Water test kits. What do you use?

[zoey]

I've searched 2 of the big box pet supply stores for water test kits and haven't come up with anything acceptable.

I think I'm looking for a kit that is liquid (v.s. test strips), and tests for KH, GH & Fe+.

What kits do you use and where did you find them?

[Weska]

Founs mine in a store in downtown Moscow. Doesn't help you much, does it?

However, the brand is Sera, and they have US representation here http://www.seraessentials.com/subcatego ... d=1&sub=20. If you scroll down to the bottom the most expensive set is for koi. It tests a lot of things you probably don't need and costs 85 big ones.

I think the drawback is the test for iron. Including that makes the test kit a rarity and expensive when found along with all the rest. Scroll up and you'll see that Gh and Kh cost only about $6 each.

Iron is apparently the tough one, and it's expensive to test quantatively with drops. Yes/no test strips seem to be the cheapest alternative.

Can you sacrifice the iron test? I've never heard of that being relevant to coffee. But I do seem to have imagined tasting too much iron in drinking water when traveling in the US desert.

[zoey]

I was thinking that iron would cause sediment in the boiler. I may be wrong.

[JohnB]

I'm using a Nutrafin Carbonate & general Hardness test kit. The local pet/fish supply store had them for $15. Any place that sells fish should have them in stock.

Heres a deal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-NUTRAFIN-TEST-KIT ... m153.l1262

[zoey]

Thanks! I see that Nutrafin sells the KH, GH, and Fe+.

[woodchuck]

I get my test strips from mcmaster.com The part number to search on is 11235T41

Cheers

Ian

[zoey]

Thanks! I'll check it out.