Which is more accurate Master test kit or Test strips ?

Reason I ask is I've used both and they are never the same when it comes to pH.

 

Reason I ask is I've used both and they are never the same when it comes to pH.

I’d rely on the API Master Test kit.

 

Neither. Truthfully the test strips work and easy, hit or miss on accuracy or contamination.

the liquid tests work, more complicated prone to operator errors, hit or miss on accuracy or contamination also.

Real deal precise water testing ain't cheap at all for the equipment or the reagents.

Things you really need a test for. making sure a tank is cycled, that Ammonia and nitrites are gone only nitrates are appearing. If you know what you are doing and why, after that point the testing isn't necessary really. More cost effective and simpler just to resign yourself to a routine water change and cleaning schedule that works so you keep nitrates low and the tank clean.

For that reason, a person really doesn't need a whole lot of testing ability once they are over the start up hump and if a person is patient, don't even need testing for that, you can just say " it will be cycled in a quarter year, meh" and stick to the routine maintenence, the way it was done fish in cycling and no test kits, water change, water change and when in doubt, water change.

And whether it's a test strip or a liquid test, it's a "total" test. Total chlorine, total ammonia, total nitrates, ect. It's not a "free" test, it's really not meant to be "accurate" becuase as an example it lumps bound and free ammonia or chlorine in the same test even though you'd only have to really worry about the free component, not the bound component.

Either one is fine, like nitrates test, it goes 20-40-80-160.... all colors really close, and ppm is doubling for each color, not exactly accurate regardless of which test you use, and if you happen to be colorblind, absolutely useless I'd suppose hahaaha.

 

Neither.
Regardless of brands, all commercially available tests in the aquarium industry are only accurate (do they deliver correct results?) to a degree and the precision (how fine is the scale?) also usually leaves a lot to be desired.

Additionally strip and drip tests both have a number of factors that can produce unintended user error.
Strips are usually left completely wet causing test fields to mix and hence to void the results.
Drip tests tend to lose reliability as well, insufficient shaking of the bottle with indicator fluid or too much/little water in the test tube can shift the results additionally.

For example a pH drip test will show erratic results if used on water with a KH below 2° and otherwise the the accuracy is +/- 0.5 pH points. Considering the scales that come with many test kits the precision is not able to counter this.

If you want absolute accuracy and full precision: Get laboratory grade test kits or meters.

Edit: LOL. Sparky, we did it again.

 

Reason I ask is I've used both and they are never the same when it comes to pH.

API master is a bit better imo from my exiperience but yeah lab grade will always be more accurate than both

 

Not gonna over complicate the question.
From experience I'd go with a liquid kit (I use API) over strips.

 

Not gonna over complicate the question.

Thank you!

 

Ive never used the strips only the API liquid. So I guess I trust it most.