KyWildFish

So I have these stupid multiple test strips, which have been ok to a degree. I have been able to track (somewhat) my Nitrogen cycle and its been good to know when daily water changes are needed. Well recently I noticed using the strips that my pH crashed (down below 6.4, the lowest reading on the test). I remembered that I had some acid/base indicators and used those to see if it was in the acid range. The strips came back basic? I figured now is the time to break down and buy an API master kit, I needed a new heater any way. So I get the kit (cool science/chemistry stuff for me, Im a geek and test the water. All the other reading except the pH were fairly on par with the crappy strips. The API kit gave me a pretty basic reading and I trust my Fisher Scientific and API results to those crappy strips any day.

Any idea why the crap-strips would go to an acidic reading while it was actually basic

tkfury

Strips are just in general very inaccurate. Gotta think sometimes they are meant to do that to make you go out and buy chemicals to fix the supposed problem which just ends up making things worse (thus making you shovel out more money). You have the liquid tests and as long as you make sure to shake everything up very well - I wouldn't worry about what any strips say.

Red1313

Same goes. I know that I can test my water while my tanks cycle with the master kit but the pet store can't get a reading with their strips.

Shawnie

sometimes the strips take on some stuff from our every day life..they suck in things in the air like a sponge..especially with humidity and such...hence why they arent as reliable and who knows what it might have gotten on it it before you used it..