IS THERE A BETTER TEST KIT

I've been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit to measure the Ammonia,
Nitrites, Nitrates pH ect.. After taking the prescribed measure of water and
using their solution, and waiting the appropriate amount of time, you
compare it to the color strip cards they provide to the color of the test
tube. I've been told by various people that you compare the color of the
tube to that on the cards, you should hold the tube up to the light and
compare that color to the color on the card. Others have told me to place
the tube directly on the card to compare the colors. You get dramatic
differences in the reading depending on what way you do it.
I always get readings between the colors and I can never tell what I truly
have. Is there a better way to test the levels in my tank? Also what the
correct way to measure the colors against the cards.

Thanks

For ammonia and nitrite, I like Marine Enterprise. For
nitrate, I like Tetra. For Ph I like Aquarium Pharm, but
it's much nicer to have a ph meter.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Peter Pan wrote on 9/1/2006 2:47 PM:
I've been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit to measure the Ammonia,
Nitrites, Nitrates pH ect.. After taking the prescribed measure of water and
using their solution, and waiting the appropriate amount of time, you
compare it to the color strip cards they provide to the color of the test
tube. I've been told by various people that you compare the color of the
tube to that on the cards, you should hold the tube up to the light and
compare that color to the color on the card. Others have told me to place
the tube directly on the card to compare the colors. You get dramatic
differences in the reading depending on what way you do it.
I always get readings between the colors and I can never tell what I truly
have. Is there a better way to test the levels in my tank? Also what the
correct way to measure the colors against the cards.

Thanks

"Peter Pan" wrote in message ...
I've been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit to measure the Ammonia,
Nitrites, Nitrates pH ect.. After taking the prescribed measure of water and
using their solution, and waiting the appropriate amount of time, you
compare it to the color strip cards they provide to the color of the test
tube. I've been told by various people that you compare the color of the
tube to that on the cards, you should hold the tube up to the light and
compare that color to the color on the card. Others have told me to place
the tube directly on the card to compare the colors. You get dramatic
differences in the reading depending on what way you do it.

I would listen the manufacturer... :-)
I use these tests and I follow instructions and compare colors
holding sample vial over WHITE background. To get WHITE background
you CANNOT put the vial right at the color scale because your
will cause the white ambient light go through the color vial
once, then hit the white background coloring it, and go back toward
your eyes. In effect you are watching at the test tube placed on
the already colored background with the color light shining through it.

I keep the vial slightly elevated from the background, the way
the white piece of the scale is lighted with WHITE light...

If you put the vial right on the scale you should be reading
double concentrations to what is real, if you know what I mean.

I always get readings between the colors and I can never tell what I truly
have. Is there a better way to test the levels in my tank? Also what the
correct way to measure the colors against the cards.

To cure this problem, ask what color does your sister/wife/girlfriend
see - women have much better developed color recognition skills than men do.

You are not alone on this one.
Color coding and comparison charts are a utopia that can easily be misread.
The only help I can suggest is to understand the reactions happening. Once
you know why and when a color changes during the titration or chemical
reaction, you'll learn what to look for.
In ammonia for example, is the blue changes you are looking for. The
intensity of the blue tells you to what extent ammonia reacted with the
solution, this could come in a series of different shades of green, yellow
or clear.
Again, try buying an Organic Chemistry lab book. It is technical but once
you understand what is happening backstage, you'll see the advantages of
your time investment.
iy
"Peter Pan" wrote in message
...
I've been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit to measure the Ammonia,
Nitrites, Nitrates pH ect.. After taking the prescribed measure of water
and using their solution, and waiting the appropriate amount of time, you
compare it to the color strip cards they provide to the color of the test
tube. I've been told by various people that you compare the color of the
tube to that on the cards, you should hold the tube up to the light and
compare that color to the color on the card. Others have told me to place
the tube directly on the card to compare the colors. You get dramatic
differences in the reading depending on what way you do it.
I always get readings between the colors and I can never tell what I truly
have. Is there a better way to test the levels in my tank? Also what the
correct way to measure the colors against the cards.

Thanks

Wayne Sallee wrote:

For ammonia and nitrite, I like Marine Enterprise.

For those of you who might search for this on the web, there's a very minor typo
here that proves very critical to Google and its ilk. The company is Marine
Enterprises.

That still might do you no good; I haven't been able to find an online supplier.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

That's because they sell to pet stores only.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



George Patterson wrote on 9/1/2006 10:34 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote:

For ammonia and nitrite, I like Marine Enterprise.

For those of you who might search for this on the web, there's a very
minor typo here that proves very critical to Google and its ilk. The
company is Marine Enterprises.

That still might do you no good; I haven't been able to find an online
supplier.

George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message nk.net...
That's because they sell to pet stores only.

Why would they limit their target market so much?

You have to many typos and incomplete sentences for this to make and sense

I would listen the manufacturer... :-)
I use these tests and I follow instructions and compare colors
holding sample vial over WHITE background. To get WHITE background
you CANNOT put the vial right at the color scale because your
will cause the white ambient light go through the color vial
once, then hit the white background coloring it, and go back toward
your eyes. In effect you are watching at the test tube placed on
the already colored background with the color light shining through it.

I keep the vial slightly elevated from the background, the way
the white piece of the scale is lighted with WHITE light...

If you put the vial right on the scale you should be reading
double concentrations to what is real, if you know what I mean.

I always get readings between the colors and I can never tell what I
truly have. Is there a better way to test the levels in my tank? Also
what the correct way to measure the colors against the cards.

To cure this problem, ask what color does your sister/wife/girlfriend
see - women have much better developed color recognition skills than men
do.

"Peter Pan" wrote in message . ..
You have to many typos and incomplete
sentences for this to make and sense

Well, English is not my native language...
Which part of the text is not clear for you?

Hold the vial very close to the white paper
and then you notice that it casts a color shadow.

So when a vial is too close to the white background,
the background changes color from white to orange
(NO3 tests) or whatever other vial color is...

Result: you need to hold the vial not too close
to the white background for it to stay really white.
Get it now ?

BTW - you made a typo yourself: "to make and sense".

MUCH better, Thank you
"Pszemol" wrote in message
...
"Peter Pan" wrote in message
. ..
You have to many typos and incomplete
sentences for this to make and sense

Well, English is not my native language...
Which part of the text is not clear for you?

Hold the vial very close to the white paper
and then you notice that it casts a color shadow.

So when a vial is too close to the white background,
the background changes color from white to orange
(NO3 tests) or whatever other vial color is...

Result: you need to hold the vial not too close
to the white background for it to stay really white.
Get it now ?

BTW - you made a typo yourself: "to make and sense".