which needs a really good shake before usage.
The colour chart is a bit naff too, the shades of orange are a bit too close to accurately gauge nitrate readings of 5-20ppm. But at the end of the day, any shade of orange isn't bad, just don't let it go near to the red shade, which is 40ppm.
I sometimes use test strips in the field, and find pH and nitrate to gereally be "OK" (they are not rocket science, litmus pater has been around since the 1300),
but would hesitate to rely in them conpare to liquid testing, probably not.
When I worked as a chemist in a lab, there were plenty of EPA appoved rest kits, but most are much more expensive than your average run of the mill aquarium tests..
I often compared liquid API results I'd get with my spectrometer in the lab, and found they were ivery much in the ball park
but would hesitate to rely in them conpare to liquid testing, probably not.
When I worked as a chemist in a lab, there were plenty of EPA appoved rest kits, but most are much more expensive than your average run of the mill aquarium tests..
I often compared liquid API results I'd get with my spectrometer in the lab, and found they were ivery much in the ball park
Yeah its always 0 normally but towards end of week close to my water change day it will be very light orange sometimes, and this is in the winter with my heat on. Now that its summer im getting way different readings due to the humidity down here in the basement. So im just gonna go with the api master test kit. The test strips are way off. The test strips are saying 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate with 6 ppm of ammonia in all 3 tanks like no way lol. I’ll definitely feel very comfortable with the api test kit. Im just reading all this different stuff online on google on all these different sites saying how they’re accurate (test strips) and alot of people saying no so I decided to stick with them and give them a try and now im realizing they aren’t accurate possibly even in the winter and definitely not now with the humidity. Im sitting here wondering if i got off readings in the winter now, which I probably did. Thank you very much!
