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Is there any free and cheap DIY ways to test our tank pH, Kh and gH2007-11-24 23:37:36

I find it tough for me to spent 20 to 30$$ for such testing kits and equipment which won't last long. Hope you guys out there can help.

Answers:

I'm with 8 in the corner - gh and kh are the least of your worries, especially if you have freshwater fish. They will likely adapt.

You can get the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit from PetSmart for $15 if you print out their online ad and take it into the store with you (yes, they will price-match all of their merchandise with their online prices). If you don't take the ad, it'll cost you something like $38. This kit contains testers for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and high range pH, as well as four test tubes. You can also get your gh and kh tests for around $5 each if you print out the online ads.

The testers, assuming you're not doing daily tests, would normally last you well over six months to a year.

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I take it you are talking about an aquarium, but you didn't mention whether it was fresh or salt water. I used to have a 150 gal. freshwater aquarium and all I used were the test strips that you can buy at Petsmart. I had it set up with really a good filtration system and also had live plants. Once the balance in the water was achieved I didn't really have a problem. About once a month I had to maybe at the most adjust the nitrate level, but very seldom. Having real plants helps, but also a larger tank is easier to keep balanced than a smaller tank. But still plants help a lot. If your tank is getting out of balance a lot, your tank could be over populated and also you could need a better filter. Hope this helps.