# What's your frequently used water test list for planted tank?



## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

I have been keeping the API master kit in my "frequently used kit" of stuff I keep next to my tank and use daily/weekly. But after 2 months in this hobby, I question the usefulness of the API master kit.

I have never tested ammonia or nitrites above 0. Reading about heavily planted tanks, it sounds like it would be hard to have values above 0 for these because the plants make use of them. I have hard water and high but stable pH so that doesn't change that much. So right there, that is 5 of the 7 bottles that I don't need in my frequently used kit. Now I would keep these tests on hand and use them less frequently (bi/monthly perhaps). 

This is what I now keep in my frequently used kit

*1. API Nitrate Test*(this test is kind of lame for the 10-40 range)
*2. Salifert Nitrate Test *(just got hoping it will be better than API)
*3. API 5 in 1 test strips* - this gives me very convenient hardness, pH, a check on nitrite, and a double-check on nitrate.
*4. API Phosphorus* (my tap has high and variable phosphorus that I need to keep an eye on so as not to add phos ferts unnecessarily)
*5. Seachem Iron* - I have a lot of red plants and low iron in my water, this helps maintain daily levels
*6. Seachem Ammonia Sensor/Alarm* - not really in my kit, this is the thing you suction cup to the inside of your aquarium. Per above, I don't expect an ammonia surge but this gives me a little piece of mind as I am planning to not test ammonia as much.

It would be interesting what others keep in their "daily kit" or if you think I have made a bad assumption (I'm a newb). 

Also I am aware of Barr's Estimative Index (EI) but haven't implemented that approach yet, still trying to level set as I get a lot of ferts in my tap water (eg. phos 1-3ppm, nitrates 5 ppm, carbonates, trace, etc...).


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

I just do the full barrage in the master kit any time I plan to do tests.

Ammonia is important because it can spike and be really bad if it does. A cycled tank showing ammonia is a huge red flag for a problem. Plus its one of the easier tests to do anyway.

An easy (and accuate) Nitrate test would be the handiest thing to add to my arsenal, but I don't see myself buying a $300 Hanna Photometer (plus regular reagent refills at $50+) any time soon, just to save myself 7 minutes once per week.

I wouldn't count on the SeaChem alert. There are tons and tons of stories of inaccurate and unresponsive alerts. SeaChem makes a lot of good stuff, but their hit/miss ratio is way off on those, which is a shame.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

kman said:


> Ammonia is important because it can spike and be really bad if it does. A cycled tank showing ammonia is a huge red flag for a problem. Plus its one of the easier tests to do anyway.


But can you get ammonia in a heavily planted tank with healthy plants? I never bothered cycling my tank. Half the threads out there claim its not a useful process for a planted tank, which I chose to believe.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

ahem said:


> But can you get ammonia in a heavily planted tank with healthy plants? I never bothered cycling my tank. Half the threads out there claim its not a useful process for a planted tank, which I chose to believe.


Depends on whether you have animals producing waste, or anything to biodegrade in your tank. If it's JUST plants, it would be tough, but add fish, snails, etc. to a heavily planted tank, or a soil-based tank with decomposing bits under the substrate, and yes, you can still get an ammonia spike. Won't necessarily hurt the plants, but the fish can take a beating.


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## Red Cloud (Nov 11, 2014)

The API master freshwater test kit is very handy. Think of these test as a fire alarm. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates are like ghost in a sense. You can't touch, smell, or see these things, but they are very deadly to fish. Nitrates are not very deadly to fish but high levels can cause algae blooms. Do you have to use the test every week? No. You probably should, but it is not always critical. If you comb these threads often enough, you will see plenty of people getting in trouble from water parameters that have gone off track. It's true that plants love ammonia, but that does not mean that they can use it all. Let's say that you had a rather large fish that died, but you did not notice because your tank is so heavily planted (even a small fish or shrimp can cause ammonia spikes). Ok, so during the day whem your plants are taking up some of the toxins, everything is fine. Ok, now what about when the lights go out? Plants pretty much go to sleep, but that fish/shrimp is still rotting and releasing ammonia. The plants are cool with it, but your fish gills are now burning when they breath. Ammonia, like [censored][censored][censored][censored], happens. Might not get you now, but trust me, if you are in the game long enough, you'll get caught with your pants down. Better to be safe than sorry. And to second the point above, the ammonia alerts don't work.

Obsession is a matter of opinion


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Occasionally test nitrates and phosphates to get an idea what kind of nutrient uptake is going on, if I should tweak EI levels one way or another. GH/KH I pretty much know and dont worry about. PH if Im trying get a read on CO2, maybe trying out a new a new reactor, changing the current/flow, anything really that might affect CO2 levels. That's about all the testing I ever do.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I always test pH. First, maybe because it's first in the docs for the API Master Test. If pH is too low I can test KH (Carbonate Hardness). GH is helpful if you have very soft water.

I have almost run out of Nitrate test so I need to buy a new test kit. I don't test Ammonia or Nitrites - used them while cycling.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Django said:


> I always test pH. First, maybe because it's first in the docs for the API Master Test. If pH is too low I can test KH (Carbonate Hardness). GH is helpful if you have very soft water.
> 
> I have almost run out of Nitrate test so I need to buy a new test kit. I don't test Ammonia or Nitrites - used them while cycling.


Buy another Freshwater Master kit now, while they're on sale at Amazon for $18!

I personally made a cheat sheet with the various steps written down in shorthand so it's WAY easier to follow than flipping back and forth in that stupid little booklet.

Then I typed it up, laser printed it (smudge-resistant!) onto a 3x5 post-it and stick it in the box with the bottles, on the backside of the color tables.

I'll post a pic if I think about it... left my test kit at the office.


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

I test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate only, altho I have tested for copper in the past cause of my old plumbing. I use the Seachem multi-tests which tests for free ammonia as well as total ammonia.


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## lee739 (Oct 12, 2014)

The ammonia/nitrite tests become like life jackets in a boat once you've cycled.... always have them handy, but hope you never need them....


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Water Testing*

Hello ah...

I know I'll be going against the normal procedure, but here goes anyway. You don't need to test the water. The test kits are necessary only for those tank keepers who don't take good care of the tank water. So, they must test to see how much dissolved nitrogen is in the water.

Here's the situation. Wastes from uneaten food and fish and plant wastes build up in the tank, because there's no place for them to go. If you remove and replace most of the water every week, then you remove what has dissolved in it. So, there's no build up of wastes. 

Change out a lot of the tank water and do so weekly and you'll always know the water is clean, there's no reason to test it.

B


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

I agree with Bradbury above. Having said that I still test for nitrate and phosphate weekly just cause I want to know. Gives me something hobby related to do.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

jrill said:


> I agree with Bradbury above. Having said that I still test for nitrate and phosphate weekly just cause I want to know. Gives me something hobby related to do.


Yeah this is exactly my approach right now ultimately to end up with Barr's EI system or something close to it. I'm still trying to level the right amount of light and nutrients in the water so my plants grow and algae doesn't. Since my tap comes with phosphates and nitrates, and I am trying to mix in ferts, I feel the need to keep a close eye on those levels for now. 

With ammonia, it sounds like problems are typically acute, so a keeper of a planted tank would have to commit to use it daily or even more frequent for it to be of use in heading off problems. I'm still going to use it periodically but I feel like that might be just be insecurity on my part.


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## BanzaiJoe (Dec 23, 2014)

I just got my API master test kit a week ago. Been using the API 5 in 1 test strips up till that point. So I ran all tests and found my nitrates at 0 just before I started PPS Pro dosing. Now a week in I retest and still get 0. 

I recall reading about having to really shake the vial to get accurate results. Tried that and got the same result. Then I looked closer at the instructions and realized I missed a point. You are supposed to shake solution #2 for 30 seconds before even adding the 10 drops to the vial. So I retest and shake the #2 solution a lot before using and get a completely different result and basically find out that my nitrates are testing very high. Immediately did a partial water change late last night and will end up doing another today.


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

kman said:


> Buy another Freshwater Master kit now, while they're on sale at Amazon for $18!
> 
> I personally made a cheat sheet with the various steps written down in shorthand so it's WAY easier to follow than flipping back and forth in that stupid little booklet.
> 
> ...


If anyone is interested in my cheat sheet, I threw together a quick post about it here:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?p=7469785


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Been done already
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=731369


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

BanzaiJoe said:


> I just got my API master test kit a week ago. Been using the API 5 in 1 test strips up till that point. So I ran all tests and found my nitrates at 0 just before I started PPS Pro dosing. Now a week in I retest and still get 0.
> 
> I recall reading about having to really shake the vial to get accurate results. Tried that and got the same result. Then I looked closer at the instructions and realized I missed a point. You are supposed to shake solution #2 for 30 seconds before even adding the 10 drops to the vial. So I retest and shake the #2 solution a lot before using and get a completely different result and basically find out that my nitrates are testing very high. Immediately did a partial water change late last night and will end up doing another today.


The nitrate one is tricky. I wish they just put the steps right on the bottles. My experience are the API strips seem to match the general range of master kit liquids.


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## BanzaiJoe (Dec 23, 2014)

ahem said:


> The nitrate one is tricky. I wish they just put the steps right on the bottles. My experience are the API strips seem to match the general range of master kit liquids.


I had misplaced my test strips and finally just went out and got the API master test kit. Just the other day I found my test strips and tested the water which confirmed that my nitrate results from the master test kit were wrong. Then I paid more attention and noticed my skipped step. That corrected the bad results.


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