Knowlegeable suppliers

[AQUAMAN]

The local suppliers (Dartford) have proved pretty useless in helping me setting up my 105 litre tropical fish tank.
But then again, I am not the brightest of old gits.
Was advised to test water water with API Test Strips, only to read on this forum that they are inaccurate?

So, where too now?

[Martinspuddle]

Greetings & welcome to

Your lucky, you've got three aquatic stores locally.

I've not been there for a while but Swallow Aquatics at Gravesend always use to be good.

Millbrook Garden Centre, Station Rd, Southfleet, Gravesend DA13 9PA

Link here: Swallow Aquatics

Or there is a Maidenhead Aquatics near Dartford, don't think I've ever been to this store. Hawley Garden Centre & Nursery, DA2 7RB

Link here: Maidenhead Aquatics

Online I use aquacadabra and I haven't as yet been to their new store, which is near the bridge, Crossways Business Park, DA2 6QP, always helpful.

Link here: aquacadabra

[John Linklater]

The API master test kit is a popular choice. It might seem expensive but it lasts for a long time and if you do run out of a particular bottle you don’t have to buy the entire kit again, you can just buy the one you’ve used up. They also sell a gh and kh combined kit separately which I’ve found useful.

[plankton]

Welcome to the forum.
Any of the liquid kits are relatively easy to use, choose one where you can tell the difference between the colours.

[Voylike]

Hi , I’m new to the hobby also and have had a lot of teething problems , the guys on here have helped tremendously, and the site itself has a lot of useful links and info to read through. The strips are useless I found, I used them to start with and was getting various colours each day! As said above the API master kit is easy to use and very accurate

[SPACKlick]

Another endorsement for the API master test kit. Although once the ammonia runs out I replace it with the NT Labs equivalent because I find it easier to see the colour at low ammonia levels.

[AQUAMAN]

Many thanks for all those helpful answers.

[Stephen]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Liquid test kits are more accurate than test strips.

You need to prepare the aquarium and filter ready for fish. This may take several weeks.
Dartford water is very hard at around 19dGH (degrees German hardness) this is important when selecting fish; some fish require soft water and some need hard water.

All the best