10/20/2026
Addressing testing aquariums:
Just so everyone knows,
we DON'T* test aquarium water for customers.
I believe the ability to test your aquarium is an integral part of the hobby that anyone keeping a fish tank should be educated on and partake in regularly.
We DO have test strips available to sell at reasonable prices.
We WILL use your test strips to test your water for you if you want
We WILL take the time to teach you how to use them, how to read and interpret the results, and what to do based on the results given.
We WILL double check your own aquarium test strips with ours if you feel yours aren't giving accurate results and want to compare
And lastly, we ARE getting some oddball tests(phosphate/copper) that we WILL be offering free of charge, as I don't necessarily believe every hobbyist needs every oddball test kit (but sometimes you need a little more info)
As I believe brand matters when it comes to test strips, we carry and use aquarium co-op brand ourselves, but tetra is another reliable test strip brand we have historically relied on. Beyond that, if you're up for a little extra work, the API liquid test kits are great too (but be advised I don't recommend their test strips). You'll see a lot of mention online that the liquid test kits are more accurate and reliable, but personally I find QUALITY test strips (as there ARE less reliable ones) to be just as informative and take much less time, but to each their own, the most important thing to me is that we ARE testing.
Testing regularly.
Testing when fish act funny or get sick.
Testing when plants aren't doing well.
Testing when we get algae blooms.
Testing when our aquariums smell off or appear cloudy.
This should always be the first thing we do when anything is going on with our aquariums that isn't quite right, and it will always be the first thing I ask someone when they come in with issues, so don't get caught without them!
Thank you if you've stuck around this long for my ted talk.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, message us here, we try to check in on our messages at least once a day (but often more) and it is the best way to reach us.
Happy fish keeping fish nerds 🤘🏻🤓
