Worthless test kits......

Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and spoke
to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,... these
quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!
My PH reading was 7.8 and his was 7.2.
My alkalinity was 300+ and his was 220mpl.

Just an example.... I may as well toss these $12 worthless sticks in the
trash can.

He suggested I use the other type of kit and not the Quick Dip type. In his
opinion they're the least accurate. I could have bought a nice goldfish for
that $12.

--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!
My PH reading was 7.8 and his was 7.2.
My alkalinity was 300+ and his was 220mpl.

Just an example.... I may as well toss these $12 worthless sticks in the
trash can.

He suggested I use the other type of kit and not the Quick Dip type. In
his opinion they're the least accurate. I could have bought a nice
goldfish for that $12.


Bearing in mind your black crud problem who do you believe? Did you also
ask him to test for phosphates as per our discussion?

Also have you (and he) considered what might be happening as the water
travels across the mains to you...by all means buy another test kit...if
your results are the same take it back up with the water board...

JMO

Gill

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 22:10:20 +0000, Gill Passman
wrote:

Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!
My PH reading was 7.8 and his was 7.2.
My alkalinity was 300+ and his was 220mpl.

Just an example.... I may as well toss these $12 worthless sticks in the
trash can.

He suggested I use the other type of kit and not the Quick Dip type. In
his opinion they're the least accurate. I could have bought a nice
goldfish for that $12.


Bearing in mind your black crud problem who do you believe? Did you also
ask him to test for phosphates as per our discussion?

Also have you (and he) considered what might be happening as the water
travels across the mains to you...by all means buy another test kit...if
your results are the same take it back up with the water board...

JMO

Gill

Good point. The only readings that really matter are the readings
taken directly at KoiLo's water tap. I wonder if these guys make home
visits.

-- Mr Gardener

"Mr. Gardener" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 22:10:20 +0000, Gill Passman
wrote:

Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!
My PH reading was 7.8 and his was 7.2.
My alkalinity was 300+ and his was 220mpl.

Just an example.... I may as well toss these $12 worthless sticks in the
trash can.

He suggested I use the other type of kit and not the Quick Dip type. In
his opinion they're the least accurate. I could have bought a nice
goldfish for that $12.


Bearing in mind your black crud problem who do you believe? Did you also
ask him to test for phosphates as per our discussion?

Also have you (and he) considered what might be happening as the water
travels across the mains to you...by all means buy another test kit...if
your results are the same take it back up with the water board...

JMO

Gill

Good point. The only readings that really matter are the readings
taken directly at KoiLo's water tap. I wonder if these guys make home
visits.

-- Mr Gardener
==================================
Under certain conditions they will but I don't think this would qualify.
I'll be getting a complete report in a month to 6 weeks from them.
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

In article ,
Gill Passman wrote:
Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!

You two are not testing the same water! Can you take a sample there
and have him test it? Not what he uses; hobby nitrate kits are, um,
"sub optimal".


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Gill Passman wrote:
Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!

You two are not testing the same water! Can you take a sample there
and have him test it? Not what he uses; hobby nitrate kits are, um,
"sub optimal".
===========================
No. They have a professional Laboratory in Lebanon TN do their tests. They
only do certain tests there but you can't just walk in with a bottle of
water and have them test it for you.

If my kit is off by around 19ppm then my tanks really have a Nitrate reading
of 39 or 40ppm and not 20ppm as the strips show. :-(
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

If my kit is off by around 19ppm then my tanks really have a Nitrate reading
of 39 or 40ppm and not 20ppm as the strips show. :-(

Around here better stores will tesy your water with a LaMoe kit, the
only one that's accurate.

If you just change a lot of water you'll have bugger-all in the way of
nitrates.


--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

"Richard Sexton" wrote in message
...
If my kit is off by around 19ppm then my tanks really have a Nitrate
reading
of 39 or 40ppm and not 20ppm as the strips show. :-(

Around here better stores will tesy your water with a LaMoe kit, the
only one that's accurate.

If you just change a lot of water you'll have bugger-all in the way of
nitrates.
================
I've been doing endless massive water changes as often as possible would
like to know exactly what the readings are nonetheless. I ordered the
Flourish products. The should be here in less than a week.

The stores here use the same Quick-Strips I have. Some don't do any tests
except for ammonia and nitrites. And then only if you bring back a dead fish
for a refund. :-(
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Gill Passman" wrote in message
...
Koi-Lo wrote:
Jungle's Quick Dip sticks! Worthless... I called the water co. and
spoke to them about the high nitrates coming from my tap. Uh oh,...
these quick-dip sticks are very, very off.

My reading was 20ppm nitrates and his was .34ppm = what a difference!
My PH reading was 7.8 and his was 7.2.
My alkalinity was 300+ and his was 220mpl.

Just an example.... I may as well toss these $12 worthless sticks in the
trash can.

He suggested I use the other type of kit and not the Quick Dip type. In
his opinion they're the least accurate. I could have bought a nice
goldfish for that $12.

=================================
Bearing in mind your black crud problem who do you believe?

Gill, I'm talking about the water as it leaves the tap. He looked it up
himself there at the water co. office. In a month they're sending everyone
on the system a complete new water report. With the sticks I get a reading
of 20ppm from the tap and from the "black crud" tanks themselves. Oddly
enough the tanks without the black crud problem range from 20 to 40ppm.

Did you also
ask him to test for phosphates as per our discussion?

Yes. As it leaves the water co it's varies a little but the last reading he
had was 1.0 mpl. He says it varies with the season and rainfall.

Also have you (and he) considered what might be happening as the water
travels across the mains to you...by all means buy another test kit...

I'm not buying another strip test kit, that's for sure. As for the water
traveling through the mains.... where would nitrates or phosphates come
from? The just laid all new lines about 2 years ago.

if
your results are the same take it back up with the water board...

First I need to get a decent testing kit........
--

Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995...
Aquariums since 1952
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Note: There are two Koi-Lo's on the Aquaria groups.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

agreed.

those tests tell me I have 40ppm nitrate when it's 8. I was doing crazy
water changes for a year before I switched to reagent kits. what a
relief!