Lifegard Test Strips Aquatics 6 Way All Purpose Test Kit

works well, but it is an awfully large package for what little is in it.

The test strips are great for people who don't have time to check water parameters during the week. The strips come close to other top testing kits. Great till I have time on the weekend.

I use these to try to keep track of the Ph in my salt aquarium. The Ph range is too restricted, and the color changes are far too subtle to really determine what your actual Ph is. I don't know of a better alternative, but that doesn't make this acceptable by any means. I've tried expensive "ph meters", which are entirely too finicky about drying out and washing with distilled water and similar nonsense, and still require constant calibration with known Ph reference fluids even if you treat them just as you're supposed to. I've tried about every kind of test strips out there, and they all seem to use the same yellow-orange-purple scale which is utterly vague anywhere near the Ph range that a reef (coral supporting) tank needs to operate at. Also a VERY poor match with the color scales they supply to compare to! I am so frustrated. Anyone who has any tips for reliable, precise Ph readout without constant calibration, I'm all ears (eyes.) Please use the comments if you have suggestions. I'll try any product that offers hope. As it stands, all I know from using these things is that my Ph is "somewhere" between 7 and some higher value, what that higher value is I have no idea. "It's some kind of purple". That doesn't match the printed scale at all. Auuugh!

Works great to help keep track of readings during a cycle

Worth the money

Was sent a box covered in dust and quickly figured out why. The ammonia test strips were (4 months) expired and the other strips were set to expire in 15 days. I thought that possibly the expiration date might not be too critical, but tested 3 different samples of water from 3 sources and the strips showed the same ppm ammonia for each. One of the samples was from bottled water and at the level shown on the test, the water should have pretty much tasted like urine. Probably a decent product, but from a company that either doesn't know or doesn't care about shipping quality, in-date products.

Product was near or at expired date.

It works fine, it's the only test strips I found that includes ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which are the most important.The 'ranges' are wide, so this isn't a kit if you want to maintain 8kh and 7.2 pH or specific parameters for delicate species. (The PH is by increments of half, for instance. That's a factor of 5!)Still, its good for ballpark figures. Itcan confirm whether a tank is cycled, and tell you the ballpark for the pH and hardness- for most that's enough.If you want pinpoint accuracy, get a liquid test kit like API and Tetra Laborette kits.If you want to buy a simple set of cheap aquarium strips? Get these.Expiration date is next year, product is mint.7-26-20