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Accurate testing kits recommendation.

Hi all,
Could someone please recommend a good accurate water testing kit please? Thanks
It really depends on how much money you have to spend, and how happy you are with the scientific method.

A lot of the methods and techniques developed on this forum were designed to negate the need for regular water testing, either by using a very limited range of test "kits", like Drop checkers and Conductivity meters, by a regular routine of the addition of nutrients and water changes or by using plant health as a proxy for water quality.

Have a look at <"Which NO3 Testing Kit...."><"Testing strips vs. ...">, <"Testing for EI">and <"Water testing">.

cheers Darrel
 
Cheers Darrel.

I’m initially looking to test my tap water for pH/KH/GH etc so I can work out ratios to mix with RO when I get my new tank going.

Thanks!
 
Have a look at your water companies report as a starting place - that will give you a rough idea of those.
 
I’ve already looked and it was pretty brief. It only has hardness clark, nitrates, heavy metals. That’s about it.

Cheers
 
Email customer service & request a comprehensive report (in my case, it took several phone calls to obtain the appropriate email contact)
 
Sounds a contradiction but the API often wins “best on test” in Practical Fishkeeping with price a consideration, Seachem have good reputation. Even when test kits are not too accurate as often mentioned on here because of certain water conditions having a effect .Having a test kit is better than not for a guide alone.Darryl will confirm the really accurate expensive professional ones are dangerous in the hobbyist hands,often difficult to use and the people ,scientists,chemists etc have to be suitably qualified. Water companies tend to be ok if you email a query.
 
Test kits are pretty taboo on here but then water parameters are asked for when diagnosing issues and then the complex (for me anyway) science behind how things work gets talked about which goes over the head of most when starting out. So for most people the liquid kits are the only viable way of monitoring things while learning and understanding how and why things react in the way they do (so the science behind it all starts to make sense)

For me the test kits do a job of getting a rough indication of how your parameters are affected in relation to the changes you make, it helps narrow down issues you're having and as long as you don't just blindly look at the numbers and you use it ONLY as a guide and keep an eye on whats actually happening in your tank as well then it's a good tool to have

I'm using the API master test kit (£25 + £8 KH/GH), if buying again i'd probably get the Sera kit (£70ish)
 
A hobby grade test kit (liquid drop one) will give a rough reading of tap water dKH of soft, medium or hard. (so will water company).

This knowing this...
  1. If tap water is soft, why on earth are you bothering with RO ? Many people here would die to have soft tap water rather than expense (2p litre typical home RO) and the effort of RO. Just add some reminerilising salts to bring upto 4-8dKH, job done.
  2. If tap water is medium softness, just mix tap to RO in 50:50. Job done.
  3. If tap water is hard, just mix tap to RO 25:75. Job done.
A test kit like this will give a reasonable dKH reading, for tap water. Probably won't work with tank water, due to presence of other salts/ions.
https://uk.hach.com/total-hardness-test-kit-model-5-b/product?id=25114234042&callback=qs

If water is too soft, make your own reminerilising salts here, rather than purchase expensive magic ingredient powders.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/RO.htm
 
Most of the liquid kits will give you a good enough reading to know roughly what your water is and unless you are keeping something super fussy/sensitive that's probably all you need for working out ratios.

Asking in your local fish shop is another cheap option, they probably have a good idea what the local water is like and they often offer testing too.

A ph pen is easier/more accurate than a standard test kit but does cost more. So if you just want to test initially it's probably not worth the outlay.

I like a TDS pen (they are about £8) for mixing water once you've decided what you want, particularly RO+reminerals. You test once you are happy and it gives you an instant reading and if you mix to the same number each time you know you have the water the same.
 
Hi all,
I’m initially looking to test my tap water for pH/KH/GH etc so I can work out ratios to mix with RO when I get my new tank going.
Definitely what @Tam says, you can get accurate figures from your water company.
hardness clark
That is fine, you can get both dGH and dKH from that.

To convert from degrees English (Clark) to degrees German you multiply by ~0.75, there is a calculator here <"Lenntech hardness convertor">. The dGH and the dKH will be the same because all the hardness is from CaCO3.

You can only really interpret the pH value if you have a hardness value, all tap water is treated now to raise the pH above pH7.

More to follow.....

cheers Darrel
 
Hi.

Cheers for the info everyone.

Ian, my water isn’t soft, it’s hard. KH is 11.76. Finally found it on the water company site.
And thanks for the rough ratio mix for hard water and RO. That was going to be my next question. That’s some Jedi mind tricks there! :thumbup:

Darrell, cheers for that. I had no idea the KH/GH would be the same. I don’t understand why yet, but it very good to know.

So I’m thinking I’ll get a API test kit for a rough guide whilst I’m getting going, then a pH pen for monitoring my pH when the CO2 gets setup.

Awesome!

I wish we had the t’internt when I was doing this 20 years ago!!

Thanks all.
 
I’m initially looking to test my tap water for pH/KH/GH etc so I can work out ratios to mix with RO when I get my new tank going

The best way figuring out the mixing with RO is a TDS meter/conductivity meter. The individual measures are not as important and in fact, if you try to match KH/GH/pH, your critters may suffer as its the total conductivity they're more sensitive too....So here I saved you lots of money for test kits, time and headaches with my suggestion :rolleyes:
 
The best way figuring out the mixing with RO is a TDS meter/conductivity meter. The individual measures are not as important and in fact, if you try to match KH/GH/pH, your critters may suffer as its the total conductivity they're more sensitive too....So here I saved you lots of money for test kits, time and headaches with my suggestion :rolleyes:

:banghead: Now you’ve really lost me??

I know what it stands for, but that’s about it. Is there an Arctic or of post on here that explains it?

Cheers
 
Hi all,
The best way figuring out the mixing with RO is a TDS meter/conductivity meter.
Now you’ve really lost me?? I know what it stands for, but that’s about it.
It is really straight forward. It just means that you can use your tap water to add calcium carbonate (dGH/dKH) hardness.

Conductivity is a measure of all the dissolved ions in solution and all TDS meters are actually conductivity meters.

100 microS equivalent to 64ppm TDS, and conductivity is a linear scale from 0 microS all the way to sea-water (~53,000 microS).

Pure RO water is just H2O and it isn't a conductor of electricity (0 microS.). H2O is a very efficient solvent and nearly all fresh water is a actually a weak solution of ions, derived from soluble salts. The actual amount of ions varies between soft and hard water, but the ratio of ions remains fairly consistent as conductivity (and hardness) rises.

The predominant ions in fresh water are calcium (Ca++) and bicarbonate (2HCO3-), derived from the dissolution of limestone in a weak acid. The weak acid in this case is carbonic acid (H2CO3) formed when atmospheric CO2 dissolves into pure water. Dissolved gases, like oxygen and nitrogen, don't add any conductivity, but a very small proportion of CO2 disassociates into H+ and HCO3- ions. Acids are "H+ ion donors" and you've added an H+ ion.

If I get water from the lab DI unit it will read ~2 microS (that is the dissolved CO2 again), our rain-water is about 100 microS and our tap water (18dKH) about 650 microS. All this water will have a similar amount of CO2 dissolved, but the rain and tap water will have greater amounts of dissolved calcium carbonate.

To get some hardness you can add your tap supply to your RO. I'd start with about ~1/10 by volume. If you have a conductivity (TDS) meter, just add enough tap to give you about 100microS (60 ppm TDS).

The tap water is unlikely to add any magnesium, but "Epsom Salts" (MgSO4.7H20) are a cheap source of magnesium, and you'll add that withthe other plant nutrients.

cheers Darrel
 
Cheers Darrell.

Excuse my lack of knowledge, TDS is new to me.

So if I aim for 100microS is that just giving me the correct TDS so I know what my ratio for RO/tap water is? Can I extrapolate my KH/GH from it? By that I mean is there a direct correlation of 100microS to KH/GH?

When you say 1/10 by volume, is that 1 part tap to 10 parts RO?

Thanks
 
Hi all,
When you say 1/10 by volume, is that 1 part tap to 10 parts RO?
One part tap to nine parts R.O. You can always add salts to the R.O. water, but you can't easily take them away.

If a 1:9 ratio leaves the conductivity at 50 microS, then 2:8 should give you about 100 microS.
So if I aim for 100microS is that just giving me the correct TDS so I know what my ratio for RO/tap water is? Can I extrapolate my KH/GH from it? By that I mean is there a direct correlation of 100microS to KH/GH?
No, there isn't a direct correlation between conductivity and hardness, all salts will raise conductivity, but not all will raise the hardness.

You can use the quoted dKH of the tap water to give you an idea. If we call you tap water dKH 12, then 1/2 tap and 1/2 RO will give~6 dKH and 1/4 tap and 3/4 RO will give you about 3dKH. If you measure the conductivity of this mix it will tell you what the conductivity of the 3 dKH water is.

If your water comes from a deep aquifer all year around the composition will be pretty constant, but usually the conductivity of tap water will be lower in the winter and higher in the summer (when we have less rain), which is the great beauty of using conductivity, you don't need to test the water or work out ratios, you just mix RO and tap until you get to your datum value.

There is nothing magical about 100 microS, I keep soft water fish and I also use Ramshorn snails as a visual indicator of hardness, they don't thrive in very soft water, and they begin to show shell attrition when the hardness is very low. They can only grew new shell at the mantle, and when even the smaller snails begin to show white shell whorls I know I need to add a bit more hardness.

cheers Darrel
 
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