The Apparently Inevitable Happened! :(

[Shaunna]

Sam the Guppy has died. I really hate this. She was my husbands favorits so we are taking them back to Wal-Mart and doing it the right way. He really liked that little fish. I only hope the rest make it till tomorrow. What is the cheapest test kit yet the most effective one I can buy? Remember I have to go to Walmart to get it. Thanks guys.

 

[TitanWarrior]

well i dont know about your wal-mart but my wal-mart only has jungle labs test stips and thats about $9.50 and thats what I use.

Now for the ammonia i use the jungle labs test strips also the just a little bit more in price.

 

[Shaunna]

I have to have 2 seperate kits?

 

[Seleya]

The test strips don't come with ammonia with the other tests (that I've seen). If you go the test strip route, you'll need both kits. If you get the reagent kits, you either get a master freshwater kit or individual kits for each chemical you're testing for (but the kits test for a considerably higher number of tests - 60ish vs. 10 or so)

Keep in mind, you only had Sam for a few days (and he's a Wallyworld fish) so he may have died from other causes. If you haven't already, perform a water change (at least 20 percent), being sure to use your dechlorinator on the added water. Sorry for your loss.

 

[FroggyFox]

Thats too bad, sorry to hear it. Um, I dont know about everyone else's walmarts' but I know mine has normal aquarium pharmaceutical test kits. Granted there a little more expensive then buying them at petsmart and a lot more expensive than ordering them from bigals...but they're there. I would highly reccomend the test kits like Seleya was talking about, the kind with droppers and two kinds of chemicals that you add to a sample of tank water. They're easier to read and overall less money per test. When you're cycling you'll probably want to be doing at least 30 tests of each ammonia and nitrites...(wild guess...once a day for a month is probably a little bit of an overestimation) and then nitrate test kit you'll need for tank maintenance from the time youre cycled on...so its nice to have those three on hand.

 

[fiugzel]

Freshwater Master Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals is a great test kit. It's less than $20. I believe the walmart by me has them. If not, you can order one through Drs Foster & Smith or from That Pet Place or Big Al's Online. Here's a link to the kit I'm talking about. Be sure to read the box over before you buy.. I know they package different tests sometimes and still call it a FW master test kit. Notice the one I linked up has pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. These are the ones you definately want for cycling.

PS - sorry to hear about the guppy, Shaunna. It's never easy to lose one of those little guys.

 

[TLH]

If you can't find exactly what you want straight away most LFS's will test the water for you.I know mine does.Just take a sample along to them.
Doubt they'd want you to do that every days though.LOL.

 

[R0UNDEYEZ]

If it was me I would just order This test kit from Big als, After the shipping it will cost about the same as going with the 2 types of test strips they sell at Wallmart , its alot more accurate, and will last you longer .
If you do have to go with the test strips from Wallmart, I would look inside the container since they aren't sealed and make sure your getting the full amount.. I bought a pack of them when I first started out before I got my master kit,and I got home to find only 5 strips inside.

 

[rhoymand]

unfortunately, the test kit from big al's doesnt test hardness (GH) or alkalinity (KH). not as important as the main ones (ph, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia) but still useful.

 

[TLH]

unfortunately, the test kit from big al's doesnt test hardness (GH) or alkalinity (KH). not as important as the main ones (ph, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia) but still useful.

The Freshwater kit that Roundeyez linked to tests PH(low),PH(high),Ammonia,Nitrite,GH and KH.I don't know why the blurb stated it tested Nitrate.Maybe they didn't look at the box like I'm doing now.These API kits are great,easy and they last ages.

 

[fiugzel]

Yeah TLH you're right. Despite the description on the previous links from ROUNDEYEZ and myself, that's not the kit I meant. That's what I was saying about them packaging different tests and keeping the name the same.

This is the one I have, which is the one that's described in the bigalsonline links above. Notice the box looks different and there's 7 dropper bottles instead of 6.

 

[Lotus]

I believe AP changed the tests it includes at some point, getting rid of the GH and KH and replacing them with a 2-bottle ammonia test and a nitrate test. I think there might be two versions out there, though.

Anyway, you definitely need to be able to test nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and pH.

 

[DEADLIFT]

The Freshwater kit that Roundeyez linked to tests PH(low),PH(high),Ammonia,Nitrite,GH and KH.I don't know why the blurb stated it tested Nitrate.Maybe they didn't look at the box like I'm doing now.These API kits are great,easy and they last ages.

Ill second that my nitrate test kit has lasted very well, is there a best before date on 'em or anything?

 

[Shaunna]

Thanks a whole lot. Very helpful. I will probably order the one from big als. I will do a water change today as well.

 

[fiugzel]

Hey Shaunna, water hardness is important, no doubt. But I think it'd be better for you to get the test kit that covers pH, ammonia, nitite & nitrate above the other one. Again: big al's kit (pn 2305) doesn't cover the nitrite and nitrate (unless the description is accurate and the picture is wrong), the ones on thatpetplace (pn QP0142) or DrsFosterSmith (pn PC-110706) do. Click on the pn's for a link to the product.

Maybe on big al's the pic is just wrong. I would ask the salesperson on the phone to give you more info, but to be sure I'd just order from one of the other sites.

 

[Shaunna]

Well after "losing" my platy and then "finding" her last night when I woke up this morning she was dead. I don't know if it was the stress caused by the whole wal-mart thing yesterday or what. I did a water change 25% yesterday, too. Temp was right add the dechlor and all but I don't know what happened. Anyway, it sucks. Hopefully my others survive.

 

[FroggyFox]

Sorry to hear she didn't make it Shaunna. Stress can do a number on our fish...so I'm sure between the stress of being caught, brought to the store, brought back, put back in the tank, the water change...and any rising level of ammonia in the tank...thats a lot for a little fish to deal with.

 

[ozziegt]

If there is a petsmart near you, you can print out this link and take it to get the same freshwater test kit for $15. It will measure ammonia, nitrite, ph, and nitrate.

 

[Seleya]

Sorry to hear of your loss, Shaunna. You can try to find some biospira to help the cycle along. I noticed the other day that even some PetCos are carrying it. You may want to call those lfs you're thinking of visiting and see if anyone has it. Otherwise, follow the cycling stickies, keep testing and keep those water changes up. It stinks having to learn it this way but you can do it.