# Test strips VS Test drops



## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)


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## AbbeysDad (Mar 28, 2011)

MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)


Mitch, your question seems a bit backwards. It's the strips that dip 'n done.

It is generally held that the strips are inaccurate, but it is not clear if they are even consistently inaccurate or not. Although the liquid fresh water test kit costs more, it is more reliable for consistent accuracy - and if you're going to bother to test (and make decisions based on the results), you/we want the most accurate tests available. Otherwise, why bother testing at all?!


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

AbbeysDad said:


> Mitch, your question seems a bit backwards. It's the strips that dip 'n done.
> 
> It is generally held that the strips are inaccurate, but it is not clear if they are even consistently inaccurate or not. Although the liquid fresh water test kit costs more, it is more reliable for consistent accuracy - and if you're going to bother to test (and make decisions based on the results), you/we want the most accurate tests available. Otherwise, why bother testing at all?!


forgot to add a comma ghrammer isnt my strong suite. why is it generally held that they are inaccurate eveyone says this but why? liek saying jump off a bridge its fun and everyone else says so. what makes a liquid test kit more accurate then a dip and done kit? what is the diffrence (trying to rephrase and make the question more clear)


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

The strips can accumulate moisture from the air that messes with the results. I don't think there is a problem with nice fresh new strips... but how fresh they are when you get them is an issue. 

Never used them myself, just the liquid tests.

Liquid drops are pretty accurately measured.... as long as you can count.

I expect, but don't know, that you get more tests per dollar with the liquid kits too.

Jeff.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

they always said you pay for the convience, and im pretty sure the test strips have a experation on them like the drops, the strips are also sealed in a container. how much a diffrence could the moister from the air effect them? its not liek we are testing in a sauna. jsut trying to stir up some informative debate here


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)


I suppose that depends on how important it is to you to know exactly what your numbers are. If you are one that changes an arbitrary amount of water, then it's not very important that the numbers be exact. I change 80% of the water whenever I do a water change - for me the numbers are unimportant, so much so that I don't bother testing. If you determine the amount of water to change based on the test results, then it's obviously important that they be accurate. Test strips are said to be less accurate. To me, as long as they are not giving a false negative, they're working fine. If they give you a false positive, then you do a water change...doing an unneeded water change isn't a bad thing, though if you are constantly getting false positives then that would probably lead to some form of insanity. The chances of getting false readings from a liquid kit are far less. Too, the propensity for strips to get contaminated is much higher.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

jaysee said:


> I suppose that depends on how important it is to you to know exactly what your numbers are. If you are one that changes an arbitrary amount of water, then it's not very important that the numbers be exact. I change 80% of the water whenever I do a water change - for me the numbers are unimportant, so much so that I don't bother testing. If you determine the amount of water to change based on the test results, then it's obviously important that they be accurate. Test strips are said to be less accurate. To me, as long as they are not giving a false negative, they're working fine. If they give you a false positive, then you do a water change...doing an unneeded water change isn't a bad thing, though if you are constantly getting false positives then that would probably lead to some form of insanity. The chances of getting false readings from a liquid kit are far less. Too, the propensity for strips to get contaminated is much higher.


im trying to figure out WHAT makes them (test strips) more inaccurate then drops? everybody says everyone thinks drops are better but its all hearsay never heard any facts to back it up thats what im looking for here. everyone dogs the strips. why? and how would a strip get contaminated if its in a sealed container unless you are fingering them before you plop them in.


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## AbbeysDad (Mar 28, 2011)

After doing more research I'm convinced that test strips can be inaccurate for many reasons. Most notably is moisture degradation in humid environments. However, it's interesting that the degree of inaccuracy may not really matter much.
For instance, IF you are testing and discover high ammonia, nitrite, nitrate or even a shift in pH, would it really matter how much? If a strip indicated .25ppm and a liquid test indicated .5ppm, it would still require a partial water change...so any precise value is somewhat moot.

Now I'll continue to use the liquid API Freshwater Test kit, but even I'll confess that at times the color interpretation between the sample and a couple of color bars on the chart is pretty subjective....and this interpretation affects accuracy.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

so safe to assume unless your doing very very fine doseing to your aquarium that a test strip woudl suffice? cant see anyone needed to test soo accurately very often. a test strip with the all in one in my opinion is just as good as the drops, sometiems cheaper and way more easy. not to menbtiuon you dont have to have 7 diffrent bottles. and some strips come with the gh and kh on them while api its a totally diffrent kit. i understad about the humidity. there cant be enough humidoty in anyones home (un less they dont use a/c) that it coudl really effect the strips. heck im sure it would take a sauna to effect the strips liablity. cant find anything online like this thread. still havent heard any solid evidence or facts either way other then a really really humid enviroment.


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## rjordan390 (Feb 18, 2012)

The opinions expressed are based on experience from tanks with fish only and tanks with fish and plants. Many may get by with low end test strips with fish only but I prefer the liquid drop test kits for more accurate readings because I have plants. When algae pokes its head, you do not want ball park readings from low end test kits to solve the problem.
The manufacturers would lose a lot of business if test strips were found to be just as accurate as the liquid drop test kits. So to each his own. Cheap test kits equals cheap results.


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

It comes down to people posting weird results with the strips then to have it done with the test kits and it is more consistent... all anecdotal of course. Long term I doubt the strips are more cost effective. 

I don't test everything every time and, if I were on town water, I wouldn't need to do a GH and KH test. I often will do only ammonia, or nitrites. Today I only tested for nitrates but a few weeks ago I was testing ammonia and nitrites twice a day.

How much are the strips anyway?

Jeff.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

rjordan390 said:


> The opinions expressed are based on experience from tanks with fish only and tanks with fish and plants. Many may get by with low end test strips with fish only but I prefer the liquid drop test kits for more accurate readings because I have plants. When algae pokes its head, you do not want ball park readings from low end test kits to solve the problem.
> The manufacturers would lose a lot of business if test strips were found to be just as accurate as the liquid drop test kits. So to each his own. Cheap test kits equals cheap results.


what is measured in a tank with plants by liquid tests that test strips dont test for? and when we say inaccurate are we talking 0.001% or like 25% off or what. also if they are off by a certain degree why is it and we have already heard the extremely humid climate as a factor. but im saying in your normal everyday home where the humidity wouldnt be effected. might like to add strips are about the same price sometimes cost more.

Test results can be affected by contamination or improper storage, and our color perception depends to some extent on ambient light and background colors. In addition, really frequent water tests can motivate some to try for perfection and thus constantly fiddle with water parameters. A more relaxed approach is safer for the fish.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

MoneyMitch said:


> . still havent heard any solid evidence or facts


In high school I remember doing an experiment on accuracy vs precision. We used strips and also liquid reagents. The chemistry teacher felt that the liquid tests were more accurate than the litmus paper, and I remember that the results supported that. That was some 15 years ago, so unfortunately I cannot recall more than that.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

well since there hasnt been any sure fact or fiction here, this is my conclusion - strips are just as good as drops. with the drops there is no way they are labratory accuracte same with the strips. as long as strips are properly stored and not fingerd all up before use they will show the same readings as drops with some diffrence that is to minute to matter in a home aquarium with or without live plants with or without super sensitive fish. strips are alot more easyier to use and less time consuming however they do cost more then drops. 

so basically it comes down to a personall prefrence ratehr then a accuracy issue in the home aquarium, so next time you dog strips and say they arent as accurate as drops remember the diffrence in readings im sure can only be found by lab testing both and then compareing. even then the diffrences are more then likely minute like i said before. 

both equally acurate, strips easy to do but cost more. drops cost less and take longer to do and have a minimal amount more of accuracy that wont effect a home aquarium. any agree here?


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## Thoth (Mar 16, 2011)

JDM said:


> How much are the strips anyway?
> 
> Jeff.


About 5x more per test. Throw in that you are possibly stuck testing for other test on the strip it only multiples that further.

Personally, test strips have their place and IME they are not as bad as forums make them out to be. I find that some of them have a wider variation in colors then liquid tests making them easier to read which can reduce inaccuracy due to interpretation.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I agree. Like I said earlier, as long as you aren't getting false negatives, or always getting false positives, I don't see how it matters that the results are as accurate as they can be - Says the guy that doesn't ever test the water.


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

The false negative would be the only problem, really. Ammonia, nitrite should be zero and nitrate should be as low as possible, say try to aim for no more than 10ppm. pH, well, it varies throughout the day so a relative value is OK if it is stable and appropriate for the fish. 

I don't know why the accuracy is more important with plants than without. 

I'll stick with liquid. Long term cost isn't really an issue but its nice to get good value for a dollar. 

Jeff.


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## rjordan390 (Feb 18, 2012)

It all comes down to proper balance of nutrients. With test strips, you are getting a best guess ball park result. In the 80's, when I had a reef tank, parameters were more strict and I started with test strips and I suspected the results. Upon purchasing a more expensive liquid drop kit, the results were in favor of the liquid drop kits because the results matched how my fish were behaving. I scraped the strips and never purchased them again.
Strips are not cheaper if they give mediocre results.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

rjordan390 said:


> It all comes down to proper balance of nutrients. With test strips, you are getting a best guess ball park result. In the 80's, when I had a reef tank, parameters were more strict and I started with test strips and I suspected the results. Upon purchasing a more expensive liquid drop kit, the results were in favor of the liquid drop kits because the results matched how my fish were behaving. I scraped the strips and never purchased them again.
> Strips are not cheaper if they give mediocre results.


that was the 80s alot has changed since then. untill someone can come up with some facts that back it its all hearsay


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## rjordan390 (Feb 18, 2012)

Well,
We are just the users of the products. If you want a unbias opinion closer to fact then heresay, then I suggest you contact a company or companys that just make liquid drop test kits only and ask for an opinion. I believe Seachem does not make test strips. If thats correct, then there's a good reason they don't.


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

just proves a fact that many bash the strips but dont really know why and make false assumptions. but everyone is entitled to their own methods. i still say they are both equal and its more of a conveiance to use the strips then it is to use the drops


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## Thoth (Mar 16, 2011)

rjordan390 said:


> Well,
> I believe Seachem does not make test strips. If thats correct, then there's a good reason they don't.


Just because a company does not make something does not mean that there is something wrong with a product line. It costs tons of money to manufacture and market a product. If your return on investment is not good why waste the time and effort.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

With the fish keeping hobby, I went from no testing to the API Master Kit based on information here on the site. I do have experience with drops and strips with swimming pool water. I started with a nice drop test kit provided with the pool package. Everyone remarked how crystal clear the pool water was. Later on, I switched to strips because it was faster and easier. The pool went south quickly and it was a real pain to get it back to where it was. It is possible that, since I got lazy with the testing, I got lazy with the maintenance...don't really remember but, it's something I wonder about. Again, no scientific evidence here; however, it is real life experience and I think there is a closer relationship than some might believe.


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

MoneyMitch said:


> just proves a fact that many bash the strips but dont really know why and make false assumptions. but everyone is entitled to their own methods. i still say they are both equal and its more of a conveiance to use the strips then it is to use the drops


I don't think anyone is really trying to make you use drops. If you would rather use strips, use strips. As long as they work for you the whole argument is moot.

Jeff.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

MoneyMitch said:


> just proves a fact that many bash the strips but dont really know why and make false assumptions. but everyone is entitled to their own methods. i still say they are both equal and its more of a conveiance to use the strips then it is to use the drops


Have you performed any test's? to validify that the strip's are just as accurate as liquid reagent's across all types of water(ie) pH,fresh,salt,?
What were control's,types,brand's of test kit's used?
This is how to find out for certain.Otherwise,,what makes one opinion ,,, can readily be debated ,pondered,till the cow's come home.
Try,do,then speak. For me,,, my tank's,my water, Ill stick with the liquid regeant's although you can cut the strip's in half and double the number of test's .


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## Freshcatch (Aug 8, 2012)

Worth a watch since we are on the subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPiDRid_Km8


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

When using drop tests the user should be aware of the level of accuracy which simply can be expressed as 100 divided by the number of drope required to reach the end point colour change. This can be varied by sample volume changes and should be between 10 and 30 drops giving an accuracy range of between 3 (100 divided by 30) to 10% (100 divided by 10). The number of drops will be multiplied by a factor matched to the sample volume. The accuracy can be doubled merely be deducting the factor X 0.5 from the final result.Thus if the factor was 10 and the test required 10 drops, the accurate result would be 10 X 10 - (0.5 X 10)= 95
Hope this helps 

found this with a google search. also thought at work today about drug tests. every work related drug test ive done has been a p in the cup deal, which is pretty much the same thing as a test strip for ur aquarium. then its sent to a lab of course and confirmed but never seen anything about a liquid test for a drug test wonder if theres a reason behind it?


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

JDM said:


> I don't think anyone is really trying to make you use drops. If you would rather use strips, use strips. As long as they work for you the whole argument is moot.
> 
> Jeff.


im not implying anyone is making me use anything, just a little frusterated that the only argument thats ive pretty much seen is that "they arent as accuracte" and only reason ive heard they arent as accurate is contamination wihich you can also get in the liquid and jsut as easily. i tried to make a conclusion on like page 2 somewhere and it was argued again that they wernt as accurate back by some hearsay or contamination or perception of color chart etc etc


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

MoneyMitch said:


> When using drop tests the user should be aware of the level of accuracy which simply can be expressed as 100 divided by the number of drope required to reach the end point colour change. This can be varied by sample volume changes and should be between 10 and 30 drops giving an accuracy range of between 3 (100 divided by 30) to 10% (100 divided by 10). The number of drops will be multiplied by a factor matched to the sample volume. The accuracy can be doubled merely be deducting the factor X 0.5 from the final result.Thus if the factor was 10 and the test required 10 drops, the accurate result would be 10 X 10 - (0.5 X 10)= 95
> Hope this helps
> 
> found this with a google search. also thought at work today about drug tests. every work related drug test ive done has been a p in the cup deal, which is pretty much the same thing as a test strip for ur aquarium. then its sent to a lab of course and confirmed but never seen anything about a liquid test for a drug test wonder if theres a reason behind it?


When you copy and paste, it's best to provide a link or put it in quotes and cite the source, otherwise it's plagiarism. Google is not a source. Just sayin


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## MoneyMitch (Aug 3, 2009)

jaysee said:


> When you copy and paste, it's best to provide a link or put it in quotes and cite the source, otherwise it's plagiarism. Google is not a source. Just sayin


never said it was my work or that i said it, next time you try and troll my posts make sure you have it right. saying google is not a source is your own opinion just sayin


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

MoneyMitch said:


> saying google is not a source is your own opinion just sayin


Google is not a source. Google didn't write what you copied - google doesn't write anything  It's a search engine - It PROVIDES sources. That's not an opinion, it's simply a description of what it is....


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## rjordan390 (Feb 18, 2012)

You are frustrated because we do not produce facts by what you call heresay. This heresay is based on users going back many years. We accept it from those before us and from personal experience. If you want to compare strips to drop tests then you need to compare what is normally found in fish stores like the API brand and others. Companys like Hach and LaMotte manufacture upscale test kits and I believe strips also. But these are not normally used by most hobbiest's. so these should not be used as a comparison.
So lets reverse the frustration. We are frustrated because you have not come up with facts to prove strips are just as accuract as drop tests at your expense.
If you are willing to provide samples of test kits like 3 strips from differant manufacturers and 3 drop test kits that are normally sold in fish stores to a lab willing to accomodate you, then we would certainly be interested in the results. They can test these kits against known lab grade standards.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

This just adds some things to think about. I've been looking around the net and these struck me as interesting. They are a general breakdown of some opinions / experiences. Liquid tests require skill / technique to give truly accurate results. Test strips can give false readings due to colors running and the time differential in reading the results for each element. There doesn't appear to be an "all things being equal" judgement or conclusion. The closest thing I saw for that involved pool water and it basically said that health departments are excepting test strip results now because, due to operator errors, there is no great difference in accuracy.


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## Chesh (Feb 17, 2012)

I've been avoiding this topic, because as stated above, the only way for the OP to solve this question is to do his own side-by-side comparison between his strips and the API Master Freshwater kit. Not all strips are created equal, I'm sure that some brands may be more accurate than others, and it is very possible that the strips have all gotten a bad rep because some of the more common brands aren't the best. 

A quick search on Google will bring up several posts on other forums where people have done side-by-side testing using both strips and liquid, and share their results. Most of the ones I saw came to the conclusion that the liquid was more accurate, but there were a couple who didn't see any problems with their strips.

All of this information is only as accurate as the person doing the testing, so regardless of their conclusion, I would not personally trust their results. There are many factors that can effect the results you get from your tests, and since I was not there to witness how their vials had been cleaned, how long the strips were out of the water, how long they shook the nitrate test, etc. I would take their findings with a proverbial grain of salt.

I have used one brand of strips - Tetra EasyStrips, I had a 5 in 1 strip with 3 color pads that tested Ph, Kh, Gh, nitrates, nitrites, and a separate strip for ammonia. I have only used one brand of liquid - API's Master kit, and based on my personal experiences with both of these methods, I decided to stick with the liquid testing kit, as the results seemed to be the most accurate and consistent - as well as having a lower per test price-tag. 

I was very new to the hobby when I was using the test strips, and the tank was cycling with fish-in. I was testing very frequently, in the hopes of keeping my fish safe through this process, and learning about the nitrogen cycle at the same time. I was very confused when I was using the strips, because all of my reading was telling me what to expect from a cycling tank (ammonia spike, nitrite spike, nitrate spike, etc) but my strips weren't confirming that consistently at all. Because of the inconsistency in the numbers I was getting, and after seeing API's Master kit so highly recommended, I purchased the liquid set to confirm that I was getting accurate results. I wasn't.

I often (but not always) got very different readings from the two kits on ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates - though _sometimes_ they would be fairly close to each-other or the same. I kept a log of my test results, and I never was able to find any consistency or pattern to the readings I was getting from the strips, where with the API kit I was easily able to track a rise and fall pattern as the tank went through it's various spikes (and water changes) before the cycle completed, and things settled down.

I also found that the strips were _very_ off in Ph, Gh, and Kh. Although both types of test came up consistently with the same numbers every time, they were very different from each-other. The test strips showed my water to be fairly hard, ideal for the live-bearers who were living there at that time. But the API liquid test results show my water to be soft with a neutral Ph. A call to my water supply company confirmed that the results I was getting from API's liquid kit were correct, so I trust those results (as do my soft-water fish!)

A bit more information. . . I was very careful to keep the test strips dry and away from humidity. I kept them in my cool but not damp basement, the bottle of strips was tightly closed after use, and kept in a sealed plastic container. I even went so far as to put a packet or two of silica gel into the box (not the bottle) because I read that they were very susceptible to inaccuracy because of dampness and humidity, etc. The bottle only lasted about a month, had been purchased brand-new and sealed, and I'm fairly certain I did everything in my power to make sure those strips were not contaminated by moisture. 

I also found very quickly that the vials that are sold with the API kits are inaccurate, and vary slightly from vial to vial. I do not do my tests based on the 5ml line marked on these vials, I measure out 5mls of water into each vial from an oral syringe to ensure the proper amount of liquid is being used. I have found that many things can affect the accuracy of the liquid kits, including how the vials are washed/rinsed/dried between uses, and that the regents, especially the nitrate, are properly shaken before use.

Unfortunately, I no longer have the log that I kept while using the strips. Once I came to my own conclusion that they weren't giving me accurate readings, I felt no need to keep the information I had written from them - it was only confusing things - so I discarded those pages.

A friend of mine started her tanks at the same time as I, and she had a very similar experience with another brand of test strips. . .

Again, the only way that the OP will be able to come to a proper conclusion is to test the accuracy of these types of tests for himself. It is also worth noting that the tests we use for our aquariums, though they are good for what we need them to do, are in no way showing everything that is going on in our tank. Despite what the packaging may tell you, these tests are nowhere near accurate enough for use in an actual scientific analysis. However, for our needs in keeping our fish happy and their water contaminate-free, they do the job. . . well, the liquid kit does, anyway ;-)

Hope that helped somehow. . .good luck with your own experiment!


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## rjordan390 (Feb 18, 2012)

< health departments are excepting test strip results now because, due to operator errors, there is no great difference in accuracy. >

The health department is talking about swimming pool water. They are not concerned about aquariums.


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

rjordan390 said:


> < health departments are excepting test strip results now because, due to operator errors, there is no great difference in accuracy. >
> 
> The health department is talking about swimming pool water. They are not concerned about aquariums.


Right. Just some info.


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## JoyCee (Sep 27, 2021)

MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)





MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)



Honestly there isn't much info on the matter and little evidence for either side. The strips are labeled easily damaged while the liquid is labeled extremely accurate. I find the liquid test to be a bit hard to read at times, while the strips are easily readable. To solve my problem (being that I started my first tank a year ago) I got the API master test kit and a JNW 9 in 1 test strip kit. I mainly used the strip for start up and to test my faucet water so I could gauge a reading on how much kg, gh, copper etc I would be putting into my tank during water changes, this made it easy for me to control my levels. I only used the liquid for specifics if I noticed a fish sick or dead, since it's the most accurate. If i found myself guessing on readings, having both made it so easy for me.


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## Abbeyxx1 (Sep 27, 2021)

MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)





MoneyMitch said:


> how big is the diffrence, what is the diffrence (besides the obvious one being a liquid one being a dip and done)


I would get the test strips if you don’t have many fish/ not that many gallons. But if you have a lot of fish, I would recommend getting the drops. You will save money if you have to test the water frequently & the results are more accurate.


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