# hang on tank ph monitor



## prowler09 (Nov 29, 2007)

does anyone use one of these? how reliable are they compared to a regular ph test kit?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=15444


----------



## xenergyx (Feb 4, 2008)

I use the seachem (and mardel) ammonia alert devices simply as an alert system...

These types of constant testing devices for pH and ammonia should only be secondary in your testing routine...

I would still test pH with a liquid test kit, but simply use the seachem device as an alert in case the pH changed drastically on it's own..

Especially when they last '3-6 months'... I mean, for those last 3 months it could not be working? :-?

The constant testing devices are nice, but I still wouldn't trust them enough to put off my regular testing routine... In fact, my mardel ammonia meter in my fry tank is the toxic color on the very bottom of the color stripe but with secondary liquid testing I am reading 0...

I think these things have bad reviews in the reviews section too....


----------



## prowler09 (Nov 29, 2007)

yea, thats kinda what i was thinking. i am almost out of the 5in1 test strips i got, and im now looking for a test kit that might be a little more accurate.


----------



## Xavi (Apr 24, 2007)

Go with a liquid test kit. They can't be beat for accuracy.


----------



## prowler09 (Nov 29, 2007)

i cant find a liquid test that has everything i want in it. ph, kh, gh, nitrate, nitrites.

i ended up going with the test strips again. i know they arent as accurate, but it has it all and theyre relatively cheap.

i have an old liquid test kit that i bought in 03 lol, i know im not suppost to use them after a year or two, but i tried it out and it surprisingly it worked and matched up with my new test strips. so i guess until i find a fairly cheap way to get all the tests i want in a liquid test, ill just keep on using the strips.

thanks for the input


----------



## Xavi (Apr 24, 2007)

If you look at the number of test that you can do with a liquid test kit versus the number of tests with strips, liquid wins.

You do spend more in the beginning, but you get more tests and better accuracy in the long run.


----------



## prowler09 (Nov 29, 2007)

hmm, i guess that may be true. i didnt think about that.


----------

