Find Your Tap / Source Water Baseline

http://tinyurl.com/tap-water-baseline

Quite often you are told to test your tank water chemistry (parameters) for things like: 1) ammonia, 2) nitrite, 3) nitrate, 4) pH, 5) temperature, 6) KH and 7) GH... the basic tests that most fish keepers should have.  Something you are not often told is that you should know your tap/source water parameters and what happens to your tap/source water after you fill your tank or do a PWC (partial water change). The pH will usually change a little or a lot. There may be ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in your tap/source water. The KH and GH could change or be non-existent.

To find your tap/source water baseline, you should run your cold water for a minute or two to flush out any stagnant water in your home pipes. Then fill a one gallon bucket or other open top container. You need a large opening to have adequate surface area. After filling the bucket, immediately test it for all of your tests (preferably the seven mentioned above). Record your numbers. Add your dechlor product. Test for ammonia again. Record number.  If you do not have the KH and GH test kits, test for everything you do have... but it's really good to know your KH (Carbonate Hardness) as this helps you know if you have to worry about pH crashes in your tank.  GH (General Hardness) is good to know as some fish do not do as well in really soft or really water.  It's best to know your water baseline and then choose fish that do best in your kind of water so you don't have to worry about your fish's health or get into the water chemistry changing game.

If you have chloramine treated water, when you add your dechlor product, it will break the bond between the chlorine and ammonia so you will get a slight ammonia reading. Normally, it's not more than 0.5ppm (which is easily converted in your biological filtration in an established tank but this level can cause alarm in a new tank depending on the pH and temperature).

Now set the bucket on the side and wait 24 to 48 hours and test the water again and compare the numbers. You could also test it at 24 and 48 hours to get even more information about what happens to your tap/source water once it gets into your tank during PWC's. You can speed up this 48 hour time period by adding an air stone to the bucket to agitate the water constantly. If you don't have an extra air pump and stone, then just stir the water regularly to increase the outgassing of CO2 and any other gases in the water that will outgas once in your aquarium anyhow.

Some tap/source waters have high CO2 levels out of the tap which results in a low pH right out the tap but then as the CO2 outgasses, the pH stabilizes to a higher level. Other tap waters have buffers that raise the pH out of the tap but then these buffers wear out quickly when exposed to light, air and temperature changes and the pH will drop.

Also, if you have tropical fish and regularly add hot water to your cold water to raise the temperature to match the tank temperature, you should know what your hot water parameters are as well. Your hot water heater is basically a distillery that is boiling the water which causes the chemistry to change. Many of the additives to your water will come out of solution and settle in the bottom of your hot water heater. You will notice a faucet on the bottom of your hot water heater. Most people don't do this but you should partially drain your hot water heater once a year to remove this sediment. This sediment will eventually cause your hot water heater to fail. Also, it's not good for your fish. Usually, it's just a matter of hooking up a quality garden hose to the faucet, running it out your back door and then open the faucet to let the sediment and sludge flush out until the water is coming out clear. Read your owners manual or online sources for more information on how to do proper maintenance to your hot water heater.

To learn more about the water quality for your area, in the USA, check here:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

I hope this helps.

GoldLenny

Everyone NEEDS a decent Master Test Kit

NOTICE-THIS IS AN OLD "ARTICLE" THAT I DID BACK IN JUNE 2005 THAT I AM REPRINTING ON MY BLOG. SOME OF THE "OLD" LINKS DO NOT WORK ANYMORE SO I'M ADDING NEW LINKS TO CURRENT PRICES. IF A LINK DOES NOT WORK, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT SO I CAN UPDATE IT.

UPDATE - 2009 - WalMart.com has the best prices on the API Master Test Kit and the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit, for around $15.00 and $17.00 respectively.  They offer FREE shipping to your local WalMart store.  I highly recommend either of these kits with the API being most recommended.  You would have to add on the optional GH/KH Combo kit to the API and the Nitrate kit to the T-L.

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I've been doing some online shopping from "Clearance" pages from several popular web sites and I have also seen these prices on Master Test Kits that everyone should have. The basic tests that are needed are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph (high and low), KH and GH. There are many other things happening in our tanks we cannot easily test for but these basic tests will go a long way in keeping our tanks healthy and happy.

Also, I know that my local PetsMart will match their internet prices for anything so I always look on PetsMart.com for my items before I go there. Print the page and show the cashier and they'll reduce their store price.

As you will see, I did not do any research on the "dip sticks" as every brand I've tried have not lived up to my expectations. They seem to give very inconsistent readings. I think everyone should have a decent Master Test Kit using test tubes and liquid reagent to get more accurate test results.

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Tetra-Laborette Test Kit -

A complete test kit for freshwater aquariums. Kit includes ammonia, nitrite, pH, carbonate hardness and general hardness tests. Also includes a testing booklet, log book, syringe dispenser, and two test vials.

I received this test kit and along with doing the above tests, there is also a conversion chart to give you your CO2 reading using the pH and KH readings. Also, the pH test on this kit is not as accurate as the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test kit IMO.

(OLD LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19617;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=

Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the Tetra-Laborette Master Test Kit for $14.39 now:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1379248/cl0/tetralaboretttestkit

But I also found this one online:

http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=573 Same Kit but $13.92 US.

NOTICE - I did order this along with a few other items from BigAlsOnline since the "Master" kit, below, that I have did not test for GH or KH. This one DOES NOT test for Nitrates which is one of the more common tests in the long run.

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BigAl's also has the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master Test Kit at a good price as well.... not the lowest but a good price none the less. This old link was for when it was on sale for only $12.99 but that sale is over.

(LINK NO LONGER WORKS) http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19383;category_id=3233;pcid1=;pcid2=

Here is BigAlsOnline.com new link for the API FreshWater Master Test Kit for $15.99... still a pretty good price!:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380887/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsfreshwatermastertestkit
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Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at Wal-Mart for $17.64 -

The Freshwater Master Test Kit Includes Tests for: Freshwater pH, High Range pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness) (You will need a separate Nitrate test kit)

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=3635493&cat=202105&type=1&dept=5440&path=0%3A5440%3A202074%3A202105#long_descr

(NOTICE - I bought one of these at my local PetsMart, $24.99, when I first got into the hobby and it did not test for GH or KH... but it did instead test for Nitrates so there may be a typo or different "Master" test kits from API or API may have changed the packaging on this test kit.)

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$11.09 Mini Freshwater Test Lab -
$29.79 Deluxe Freshwater Test Lab -

The Deluxe Freshwater Test helps serious aquatic hobbyists to maintain the healthiest tanks. All inclusive kit contains tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite, hardness GH & KH, iron, CO2, and chlorine.

(LINK NO LONGER WORKS AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THESE KITS ONLINE ANY LONGER) http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776885&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030068&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364370490

(NOTICE - I could not find a brand name on the above two kits or any information on the Mini kit but these do perform many different tests compared to other kits.)

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Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit at PetsMart.com for only $13.49 as I write this Blog but their regular online price is still only $15.99 and remember that most PetsMart's retail stores will match their online prices if you bring in their printed online page -

Freshwater Master Test Kit is a complete kit for testing tap water & aquarium water. Tests water 6 different ways to protect tropical fish from dangerous water conditions. Tests include: freshwater pH, ammonia, nitrite, high range pH, Nitrate, 4 test tubes, tray.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030152&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1119364908908

(NOTICE - This is the first test kit that I owned and still use. I did recently order the Tetra-Laborette kit since it does the GH and KH tests as well as the above tests, but recent internet searchs and API's website now show their FW Master Test Kit has the GH and KH tests but not the Nitrate Test... so you may have to buy the Nitrate test kit separately.)

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DrsFosterSmith.com has the API FW Master Test Kit for regular price of $18.99 but on 3/18/2007, it was on sale for $15.19.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4454&Ntt=api%20master%20test%20kit&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

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NOW.... HERE'S SOME NEW INFORMATION FOR THIS BLOG.

Hagen Master Test Kit for $39.99 at BigAlsOnline.com -

http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18538/si1380474/cl0/nutrafintestmasterlabkit

Aquarium tests for fresh and salt water. Every test you'll ever need in one complete kit. Hard plastic attache is portable and stores all your kits for future use. Tests for ammonia, calcium, nitrate, phosphate, nitrite, pH, iron, carbonate hardness, and general hardness. 9 instructions booklets, 5 glass test tubes with caps, 2 pipettes, and 1 spoon.

(This kit does not mention it but since it has all of these tests, but the instructions may have the conversion chart for CO2, or you can also use available online charts to determine your CO2 levels.)

Kordon AquaTru Test Kits (highly recommended by file://steve//) and I've read over the information at http://www.novalek.com/kordon/aquatru/overview.htm and I can see why file://steve// speaks highly of this kit. It's a much higher price than many of the above mentioned test kits but since accuracy is something we strive for, it's certainly something to be considered.

(START SNIP)
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Kordon AquaTru Water Quality Test Kits pioneered the use of dry reagents for use in aquarium and pond water testing using colorimetric water test kits. The major advantage of dry reagents is in their accuracy and shelf life. AquaTru Dry reagents for water testing are more stable than colorimetric tests done with test strips or liquid reagents. This means that the aquarist and pond keeper can perform tests using Kordon AquaTru water tests with the confidence of knowing the results will be as accurate as is possible for a "colorimetric" type test. Also, Kordon dates their reagents with their expiration dates. All manufacturer's reagents, whether dry or liquid, are subject to degradation. Because the reagent chemicals break down over time, it is important to know when the reagents are going to go out of date. Therefore, it is not recommended to use reagents that are not dated to show when they are out of date.

AquaTru's color comparator system has been carefully designed to reflect the needs of the concerned aquarist and pond keeper. The top is flared to make adding reagents easier,. The wide base increases stability. A special sliding window helps make color comparisons more accurate. The color strip consists of translucent colors applied to a durable plastic, rather than a printed paper card. The translucent color strip allows light to pass through, providing a much more accurate match when comparing the cube's colors to those produced by the reagents. Reflected colors, such as those produced on a printed comparator do not match as well when compared with the translucent colors in a test cube.

The quality of tap water varies widely and aquarium and pond systems. It is increasingly important to monitor water conditions carefully in the aquarium and pond. It is equally important to select only top quality, reliable test equipment to monitor these conditions. It is beyond the scope of most aquarists and pond keepers to analyze the accuracy of a test kit. They must depend upon the manufacturer to provide them with accurate, dependable test kits. Kordon has provided professional quality accurate water quality test kits in its AquaTru products for over 30 year, which are of the same grade as provided to scientific laboratories, government agencies, academia, and to commercial aquaculture.
(END SNIP)

The best price I could find on the Freshwater Master Test Kit was from an eBay store for around $60.00 plus 6.99 shipping. http://cgi.ebay.com/Kordon-Fresh-Water-Master-Aquarium-Test-Kit-35810_W0QQitemZ130125159778QQcmdZViewItem and here is the seller's online store site if the above link fails... http://stores.ebay.com/By-Rite-Pet-Supply but file://steve// provided this link where this kit is on sale for $48.00 right now (10/17/08) http://www.fish.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=790088+002 but it's regular price is $78.00 plus shipping when the sale ends.

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Often, I see people asking, "How long do the test kits last?". You should check the manufacturers website for current information but here is a forum link where the API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) test kits shelf life info has been posted. http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/fishtest/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=19378 which actually got the information from another forum so I'll just re-print it here for simplicity.

Hope these answers help. Each bottle has a lot number printed on them. The last
four digits are the date of Manufacture. (e.g. ab120202 is manufactured Feb.
2002). The people at Tetra & API informed, that test kits have a shelf life
of 3 years from the date of manufacture & hence a lot number of ab120202
would be 'in date' until Feb. 2005.
Info from : http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/test_kits_life.php
Test Solutions Shelf Life from bottling date:
Wide Range pH Test Solution 3 years
Ammonia Test Solution #1 3 years
Ammonia Test Solution #2 3 years
High Range pH Indicator Solution (m-Cresol Purple) 3 years
Nitrate Test Solution #1 3 years
Nitrate Test Solution #2 3 years
GH Test Solution 3 years
KH Test Solution 4 years
Nitrite Test Solution 4 years
Fresh Water Ammonia Test Solution (Nessler) 5 years
Fresh Water pH Indicator Solution 5 years
High Range pH Indicator Solution (Cresol Red) 5 years
Salt Level Test Solution #1 5 years
Salt Level Test Solution #2 5 years

Here is a recent thread from http://thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2328 about how the Nitrate Test Kits and how the last reagent bottle may have testing abnormalities due to chemical separation. There are solutions in the thread on how to keeping this problem from happening.

Hope this helps some of the newbies and experts.

GoldLenny

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