Test kits ........how many of you

On Sat, 09 Jul 2005 09:21:10 GMT, Cyril The Squirrel
wrote:

===In article ,
says...
=== Do it exactly by the directions in the kit in regards to the quanity
=== of water needed for each test? Some of you may already be doing this,
=== but when I brought it to the attention of a local fish store, who has
=== been in business close to 35 years it had never dawned on him to cheat
=== a bit, but not comnpromizse the tests results.
===
=== The test kits I have (all individual kits for each test is what I buy,
=== usually Aquarium pharmaceutical brand) have a 5 ml glass vial inside,
=== with a marked ring around the vial to give the proper level of wate
=== rneeded for the test.
===
=== For example on the Ammonia kit you fill it to the mark, and add 8
=== drops from each of the two bottles in the kit. Total tests you can
=== make this way is 130. HOwever if the vial is filled halfway with
=== 2 1/2 ml of water and only 4 drops of test solution from each bottle
=== is added you can get 260 tests fromthis same kit. Same for the nitrate
=== kit........10 drops per 5 m of water = 90 tests or 5 drops per 2 1/2
=== ml of pond water gets you 180 tests. The Nitrite kit uses 5 drops per
=== 5 ml of water so use 1 drop per ml of water.......you an get anywhere
=== from 180 tests using 5 drops to 900 using 1 drop per ml. YOu can
=== always use a graduated syringe to do the measuring. I played with it
=== for some time now and no matter how many drops I use the tests all
=== show the same results.
===
=== I much rather have the onhand test kits be used more often and thrown
=== away when shlf life hits them than skim on tests due to price or need
=== them and not have them as you did not get the replacement in yet.
===
=== So whats y'alls take on this concept? IMHO I think they just use the
=== standard vial (all kits I have use the same size and graduated vial)
=== thats in every kit they make and only alter the drops needed for the
=== tests, so it should not make any difference, except perhaps they may
=== not sell as many kits if foks adjust the water sample used accordingly
=== with lesser amount of test chemicals.
===
=== ==============================================
=== Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
=== "The original frugal ponder"
=== ~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o
===
===I'm trying to get my head around the possibility of error if you use too
===much on one drop. By using more water and more solution, excess on one
===drop would be dilluted. If you use 4 drops and the correct amount of
===water one big drop would alter the result, this would be less of a
===problem with one big drop in 8.
===
===I hope this makes sense, it does to me but I've been awake all night so
===anything might make sense.


You lost me there Squirrel

What I am saying is if a test calls for say:
5 ml of water
10 drops of test solution

then 2 1/2ml of water and 5 drops would produce the same results.....

Your not usuing "bigger" drops or more of one solution or water, or
changing anything other than the amounts stated but still at the same
ratio as directions......

There has been some statements in other forums that suggested the over
test may be jeopardized as larger samples are more accurate, and just
as many that say it matters not........Afterall look at the overall
quanity being tested and look at the amount of water in a
pond.......so halving the chemicals would really not compromise the
results to any degree, as long as the ratios are maintained....

If you use too much of any one chemical on any test , then that test
certainly would be invalid......no ratios are changed just the
portions sizes are reduced.




==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o