This is the liquid kit most freshwater keepers move to once dip strips stop answering their questions. It covers the five readings that decide whether a tank is safe — pH, high range pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate — and reads them from a measured water sample rather than a dipped pad, so the same water gives the same answer twice. It is a freshwater kit: marine tanks need the Saltwater Master Test Kit and reef tanks the Reef Master Test Kit.
What is in the case
- 7 test solutions covering 5 parameters
- 4 test tubes with snap-tight caps, in a moulded holding tub
- Laminated colour cards and a step-by-step booklet
- Around 800 tests in total
When to test
Every second day while a new tank is cycling, then weekly once the biological filter has settled. Ammonia and nitrite should read zero in an established tank; nitrate is the one that creeps up between water changes.
Looking after the kit
Rinse each tube with tap water straight after use — dried reagent stains the tube and throws out the next reading. Never wash tubes with detergent; the residue is harmful if it goes back into the tank. Shake the reagent bottles firmly, but invert the capped tube gently.
Refills and spares: replacement test tubes, or the 5-in-1 test strips for a quicker weekly check.
