I am once again turning to the 'source of all knowledge'....

I need to upgrade my test kit and am going to try to cover all parameters so
please could you let me know which parameters I should be testing?

I know of these - am I missing any?
temp
ph
water hardness - is there another term for this?
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

Thank-you
PS - some background:
Inherited pond which I wasn't that keen on, looked untidy and considered
filling it in and turfing over as there wasn't much sign of life. A few
weeks later having cleaned it out and tidied up, replaced filters & pump
etc. I've found some very grateful fish, a few frogs and now want a bigger
one.......

Your hooked. Also need salt level test. I don't test for anything and have been healthy and happy
for about five years. Just lucky I guess. ENJOY!

In article ,
"onlyme" wrote:

I am once again turning to the 'source of all knowledge'....

I need to upgrade my test kit and am going to try to cover all parameters so
please could you let me know which parameters I should be testing?

I know of these - am I missing any?
temp
ph
water hardness - is there another term for this?

Alkalinity

jay
Wed, Jun 4, 2003



ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

Thank-you
PS - some background:
Inherited pond which I wasn't that keen on, looked untidy and considered
filling it in and turfing over as there wasn't much sign of life. A few
weeks later having cleaned it out and tidied up, replaced filters & pump
etc. I've found some very grateful fish, a few frogs and now want a bigger
one.......



--

Legend insists that as he finished his abject...
Galileo muttered under his breath: "Nevertheless, it does move."

OK, if you're trying to keep it at the minimum, I'd use:

1. Ammonia (if you have chloramines in the water and use a water
conditioner to neutralize the chloramine, make sure it's the 2-step
(salicylate) type, not the Nessler's)
2. NitrIte (NitrAte is nice to have, but nitrates won't kill your fish)
3. A high/wide range test for pH, which should cover all contingencies
for your water.
4. A test for KH (total alkalinity). Not to give you too much info at
once, but I only keep a pH test kit for "peace of mind". If I keep my KH at
10-12 drops (with common baking soda), my pond's pH is a rock solid 8.3
median (8.2 AM/8.4 PM). It is also sufficiently buffered to handle a deluge
of (usually) acid rain without worrying about a pH crash.
5. A test for salt (NOT one used for salt water aquariums: their water is
X(.) salt, when ours needs to be (.)X. If you can find a meter called Koi
Medic, it will give you instantaneous readings to the hundreds of a percent.
It's very handy and accurate.

For temp, you can use any floating pool thermometer, but I find that they
"foul" very easily. When I want to find out the temp, I just use my digital
cooking thermometer (hold it in the water for 30 seconds or so and Voila!
instant reading!)

The only other test kits that you can get that would be "nice" to have
include nitrAtes, DO (dissolved oxygen), and GH (general hardness, but
basically redundant with the KH test).

There are many tests available, but most of them would be used so seldom
they'd expire before you'd ever need to use the test. If you need one for
phosphate (for example), order it when you think you need it: it's not worth
keeping it on the shelf.

Other folks will use other tests, but these are the ones I use and maintain.

Ponding is addictive (and in this instance, at least), bigger is always
better! Enjoy!

Lee

"onlyme" wrote in message
...
I am once again turning to the 'source of all knowledge'....

I need to upgrade my test kit and am going to try to cover all parameters
so
please could you let me know which parameters I should be testing?

I know of these - am I missing any?
temp
ph
water hardness - is there another term for this?
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

Thank-you
PS - some background:
Inherited pond which I wasn't that keen on, looked untidy and considered
filling it in and turfing over as there wasn't much sign of life. A few
weeks later having cleaned it out and tidied up, replaced filters & pump
etc. I've found some very grateful fish, a few frogs and now want a bigger
one.......

Thanks again for the prompt replies, time to go shopping (any excuse to go
back there and talk myself out of buying 'the big koi')


"onlyme" wrote in message
...
I am once again turning to the 'source of all knowledge'....

I need to upgrade my test kit and am going to try to cover all parameters
so
please could you let me know which parameters I should be testing?

I know of these - am I missing any?
temp
ph
water hardness - is there another term for this?
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

Thank-you
PS - some background:
Inherited pond which I wasn't that keen on, looked untidy and considered
filling it in and turfing over as there wasn't much sign of life. A few
weeks later having cleaned it out and tidied up, replaced filters & pump
etc. I've found some very grateful fish, a few frogs and now want a bigger
one.......

On Wed, 4 Jun 2003 15:53:24 +0100
"onlyme" wrote:

(any excuse to go
back there and talk myself out of buying 'the big koi')

They're /so/ much more fun to grow from little to big yourself!

Cybe R. Wizard
--
Unofficial "Wizard of Odds," A.H.P.
Original PORG "Water Wizard," R.P.
"Wize(ned) Wizard," A.P.F-P-Y.
Barely Tolerated Wizard, A.J.L & A.A.L

and a lot cheaper.

You can order all you need at http://www.reallabware.com/lovibond/
Thanks, reallabware.com

"Lee Brouillet" wrote in message ...
OK, if you're trying to keep it at the minimum, I'd use:

1. Ammonia (if you have chloramines in the water and use a water
conditioner to neutralize the chloramine, make sure it's the 2-step
(salicylate) type, not the Nessler's)
2. NitrIte (NitrAte is nice to have, but nitrates won't kill your fish)
3. A high/wide range test for pH, which should cover all contingencies
for your water.
4. A test for KH (total alkalinity). Not to give you too much info at
once, but I only keep a pH test kit for "peace of mind". If I keep my KH at
10-12 drops (with common baking soda), my pond's pH is a rock solid 8.3
median (8.2 AM/8.4 PM). It is also sufficiently buffered to handle a deluge
of (usually) acid rain without worrying about a pH crash.
5. A test for salt (NOT one used for salt water aquariums: their water is
X(.) salt, when ours needs to be (.)X. If you can find a meter called Koi
Medic, it will give you instantaneous readings to the hundreds of a percent.
It's very handy and accurate.

For temp, you can use any floating pool thermometer, but I find that they
"foul" very easily. When I want to find out the temp, I just use my digital
cooking thermometer (hold it in the water for 30 seconds or so and Voila!
instant reading!)

The only other test kits that you can get that would be "nice" to have
include nitrAtes, DO (dissolved oxygen), and GH (general hardness, but
basically redundant with the KH test).

There are many tests available, but most of them would be used so seldom
they'd expire before you'd ever need to use the test. If you need one for
phosphate (for example), order it when you think you need it: it's not worth
keeping it on the shelf.

Other folks will use other tests, but these are the ones I use and maintain.

Ponding is addictive (and in this instance, at least), bigger is always
better! Enjoy!

Lee

"onlyme" wrote in message
...
I am once again turning to the 'source of all knowledge'....

I need to upgrade my test kit and am going to try to cover all parameters
so
please could you let me know which parameters I should be testing?

I know of these - am I missing any?
temp
ph
water hardness - is there another term for this?
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

Thank-you
PS - some background:
Inherited pond which I wasn't that keen on, looked untidy and considered
filling it in and turfing over as there wasn't much sign of life. A few
weeks later having cleaned it out and tidied up, replaced filters & pump
etc. I've found some very grateful fish, a few frogs and now want a bigger
one.......