Next question, water quality testing...

I'm wondering if anything new and ground shaking has happened in water quality testing?

Any preferences for measuring ammonia, pH, nitrite, nitrate, hardness and phoshates?

Any electronic gadgets that are a good value?

Anything else I should be monitoring?

My chemical engineering department has pH meters that get five significant digits. I'm not sure if that's new or not (and it's completely unnecessary for the aquarium), but I thought it was a neat probe to use. Myself, I use a $20 multiple test kit that I bought from the local pet store for things like pH and GH, things you only really need to test once and then the value of which is fairly stable. My favorite CO2 test kit is the one by Red Sea co.; I tried several and that was the easiest to use. (color change between green and purple)

I think the most important aspect of any test kit is not how many significant figures it has, but rather how old the chemicals are / when the apparatus was last calibrated. For example, my ammonia and nitrate test bottles were very nice when I bought them, but it's been a couple years and they're starting to precipitate crystals around the openings and I should probably throw them away because I doubt they're accurate anymore. So instead of focusing on new equipment, my main concern with my testing equipment is how decayed it is. Thankfully new chemical bottles aren't too expensive, often only between $10 and $20.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, you asked what things you should test for. Myself, I know my pH (7.5), my GH (20 degrees), and if the fish are showing signs of distress, I test for ammonia and nitrates. I'm lazy, you see, and probably not leading the best example. A good rule of thumb is to test the nitrate level every week.

Edited by EricaWieser, 29 April 2011 - 09:48 AM.

Jungle makes like a 6 in one test strip, which has you covered on all bases.

I used to test my water, but once it stabilzed I haven't tested it in over 2 years. I have had good filtration and limited fish die-off. I think most of those tests are not needed.

A few years back, Hach had some meters that were inexpensive and useful in the field - I bought a TDS and a pH meter. Haven't used them in years (it seems all Mississippi water tests the same). If you just love to test stuff, get a CO2 and an O2 test kit. If you love to spend money on test kits, go with LaMotte.

If you want a pH meter, the new "ISFET" (ion-sensitive field effect transistor) meters are nice especially in very soft water, where regular glass membrane-type probes are slow and troublesome. Also you store the ISFET probe dry and it needs far less maintenance that regular probe meters. My IQ-120 meter cost about $180, 3 yrs ago, and i think a replacement electrode is about half that, but i haven't needed one yet.
see http://www.phmeters....cts/minilab.htm

At the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County (PA) meeting this past Saturday, someone had sent a bunch of lab stuff for the auction. Included was a TDS meter still in the box, I don't remember the manufacturer. It went for 12.00. I was tempted to bid on it, but I thought how much would I even use it. Luckily it went to a young man who seems to be a very dedicated aquarist and probably actually use it. But still, 12 bucks.

Harry Knaub

$12 is cheap for a good TDS meter, I could use another one now...