Why Is Everyone So Against Test Strips?

I do not use them myself because of this issue but if I had seen what I’ve seen now I would’ve rather gotten them. They are definitely cheaper than the maste test kit, and you can get an awful lot of tests too. And before everyone goes off and says they’re inaccurate, where have you done research? Or is this just some sort of indoctrinated belief in the community? I’ve seen a few people who run wildly successful businesses and fish rooms using test strips, and even at one point I watched them do a side by side of the two and get the exact same results. Hey did mention not all are accurate, but I’m kind of tired of seeing people pushed away from them and only one company (api) being recommended.

 

I've used test strips, and found out that they weren't accurate on my own...so any advice that I give in terms of testing supplies, comes from my own experience, not research.
Now, if someone has nothing but test strips and no money at the moment to get a liquid test, then i'm going to suggest getting the apI kit, and just automatically guess that the strips are off for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least a little bit.

 

The biggest down fall of test strips is if the get damp. Whether from the humidity or carelessness. If your careful with them and store them properly they are pretty accurate.

 

I've used test strips, and found out that they weren't accurate on my own...so any advice that I give in terms of testing supplies, comes from my own experience, not research.
Now, if someone has nothing but test strips and no money at the moment to get a liquid test, then i'm going to suggest getting the apI kit, and just automatically guess that the strips are off for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least a little bit.

But the thing is testing is an exact science. I’d it were something based on experience we could never diagnose problems. You shouldn’t just assume something is off. These are made to perfection and tested thoroughly and should be treated that way. Like every product there is some that are off and yes I can’t say all test strips are great but I know that some are good and people shouldn’t be pushed to buy something just because it’s what other people use.

 

I agree. It’s easy to tell other people how to spend their money when one is behind a computer. Most people are just reiterating what they hear. I did test strips too when I got back into fishkeeping. I haven’t done any side by side tests between the strips and droppers, though.

However, bottle kits are a better investment for the long term.

 

The biggest down fall of test strips is if the get damp. Whether from the humidity or carelessness. If your careful with them and store them properly they are pretty accurate.

Well yeah but there’s the same problem with liquid hints. If you accidentally mix some tap water in. (I clean my tubes with tap water which naturally has ammonia in it so I have to be careful of this) or if you accidnetly do the test wrong use the wrong drops and other things. It just seems like they’re a hated item even though they shouldn’t be due to the fact they’re just as accurate easier to use, and much much faster

 

I get what your saying...but if you post a question on here asking me about your fish breathing heavy at the top of the tank, or other various things that happen with ammonia or nitrite poisoning, and you say that your strips are reading 0....I'm going to give you advice according to what is likely happening.

 

But the thing is testing is an exact science. I’d it were something based on experience we could never diagnose problems. You shouldn’t just assume something is off. These are made to perfection and tested thoroughly and should be treated that way. Like every product there is some that are off and yes I can’t say all test strips are great but I know that some are good and people shouldn’t be pushed to buy something just because it’s what other people use.

like david1978 said if they get a little moist or its too humid the test could be inaccurate which is not good

 

I agree. It’s easy to tell other people how to spend their money when one is behind a computer. Most people are just reiterating what they hear. I did test strips too when I got back into fishkeeping. I haven’t done any side by side tests between the strips and droppers, though.

However, bottle kits are a better investment for the long term.

I don’t see how they’re a better investment they both last as long, and assuming they are taken care of properly they’re just as prone to accidents. And I feel like people telling others to buy the kits sometimes scares people off the hobby just because of the sheer expense. Granted you may say if they don’t want to pay for that they won’t want to pay for other things; I see it as having so many high ticket items may scare people off but if you switch some expensive things for more cost effective alternatives it may make people feel more secure in buying everything. Sorry if the wording is weird.

like david1978 said if they get a little moist or its too humid the test could be inaccurate which is not good

And assuming you take care of them properly such as the liquid test they shouldn’t be overly prone to failure. I’ve had many liquid tests I’ve had to redo because of one extra drop. And that’s because all my liquids come out at different speeds making it harder for me. So I’d say they have roghly the same chance of failure but one is much cheaper and easier to use.

I get what your saying...but if you post a question on here asking me about your fish breathing heavy at the top of the tank, or other various things that happen with ammonia or nitrite poisoning, and you say that your strips are reading 0....I'm going to give you advice according to what is likely happening.

But if the strips were correct you could end up killing somesoens fish just because you assumed that they were innacurate. Non proper diagnoses are just as bad as stabbing the fish yourself. What should be done is you should pay attention to brand and readability and not where’re it’s a strip or liquid.

 

Water changes never kill fish Well, I take that back...most of the time, water changes will not kill fish.

 

Water changes never kill fish Well, I take that back...most of the time, water changes will not kill fish.

Well my water changes definitley have. I have a .5 ammonia out of the tap which is awful so if I’m not careful it’ll destroy my tank.

 

I've heard the API strips aren't good. Most (all?) strips don't test ammonia which is pretty vital.

As far as accuracy, how many threads are posted a day asking for us to decipher their liquid kit results?

I have a liquid kit, but have nothing against strips.

 

If your getting into the aquarium hobby you're going to have to spend money.. plain and simple. Spending $20 (just checked eBay and I saw two sellers with the master kit for under $21) on a kit that lasts a whole year or more, and you don't have to really worry about how you store it or it accidently getting damp is a better way to go in my opinion.

It's really not cheaper when most test strips do not test for ammonia in the first place so you have to buy another set just for ammonia.. in my 15+ years of aquarium care they have only caused me trouble and gave me inaccurate readings.
If you're really wondering how inaccurate they are do two test strips back to back. They will read different most times. Usually caused my bad storage, and a lot of the time it isn't even the consumers fault, they get damp in shipping especially in humid states and in the winter. SemI trailers get cold carting goods. When they get to the store it's warm, condensation happens inside those bottles regardless of shipping prep. Same goes for humid states while they are in the trailer.

 

As far as accuracy, how many threads are posted a day asking for us to decipher their liquid kit results?

none

 

If you don't have the money, strips will get the job done but all they seem to do is alert you of the general levels so you know if the parameters are imbalanced. The API master test kit and other liquid kits allow you to accurately monitor levels. Honestly, if you're testing as often as you should be, the master test kit will save you money in the end. Test strips aren't cheap and they never seem to have as many test strips as you always want and expect. The master test kit, I believe, has close to 100+ tests worth of fluid depending on the test. I've had my master test kit for close to 2-3 years now and I'm only just now starting to think I may need a refill.
I'm speaking from my experience when I say this, I have never had tests strips that were reliable 100% of the time, and I used them for a while before switching to liquid tests. I will never go back because I appreciate the accuracy and knowing that as long as I performed the needed steps for testing correctly, I will get a reliable reading every time. It may not be as quick but I won't go back to strips. Plus, it's really fun some times to do the tests and feel like a chemist as you watch the colors change and you're handling the potentially hazardous testing materials. But over all, I'd say a one time purchase of $30 for very accurate tests and a couple years worth at that, is a significantly better deal than a bottle of 25 strips for $10 a bottle. Plus, on top of that, some times you don't want to test everything all at once, so why waste a whole strip if you just want to check one parameater.

 

I've heard the API strips aren't good. Most (all?) strips don't test ammonia which is pretty vital.

As far as accuracy, how many threads are posted a day asking for us to decipher their liquid kit results?

I have a liquid kit, but have nothing against strips.

There are some that test you have to specifically buy them but they do test thing such as hardness that the master kit does not.

 

There are some that test you have to specifically buy them but they do test thing such as hardness that the master kit does not.

you only need to test hardness once so a fish store could that

 

From my experience using Ph testing strips, they're wildly inaccurate for precision readings, difficult to read at times, and/or provide inconsistent results for one reason or another. That's why you get so many for cheap--lots of retests. For general assessments of acidic/alkaline, sure you can get a good idea what you're working with. If that's all you need, then they're fine.

In situations when one really needs to know 7.0 vs 7.5 a quality meter is the only way to go IMO. I think this is where some of the negative perception comes from.

Obviously, few people--including myself--are going to go out and spend $100s on various meters for their aquariums. So if I was given a choice between liquid drops or strips, Id pick drops. Although drops and strips share many of the same shortfalls, I feel its easier for me as a casual hobbyist to maintain the integrity of my dropper and test tubes than a container with 100s of strips.

 

Test strips are more expensive if you value them per test. I paid $18 for 25 test strips in the beginning which didn't even include ammonia test strips, those were another $7 or so to get. So lets say that is $1 per test. Liquid test kit couldn't have cost me more than $21 and who knows, it seems like I might get 100 tests out of it that makes it less than .25 cents per test. Sorry that's really rough math. But point is there's more than one way to determine value and expense.

 

There are some that test you have to specifically buy them but they do test thing such as hardness that the master kit does not.

There again though we fall into the accuracy issue, and if you have to test your water for gH and KH, you already want precision and accuracy cause something is wrong with your water.. again if the "oh but you could miscount the drops" is used for accuracy.. that's human error, not the test kits fault.

Heck most aquarium stores will run a test on your water. Why buy a kit for it when they will tell you your gH and KH for free?

 

If your getting into the aquarium hobby you're going to have to spend money.. plain and simple. Spending $20 (just checked eBay and I saw two sellers with the master kit for under $21) on a kit that lasts a whole year or more, and you don't have to really worry about how you store it or it accidently getting damp is a better way to go in my opinion.

It's really not cheaper when most test strips do not test for ammonia in the first place so you have to buy another set just for ammonia.. in my 15+ years of aquarium care they have only caused me trouble and gave me inaccurate readings.
If you're really wondering how inaccurate they are do two test strips back to back. They will read different most times. Usually caused my bad storage, and a lot of the time it isn't even the consumers fault, they get damp in shipping especially in humid states and in the winter. SemI trailers get cold carting goods. When they get to the store it's warm, condensation happens inside those bottles regardless of shipping prep. Same goes for humid states while they are in the trailer.

There’s a lot of things wrong with this here. While yes strips do not test for ammonia it would probably cost as much as a master test to get both the ammonia and non ammonia ones which then cover a more broad spectrum of things. There are many ways to mess up the master liquid test and I’m not sure but storage would be important especially in my case in where children may get ahold of them unlike if they got strips it wouldn’t be detrimental. And I’m assuming proper care in all of this. And not to mention say you save just 5 dollars using strips that’s 5 dollars every time and it’ll add up. Now imagine. You could shave 5 dollars off evrrythkng if you just switched to a product you weren’t used to you would save a whole load of money. These are recurring costs after all.

There again though we fall into the accuracy issue, and if you have to test your water for gH and KH, you already want precision and accuracy cause something is wrong with your water.. again if the "oh but you could miscount the drops" is used for accuracy.. that's human error, not the test kits fault.

Heck most aquarium stores will run a test on your water. Why buy a kit for it when they will tell you your gH and KH for free?

But there’s much less room for human error with test strips as long as you don’t throw the whole bottle of them inside your tank.

 

Ok, here goes.

First of all and most importantly, test strips, test kits, and ANYTHING of an analytical nature is NOT an "exact science." We do the best we can to measure elements and compounds in the hobby quickly and affordably.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am an analytical scientist. I'm running an ICP spectrometer as we speak to determine the elemental makeup of precious metal alloys down to a part per million degree of accuracy. These machines have to be standardized before every lot of samples are run with standards that are tested repeatedly by a number of different machine to test their accuracy.

With strips AND with liquid, you have no calibration - you have a chemical reaction taking place that can skew the results based on humidity, human error, etc. Liquid kits are FAR more accurate than strips and I'd be happy to prove it to you in the future by testing the results of both against a standardized spectrometer.

As far as which is a better deal, you'd have to be dense to think that strips are cheaper. 25 dollar liquid kit can last years, strips are what? 10 bucks for 25?

And as for aquarium COOP, which is the main person you're talking about, he uses strips because he knows his water - he knows there's nothing in it, he does water changes on a frequent enough basis to never need to read anything. It's for the viewers to know to test water. I haven't used my liquid test kit in probably a year to be honest with you.

 

Test strips are more expensive if you value them per test. I paid $18 for 25 test strips in the beginning which didn't even include ammonia test strips, those were another $7 or so to get. So lets say that is $1 per test. Liquid test kit couldn't have cost me more than $21 and who knows, it seems like I might get 100 tests out of it that makes it less than .25 cents per test. Sorry that's really rough math. But point is there's more than one way to determine value and expense.

I’ve seen them much cheaper and not to mention I’ve seen people cut them in half and get the same results just smaller. So that literally cuts the price in half for them.

Ok, here goes.

First of all and most importantly, test strips, test kits, and ANYTHING of an analytical nature is NOT an "exact science." We do the best we can to measure elements and compounds in the hobby quickly and affordably.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am an analytical scientist. I'm running an ICP spectrometer as we speak to determine the elemental makeup of precious metal alloys down to a part per million degree of accuracy. These machines have to be standardized before every lot of samples are run with standards that are tested repeatedly by a number of different machine to test their accuracy.

With strips AND with liquid, you have no calibration - you have a chemical reaction taking place that can skew the results based on humidity, human error, etc. Liquid kits are FAR more accurate than strips and I'd be happy to prove it to you in the future by testing the results of both against a standardized spectrometer.

As far as which is a better deal, you'd have to be dense to think that strips are cheaper. 25 dollar liquid kit can last years, strips are what? 10 bucks for 25?

And as for aquarium COOP, which is the main person you're talking about, he uses strips because he knows his water - he knows there's nothing in it, he does water changes on a frequent enough basis to never need to read anything. It's for the viewers to know to test water. I haven't used my liquid test kit in probably a year to be honest with you.

I’m already half way through my ammonia test due to many errors I made when I first got it. And that was within a month they really don’t last very long atleast in my case. And it sort of is an exact science in the part that they are all made the same and go through the same reactions or anything to even show colors. It’s much more exact than looking at the water in your tank and saying it has a slight tinge maybe so you have an ammonia issue

From my experience using Ph testing strips, they're wildly inaccurate for precision readings, difficult to read at times, and/or provide inconsistent results for one reason or another. That's why you get so many for cheap--lots of retests. For general assessments of acidic/alkaline, sure you can get a good idea what you're working with. If that's all you need, then they're fine.

In situations when one really needs to know 7.0 vs 7.5 a quality meter is the only way to go IMO. I think this is where some of the negative perception comes from.

Obviously, few people--including myself--are going to go out and spend $100s on various meters for their aquariums. So if I was given a choice between liquid drops or strips, Id pick drops. Although drops and strips share many of the same shortfalls, I feel its easier for me as a casual hobbyist to maintain the integrity of my dropper and test tubes than a container with 100s of strips.

Well hard to read is an understnatment for me seeing as I’m colorblind so I have to ask others for help even reading my tests. And I’ve seen them be just as accurate as droppers in various places.

 

I’ve seen them much cheaper and not to mention I’ve seen people cut them in half and get the same results just smaller. So that literally cuts the price in half for them.

That’s still only 50 tests. Do the math and you’re still at a loss. Actually, a couple people have already done it for you, so I’m confused why you’re sticking to that defense.

 

That’s still only 50 tests. Do the math and you’re still at a loss. Actually, a couple people have already done it for you, so I’m confused why you’re sticking to that defense.

Just did the math say for ammonia you want to test it’s 20 for each kit, and you get roughly 100 tests per, but with strips you can just cut them in half and have the same accuracy then making it 10 dollars for 100 tests literally cutting the price of the kit in half.

 

But there’s much less room for human error with test strips as long as you don’t throw the whole bottle of them inside your tank.

It only takes a couple drops of water or a humid day and bad storage habits to ruin a whole bottle. Then spend another $7-$10 to get more cause they aren't at a standard anymore. By that point you are literally $3-$5 away from a master kit that gives you 100+ tests per bottle.

If you think they are cheaper then math classes are needed. At $7 a bottle of 25 strips, you are looking at only 75 tests for the same price as a master kit that at minimum will give you 100 or more...

All around, the liquid tests give you more bang for your buck. In the long run they are cheaper, far more accurate, easier to store, and you get to feel like a scientist.. like come on, who doesn't wanna be a mad scientist some days? The only negative thing I see with the liquid is the process and time it takes to do tests. But there again.. If you have aquariums, you need to devote money and time into the hobby.. sure your fish can survive, but do they thrive?

 

At this point I think your just trolling us.

 

At this point I think your just trolling us.

Well now hats just rude I didn’t ask this to troll I asked it because of my legitimate beliefs in a second I’ll post exact numbers to show that I am correct in pricing.

 

I’m already half way through my ammonia test due to many errors I made when I first got it. And that was within a month they really don’t last very long atleast in my case. And it sort of is an exact science in the part that they are all made the same and go through the same reactions or anything to even show colors. It’s much more exact than looking at the water in your tank and saying it has a slight tinge maybe so you have an ammonia issue

Again buddy, human error. Not the test kits fault.

 

Ok, here goes.

First of all and most importantly, test strips, test kits, and ANYTHING of an analytical nature is NOT an "exact science." We do the best we can to measure elements and compounds in the hobby quickly and affordably.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am an analytical scientist. I'm running an ICP spectrometer as we speak to determine the elemental makeup of precious metal alloys down to a part per million degree of accuracy. These machines have to be standardized before every lot of samples are run with standards that are tested repeatedly by a number of different machine to test their accuracy.

With strips AND with liquid, you have no calibration - you have a chemical reaction taking place that can skew the results based on humidity, human error, etc. Liquid kits are FAR more accurate than strips and I'd be happy to prove it to you in the future by testing the results of both against a standardized spectrometer.

As far as which is a better deal, you'd have to be dense to think that strips are cheaper. 25 dollar liquid kit can last years, strips are what? 10 bucks for 25?

And as for aquarium COOP, which is the main person you're talking about, he uses strips because he knows his water - he knows there's nothing in it, he does water changes on a frequent enough basis to never need to read anything. It's for the viewers to know to test water. I haven't used my liquid test kit in probably a year to be honest with you.

I agree with this. You get a better deal overall because for a test kit you can find them 20-30 dollars, and individual strips may seem cheaper but add up a lot once they run out.
You’re job seems really cool by the way

 

Alright for anyone reading this PROVES that test strips are indeed cheaper atleast for me to buy.

Again buddy, human error. Not the test kits fault.

Not errors with the test errors with my tank to where I needed to test a lot.

 

I'm sure you can get test strips for much cheaper than the $18 that I paid. I've also seen liquid master kits on sale for much cheaper so the same argument still applies, hands down the liquid tests are less expensive. Not sure where this is stemming from, seems pretty straightforward to me. If you're going to spend a pretty penny on something then get the most bang for your buck.

 

Alright for anyone reading this PROVES that test strips are indeed cheaper atleast for me to buy.

Well, RATS. We've hereby been out-scienced!

That is the most scientifically sound, source based, objective study I have ever seen. Hats off to you, sir.

 

Well, RATS. We've hereby been out-scienced!

That is the most scientifically sound, source based, objective study I have ever seen. Hats off to you, sir.

To be fair you haven’t quoted anything but you’re job experience so if we’re taking sources you’re not doing very well in that area either

I'm sure you can get test strips for much cheaper than the $18 that I paid. I've also seen liquid master kits on sale for much cheaper so the same argument still applies, hands down the liquid tests are less expensive. Not sure where this is stemming from, seems pretty straightforward to me. If you're going to spend a pretty penny on something then get the most bang for your buck.

You get more for less with the strips and neither were on sale when I looked so this is a basic look at them.

 

I know this is fun to you - there's a name for it, oppositional defiant disorder. There's no way I'm breaking out pen and paper to prove to you what is very much common sense.

 

Ok, here goes.

First of all and most importantly, test strips, test kits, and ANYTHING of an analytical nature is NOT an "exact science." We do the best we can to measure elements and compounds in the hobby quickly and affordably.

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am an analytical scientist. I'm running an ICP spectrometer as we speak to determine the elemental makeup of precious metal alloys down to a part per million degree of accuracy. These machines have to be standardized before every lot of samples are run with standards that are tested repeatedly by a number of different machine to test their accuracy.

With strips AND with liquid, you have no calibration - you have a chemical reaction taking place that can skew the results based on humidity, human error, etc. Liquid kits are FAR more accurate than strips and I'd be happy to prove it to you in the future by testing the results of both against a standardized spectrometer.

As far as which is a better deal, you'd have to be dense to think that strips are cheaper. 25 dollar liquid kit can last years, strips are what? 10 bucks for 25?

And as for aquarium COOP, which is the main person you're talking about, he uses strips because he knows his water - he knows there's nothing in it, he does water changes on a frequent enough basis to never need to read anything. It's for the viewers to know to test water. I haven't used my liquid test kit in probably a year to be honest with you.

What he ^^^^^^ said.

 

I know this is fun to you - there's a name for it, oppositional defiant disorder. There's no way I'm breaking out pen and paper to prove to you what is very much common sense.

Look I didn’t ask this to have people be rude but that’s what you’re coming off as. I’m just giving a dissenting opinion but seeing as most people seem to share the same opinion on this whether right or wrong you see fit to gang up on me. I want this down to a science and not a general rule of thumb. There is clearly one that is better case closed but I am trying to find out which.

 

It’s not just about the money. The paper on the test strips is oxidized once it is in contact with air, which makes the results less efficient. Thus, test kits have a longer shelf life and are more accurate. The test kit also gives you 700 ( or 600 if you cut strips in half) more tests for just one more dollar.

 

in my opinion neither is perfect. You want precise buy a chemistry set.

 

Proof you are spending more with strips...

100 count tetra strips-
(No ammonia test)

100 count random brand-
(No ammonia)

API strips-
(No ammonia only 8 tests)

As you can see even in bulk they are already more expensive then the master kit... plus you need an ammonia test still which is one of the most important.

API Master Test kit-


Numbers don't lie... while you may have issues with the liquid tests, pretty much everybody else out there hasn't had issues.. so while your argument is it's too easy to mess up the test, it's just as easy to mess up your whole bottle of strips or let it sit too long or heck even set the test strip down after using it and it soaks up what ever bacteria and chemicals you have on that surface..

Any argument on prices after this point you are just being ignorant. Sorry for the rude comment, but I'm not the only one thinking it.

If you don't agree with us, then don't. But we have given you facts you chose to not validate and accept. That's your right to accept information or deny it. I don't mean to insult you as a person.

 

I mean it only cost like 10 dollars more if you cut them in half but then can get ruined easily! and sometimes you need to retest so why don't you get go with a more reliable product for a few dollars more

 

Proof you are spending more with strips...

100 count tetra strips-
(No ammonia test)

100 count random brand-
(No ammonia)

API strips-
(No ammonia only 8 tests)

As you can see even in bulk they are already more expensive then the master kit... plus you need an ammonia test still which is one of the most important.

API Master Test kit-

Numbers don't lie... while you may have issues with the liquid tests, pretty much everybody else out there hasn't had issues.. so while your argument is it's too easy to mess up the test, it's just as easy to mess up your whole bottle of strips or let it sit too long or heck even set the test strip down after using it and it soaks up what ever bacteria and chemicals you have on that surface..

Any argument on prices after this point you are just being ignorant. Sorry for the rude comment, but I'm not the only one thinking it.

If you don't agree with us, then don't. But we have given you facts you chose to not validate and accept. That's your right to accept information or deny it. I don't mean to insult you as a person.

I quite literally just found them cheaper on amazon so I don’t see how you’re also arguing this. I can et pictures of you want it’s not hard, but the fact is I never at any point stated that liquid test are bad just that test strips are also good if not better