Do i need test strips for my freshwater aquarium

Question

do i need test strips for my freshwater aquarium for pH ammonia nitrite and nitrate and if i do send me some websites about that i need test strips

Answer 1

This is what you need, it's way more accurate then the test strips and its cheaper in the long run! I  found that most fish supplies are cheaper at www.drsfostersmith.com... I got a 7 gallon tank for the same price of a 3 gallon at petco... same brand!

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pr...

good luck!

Answer 2

Dip strips are not as accurate as the liquid tube tests. I like the API and DR. Wellfish for my freshwater.

Answer 3

you don't NEED it but it becomes very helpful.

Also if you go to petsmart alot you could just bring a sample in and they will test it for free

Answer 4

You'll at least need to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.  Knowing your pH is good, too, but I wouldn't try to alter the pH of the water - that's tricky because water tends to revert to the original pH no matter what you add to the tank.  Frequent or quick changes in pH can be lethal to your fish.  Better to not mess with it.  Your local pet store, or even Walmart should have all the strip or liquid drop kits you need.  I'd go with the liquid drop kits.

Here's some info from another question I've answered about cycling, testing, etc.  I hope it's not too much info - and some of it may not pertain to you.  Nonetheless, it is helpful info for you if you are starting up a tank...  

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All tanks need cycling! Like every living thing, waste is produced through breathing and excretion from digestive processes. In layman's terms, fish produce waste products from breathing and pooping. All fish do this. A cycled tank has the right balance of good bacterial colonies present that convert the fish waste product (ammonia, harmful to fish) to nitrite (also harmful), then nitrite to nitrate (safe up to a certain level). Without these good bacteria, waste products build up in the water and cause damage to fish gills and internal organs. Think about a fish swimming around in it's own pee/p**p - yuck.

Okay, the process... There are many methods and experts won't agree on which is the best. The best method for YOU is the one you can do in its entirety, from set up to cycled without causing harm (or death) to fish.

You can choose to cycle with fish, but you risk damaging or killing your fish if you don't watch the waste levels closely and take corrective steps. Cycling without fish is a great way to achieve results without endangering fish, but it can be more difficult. Either way, patience is necessary to see the process through. It can take well over a month to properly cycle a tank.

Cycling with fish - get a few small fish and introduce into your tank. Test daily for ammonia and nitrite for the first couple of weeks. You must perform tests with liquid drop kits or test strips, although test strips aren't as accurate. If you are cycling with fish, I recommend the liquid kits. You'll see a gradual increase in ammonia first, then after a time a gradual increase in nitrite. Both of these can be reduced with frequent partial water changes. Make sure you use some sort of water conditioner because chlorine will kill any beneficial bacteria colonizing in your filter media, and your tank will never cycle. Both ammonia and nitrite will reach their maximum and then you'll begin seeing nitrates. Gradually, your ammonia and nitrite levels will reduce to zero. A tank is cycled when ammonia and nitrite levels are zero and you have nitrates (the end product of your bacteria colonization).

Cycling without fish would require you having access to at least a handful of gravel from an already cycled tank or some filter media from an already cycled tank. The cycling process will proceed as above, but you'll need to find some sort of ammonia to "feed" the developing bacterial colonies. Some recommend distilled ammonia being added every other day or so. Some recommend "feeding" your tank with fish food, a little bit a day. The uneaten food will fall and begin to decay, producing ammonia.

There's lots of info on the web - do your research.

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Good luck.