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An all-in-one test device? Our extended use with the eXact iDip


Aqua Lab Aquaria

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Aqua Lab Aquaria

At Aqua Lab Aquaria we take our testing seriously and test frequently. Every tank that we service gets its own chemistry panel and our constant experimentation with our display tanks merits frequent testing. The iDip is a convenient way to consolidate all of our testing into one device and we can use it for fresh and saltwater systems.


The use of test strips to prepare your samples for testing is convenient and so far all of our tests require one strip. No more counting drops and adding powdered reagents. Strangely enough, some test strips are too long to completely fit in the devices testing well.
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We’ve navigated this by folding the test strips. We're hoping to hear from iDip regarding how they recommend working around this caveat, but so far it seems like a satisfactory solution.

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For testing, the device requires you to sync and select your test through a companion app. The app has a lot of room for improvement, but it does its job. Pairing your device via bluetooth and the app is easy and selecting your desired test is straightforward and you can even get your results in different units (I.E. Alkalinity as ppm or dKH). However, the app seems to have problems on the android tablet that we use to test, but the iPhone app works well. In addition, some tests require an in-app purchase and if you are testing across multiple devices you must make that test purchase for each device. With no kind of account system that would allow you to link an account to a paid test, testing across multiple devices requires duplicate in-app purchases.


From the verification weve done the iDip is accurate. After creating a 10ppm standard solution of nitrate, we even found that our Red Sea tests were reading half of the actual concentration. Our Hanna tests for parameters such as alkalinity and phosphate were comparable to our iDip tests, but we have yet to create a standard solution to check the accuracy of the Hanna and iDip tests.



Overall, the iDip is a handy way to streamline testing for a variety of parameters. This is handy if you do a lot of testing for multiple for tanks, but it may not be practical for those who have a single tank to test. Some tests take more time for the device to process, but it is still quicker than the traditional drops, powders, and titrations we normally use. The app still needs some work, but it delivers an accurate test result. Were still testing the accuracy of the other tests and you can be sure that we will report our findings as soon as we have them. What do you guys think, is this too good to be true or overkill for what is done with a few drops of solution or a spoonful of reagent?

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Cool. Don't see test strips used too often, but they are a nice way to have fast results. If you can show the accuracy and utility of them, that really could have a beneficial impact on the hobby.

 

Does your standard have a preservative in it? I am asking because I had to make nitrate standards a long time ago and low concentrations of nitrate required a preservative (in my case trihalomethane) to prevent microbes and other processes from consuming the nitrate.

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Aqua Lab Aquaria

Spinycheek,

 

Thanks for the comment. The problem with test-strip based tests has not been the method of reagent delivery, but the difficulties with reading the color-based results. iDip solves this by using colorimetry to determine the results which removes the problem in our opinion.

 

No, we created a standard solution using potassium nitrate and used it immediately. No preservatives required.

 

Thanks,

Kent

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