Are these tests reliable?

[mileshasabrowndogenm]

Hello! I use these two tests to check my parameters, and still had a new-fish death when they read fine. Could have not acclimated properly though. Just wondering if I should buy different tests. Which I don’t wanna do bc the one everyone recommends is expensive, but I’ll do it if these aren’t reliable.

 

[Jojo205]

from what I’ve read, yes, they’re somewhat reliable, but the liquid test kit is MUCH more accurate and worth the money. It’ll last for a really long time. It’ll probably be cheaper than the strips in the long run.

 

[Heron]

Test strips aren't too reliable, they are ok to check nothing is seriously wrong but no good for accurately monitoring your parameters. Liquid test kits are much more accurate but take longer and are a bit more expensive.
How new was the fish that died? If it's only a few days since you got it it's possible it was ill when you got it or the stress of transportation or acclimatising got to it

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

Like others mentioned a liquid test kit is way more accurate. I recommend the API freshwater master test kit

 

[mileshasabrowndogenm]

Test strips aren't too reliable, they are ok to check nothing is seriously wrong but no good for accurately monitoring your parameters. Liquid test kits are much more accurate but take longer and are a bit more expensive.
How new was the fish that died? If it's only a few days since you got it it's possible it was ill when you got it or the stress of transportation or acclimatising got to it

It died within the first few days. I lost 4 fish in the beggining I think due to bad parameters but when I checked them before I got the last fish they were fine.

 

[Heron]

It died within the first few days. I lost 4 fish in the begging I think due to bad parameters but when I checked them before I got the last fish they were fine.

For a fish to die that soon either the water parameters are totally out or there is something wrong with the fish or how you have acclimatised them.

 

[mileshasabrowndogenm]

For a fish to die that soon either the water parameters are totally out or there is something wrong with the fish or how you have acclimatised them.

Yeah, Im gonna wait a while before getting any new little guys. I get all my fish from petsmart, could that effect it? Are they notoriously bad fish breeders or something

 

[Heron]

Yeah, Im gonna wait a while before getting any new little guys. I get all my fish from petsmart, could that effect it? Are they notoriously bad fish breeders or something

I'm in the UK so I've never used PetSmart but I have seen a lot of bad reviews of them here on fishlore

 

[mileshasabrowndogenm]

I'm in the UK so I've never used PetSmart but I have seen a lot of bad reviews of them here on fishlore

Mm. I’ll look into some other stores near me for when I’m ready to buy some fish

 

[Jojo205]

Mm. I’ll look into some other stores near me for when I’m ready to buy some fish

It depends on the individual store. Personally my Petsmart is pretty good, even if it’s not perfect.

 

[MacZ]

Test strips are generally quite reliable, they just have to be handled correctly. E.g. the 60sec wait before reading has to be observed and it's vital to prevent the water from different test fields to mix, hence using a paper towel to take excess water is a good idea. Otherwise if KH and pH, or NO3 and NO2, mix both readings are off.
A real downside: Strips can't test for ammonia.

My ranking in quality: 1. JBL, 2. Sera .... nothing for a while ... then Tetra and API.
I've come to the conclusion the API strips are crappy on purpose so people buy the liquid test kit.

The accuracy of liquid tests is debateable. But the most important things: They have an expiration date and can also be way off when handled wrong (e.g. many Ammonia tests giving false positives of 0.25). Some tests like NO3 and phosphate expire after only 6-8 months. This is a general issue and not connected to any certain brand.

For the average aquarist and quick checks whether there is something wrong, test strips are perfectly sufficient.

Liquid tests are only necessary if you bust the scales (extreme acidic or alkaline biotopes) or need high accuracy (high-tech planted or live-coral-reef tanks.).

I use hybrid detection for different parameters. KH, GH, NO3 via test strips, pH with a liquid test and additionally I use a TDS/EC-meter.