A good value test kit for most Aquarists
Written: Aug 03 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Has everything the average fish keeper needs; easy to use
Cons: Does not include Nitrate test; GH and KH tests difficult. Only has 4 test tubes
The Bottom Line: A great test kit for a great price.
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| yodosays's Full Review: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Ki... |
The Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit includes 6 tests: Nitrite, pH, High-Range pH, (8.0 or higher,) Ammonia, GH and KH. These may not mean anything to you, so let me explain, starting with "The Cycle." At the end I will explain how the Test Kit works.
When fish produce waste, Ammonia is produced from the waste, (as well as from rotting food.) If this Ammonia built up in a tank, it would eventually kill your fish. However, certain bacteria inhabit the tank that absorb the Ammonia and keep it from building up, (to any detectable level.) However, the by-product of these bacteria consuming the Ammonia is another compound called Nitrite. Nitrite, if built up enough, could also prove lethal to your fish - but different bacteria consume the Nitrites, and produce Nitrates. This is the end of the Cycle, as nothing is known to consume Nitrates, so they just build up in the tank. This is one reason to change your water; to get rid of Nitrates that have built up. A safe level for Nitrates would be about 60PPM, (Parts Per Million,) although some people insist that 120PPM is still ok. Either way, this Test Kit does not include a Nitrate test. Nitrate test kits are helpful when diagnosing your tank, (If your fish are acting sluggish, a high level of Nitrates may be at fault,) and also for telling how often you need to change your water, (2 weeks is a good time, but if it takes you 4 weeks to get up to 60PPM Nitrates because you have few fish, you can probably delay your water changes.) Therefore, you must go out and buy a Nitrate test kit if you would like to use one. However, they are expensive and their exclusion in the AP Master Test Kit keeps the price to a reasonable level. And for future reference, remember that Ammonia is built up by decaying waste, (fish waste as well as dead bodies,) and rotten, uneaten fish food. The Ammonia turns into Nitrites, which turn into Nitrates, which cause stress to your fish when built up beyond 60-120PPM, (depending on your school of thought.)
Now, to pH. pH is the Acidity or Base of an object. The higher Acidity in it, the lower the number, (1.0, for example.) The pH scale is a logarithmic scale that goes from 0 to 14, 7 being Neutral, 14 being the most base, and 1 being the most acidic. The fish lesson of this is that fish like a pH between 7 and 8, although anything up to 8.6 or 8.8 is still acceptable. If you have a planted tank and add Co2 to aid the growth of your plants, the Co2 will lower the pH. For example, in a tank that I don't add Co2 in, my pH is a relatively high 8.2. However, in a tank which I do add Co2, the pH is somewhere between 7.4 or 7.8 at any given time. The AP Master Test kit includes a pH tester for pH 6.8 to 8.0 and a high-range test kit for 7.8-8.6.
Lastly, GH and KH. These are really not very important to the average aquarists, and if you don't already know what they are, chances are you don't need to. I own 4 fish tanks and have been in the hobby for about 10 years; all I know is that one of the above is your pH "buffering" capacity. A higher buffering capacity makes your pH more stable so it will not swing wildly when, for an example, some Co2 is added to the water. The AP Master Test Kit's GH and KH test kits are VERY DIFFICULT to use. You must add one drop, then shake, then add another drop until the water turns a certain color. The whole test takes about 5 minutes. Not worth it for something that must people don't even know about.
Finally, how to you use this test kit? It is fairly simple, (with the exception of the previously discussed KH and GH tests.) The Test Kit comes with (4) 50 Ml Test Tubes; you must put 50 Ml of your aquarium water into the test tube, (a lot easier than it sounds, just scoop the water up,) and place however many drops of the six different solutions you are using into the test tube. That sounds confusing, so let me give an example. I want to test my pH using the regular range test kit. So I take a test tube, uncap it, and dip into into my aquarium, and fill the tube up with water. I then dump some water out so that it is up to the white line. That is 50 Ml. Now I take the bottle marked, "pH test kit," and squeeze 3 drops of it into the test tube. I recap it and shake the tube. By now, the color of the water has changed colors. I compare this color to a card provided in the kit and by matching the color, can tell what my pH is. That simple! It takes, maybe, 30 seconds.
In case you missed this, the way to get your results for all the tests other than KH and GH is by comparing the color of the water to a color on a plastic card. This is a little difficult sometimes, as some colors look similar. There really isn't a much better way though.
Overall, this is a great test kit, and there really is no reason to use anything else.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
yodosays
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Member: Reid Smith
Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI, United States
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I'm a biochemistry major
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