Test Kits

[Mighty Prawn]

I'm looking at buying a test kit, but wonder, should I get the "Master Test Kit" or is a mini test kit sufficient? I've heard people not even bothering, and just adhering to a strict water change schedule.

What do you guys reccomend? Pisces has a master test kit for 49.99 right now for boxing week. I got a 100$ gift certificate to Pisces, and I was planning on picking up some more plants tomorrow, wondering if I should sink the entire thing into plants, or if I should spend 50 on plants and 50 on a test kit, or possibly 14.99 on a mini master test kit. The mini test has nitrites, ammonia, ph and something else I believe... While the master has alllll kinds.

(Also, anyone know where to find Spotted Danios in Calgary? Gold's? Riverfront?)

-Hideo

[Magicide]

Other people have more experience so they can say otherwise but I think having a test kit is quite important. Even with water changes I still like to keep track of the pH, KH, Chelated Iron, PO4 and Nitrate levels. This way if something goes wrong I can go back and watch for any changes that have occured rather than hoping for the best and stabbing in the dark for a solution if something does go bad.

[Toirtis]

I like either the Hagen/Nutrafin Master test kit or the mini-master from Hagen....go with the mini-master.

Last time I checked, Riverfront had leopard/spotted danios.

[Milan]

If you are into planted tanks, the most used test kits are:

• NO3
  
• PO4
  
• pH (low range, if you are adding CO2)
  
• KH/GH
  

"Master Test Kit", the one for $49.99, if I remember correctly, has only NO3 and pH test kits from the above list.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Milan