API SALTWATER MASTER TEST KIT 550-Test Saltwater Aquarium Water Test Kit

Peace of mind. I’m a newbie on all this fish world stuff, and I was not sure about my tank water, this kit gave me such a peace of mind. I recommend it. Super easy to use.

THE testing kit to buy for your aquarium. Easy, accurate testing.

You will find this freshwater kit is far more accurate than test strips. The soaking of a tiny doped pad method of test strips just isnt an accurate way to test. This is the industry standard water test kit that most aquarists swear by.1st, be sure the test chemicals you get are not near expiration. You should easily be able to use this kit for up to a few years before the chemicals included lose their effectiveness. The expiration date is on the kit box and on each bottle of solution.The glass test tubes that used to be included in this kit have been replaced by plastic ones. The glass tubes made cleaning up a breeze and were far better than the plastic ones that don't clean up as well. Also the 5ml fill line is a bit difficult to see on the plastic tubes. It was always inevitable though that you would eventually break a few glass tubes before you got through the 800 tests this kit can provide. They now just assume that by the time the plastic tubes get permanently stained, you'll be on to a new test kit with new tubes. While not a deal breaker, I prefered the glass tubes.Be sure you purchase the kit best suited for the tanks or ponds you keep. This kit is the freshwater version.This kit tests pH in two different ways. If you have ph generally higher than 7.4 you use the high pH test solution. If you have pH below 7.6 youll use the standard pH test kit. This is great of you are keeping multiple tanks with different pH levels or if your one tank tends to bounce around between 7.4 to 7.6. Once you figure out which test best suits your aquariums, youll likely not use the other solution.This kit tests for total ammonia using 2 solutions in one test. Ammonia is a very hazardous chemical to your fish and plants. Use this kit to keep these levels of ammonia at or near 0.This kit tests Nitrites using 1 solution. This is the second step in the nitrogen cycle. While not as harmful as ammonia, it's still something you should strive to get as close to 0 as possible. Now some people using heavily planted and fertilized tanks will actually strive to have this level low but present.This kit tests for nitrates in two solutions for 1 test. While nitrates are not as harmful to fish as Ammonia or Nitrite, most fish keepers still strive for low readings. Long term exposures to high nitrates can still cause harm to fish. Generally youll get rid of nitrates by water changes or heavy plant growth. Many people with heavily planted and fertilized tanks prefer this value to be a little higher to feed the plants but still low to protect the fish.With this test kit testing 4 of your most important chemicals in fresh water, it is a necessity to have on hand. Test strips might be more convenient but are seldom very accurate. This liquid master test kit is the standard if you want true values at an affordable price. It comes in several varieties, depending on whether you have freshwater, marine, reef or ponds. Its a great way to see what is going on in your setup before any loss of life occurs.

Is exactly what it says. Works 100% better than strips.

My only complaint with this test kit is the phrase "Masters Test Kit" very much implies it has everything you need for fresh water tanks. The problem with that is that it is missing kh and gh tests. Those are very important if you want to own invertebrates in a tank and even outside of invertebrates there are times you would want to test it as well to make sure the tank is relatively balanced.With that said it is the only test kit I use even though I buy my kh and gh test kits separately in the times I do need to test it and the reason being is the test kit is very accurate for testing the water. Normal test kits like the ones that use strips are nowhere near as precise as this test kit so it makes up for the previously stated flaws.If you plan to keep invertebrates in your tank you can buy the necessary chemical tests separately and other than that this is a great beginner test kit for aquarium enthusiast. Thanks!

Nice chemical test kit, with good instructions regarding the results. Actual test strips are definitely less expensive, and a simple Google search can advise the necessary chemical additions though.

I liked it

Well, we have used straps since they came out and gained popularity. That, like the days of old, have returned. I'll never go back to strips again, this kit is super accurate. Not to mention, just a bit of fun...