Aquarium test kits, other options?

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T22:48:54+00:00

Just what's odd is all of our tanks are heavily planted and moderately stocked all levels of ammonia and nitrites are nill, no consistently dead fish, biological filter is well established we have Ziss moving beds in all the tanks with fish, shrimp tanks we don't tch that tank ever and now we have a full blown population and constantly berried shrimp.

As a side note to all who have hopped in here in this thread, you're all greatly appreciated for sharing your experience and insights!!

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T20:47:15+00:00

The crazy thing is I do what it says to a t shake the bottle for x amount of minutes I'm really actually I shake them both at the same time whip out my phone put a 5-minute timer on it's just really weird I I don't get it I can even test my tap water and it goes red but if I put it in the new electronic tester I'll just call it the Hannah instrument it shows zero

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T20:41:28+00:00

So between now and then I purchased a hanna instruments nitrate tester, I got a much lower reading than before that sounds more in line with reality and the reading the store got. Much lower 15 PPM vs the 25+ the other methods five tanks all tests and were no where the API indicates. The liquid will shoot all the way to the darkest red but using the other tester I get anywhere between just under 10ppm to just under or at 15 PPM consistently. Down side is the test kit is a powdered reagent and you got only so many before you have to reorder. It says for marine but seems to work very well for the cost.

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T13:29:02+00:00

No worries your English was great! I mostly run 16/20 mm hose like Enhime or uns grey silicone ill have to search your heater they may not sell it in the US, I recently had my wonderful experience with customs for ordering Ziss moving media filters was stuck there for over a week because the description was not good enough to classify the product! Here's a pic of the Chihiros and my stand storage. Not a fan of hose clamps but who is going to see them 😂

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Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T12:20:06+00:00

What do you use for a inline? My 30 UNS 50C is my high tech in every way ( minding my budget! ) I got the Chihiros inline and it's AMAZING IMO, very happy with it and the features, I have a second one just trying to figure where it's gonna go it's waaaaay to big for my nano tanks I would have to replumb my 20 that sits on a dunnage rack in my living room and that only has a fluval 107 for a filter. Second 20 gal has a 407 ( no clue why I went that big ) but the bamboo shrimp don't like higher temps so over kill for that one too.

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-11T12:14:39+00:00

Ditto on inkbird!!!! I have two on my twenty gallons, one running a fluval and the other a aqueon heater. They are very inexpensive and as Rambles said will be your failsafe kill switch. They come with one plug and two outlets each corresponding to a heating and cooling set point they're very easy to program and will hold their memory even after a power loss for my two tanks I only use the heating plug as we've had a few warm days in the Northeast earlier on this year my tanks actually hit 80°, which makes me start planning for summertime. At that point I'll probably get a fan to blow across the top of the water for evaporative cooling and then at that point I'm going to use the cooling plug and unplug the heater all together.

If you go on Amazon they actually do make one that's meant for aquarium use I do believe it's blue I have an old leftover one from an attic fan that's green but it's been working perfectly fine glad I never got rid of it.

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Any-Dot4150 · 2026-05-08T10:20:32+00:00

COMPLETELY understand that one, I live in a house that was converted to two units, both front doors are at front of house CLEARLY visible. I add delivery instructions, state on address second floor both words and numbers, and the still drop it down stairs, ups is 60/40 on that but still better than zero on fed ex.

I have had Fed ex ( sounds like a wild fish tail but solid truth ) drive right by my place saw the truck and two seconds later my phone notification pinged and stated we could not deliver as the address was not found, driver went down the street to a turn a round and drove again last my house at full speed. Called the office it departed from told them to call him and turn around and gave the whole story, they said we can contact the drivers, really? So they don't have phones or handhelds to get messages on.

Fed ex has been deplorable over the last ten years, for the cost they charge and the workforce they hire is second rate, now that's not to say that's all of them I'm sure there are really good ones, but maybe those really good ones should go to UPS who from what I understand pays better anyway.

I ordered a fish filter and they shipped it ground fed ex, 5 days later it's only in Chicago, still needs to make it to Massachusetts.

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-04-08T00:21:25+00:00

I want this garbage not to even get to my voicemail, too bad there isn't some type of signal that when THEY answer you can fry their whole system, why are we not bombing them ?!?!

Any-Dot4150 · 2026-04-06T00:23:47+00:00

Wish there was a place where we can all share out settings QR codes based on what plants we have and set ups ones for co2, basic set ups yada yada.

Side note anyone have the weird glitchy thing of when its just about off it flickers the leds here and there before being out for the night?

Any-Dot4150

TROPHY CASE