[AquaticLife] Alternative to API test tubes?

January 10, 2009 @ 4:15 pm · Filed under Philippines Internet Koi Society

Well i admit that I’ve been out of highschool for a little over 10 years myself, but I remember they let us use the bunsen burners when I was in High school. I don’t think we never had any exciting evacuations though
Amber
Lenny V. aka GoldLenny wrote: > > The API test tubes have the 5ml marking line and as you already know, are > round and only 1/2″ in diameter so they are not very stable on their own > (that’s why they provide the little waxed cardboard tray for holding > them.. > lol). If you are careful, the cardboard tray seems to last a long time. I > still have the same one from about 5 years ago. For something more durable > and stable, you could make a better tray by taking a piece of scrap > wood (1″ > x 4″ by 8″ long would work great) and drilling appropriate sized 1/2″ > holes > 1/2 way into the wood to hold the test tubes. This would be water > resistant > and should last more than one lifetime. > > The Tetratest-Laborette Master Test Kit comes with a couple of rectangular > plastic test tubes… or would that be test rectangles? LOL They have a > slightly wider plastic base on them and they are graded in 1ml > increments up > to 10ml. From front to back, they are the same thickness as the API test > tubes so the color grading stays the same… at least to my eyes and I’ve > compared them. I’ve used these for my API testing… especially when I > want > to do a 10ml test instead of the 5ml test, which insures a little more > accurate test results, or if I’m only testing one or two tests. If I’m > performing all six tests, then I have to use all four API tubes (two have > broken over the years) and the two T-L tubes. I did notice that on a > recent > replacement kit for the API Nitrate kit, the test tube came in plastic and > not as tall…. but still no wider base on it. With plastic, they could > have easily set up the mold to include a wider base to make it > individually > stable but maybe they bought the plastic tubes from an existing > inventory to > cut costs. > > The main thing you would need is something that is clear and something > that > has the same depth/diameter as the 1/2″ API test tube since going less or > more would change the color when looking through it for comparative > purposes > when it’s in front of the color card. > > You could also go to a school supply outlet that might sell chemistry and > biology department supplies and they probably sell various sized test > tubes > and holders. Once again, the key is to get a test tube that has the same > 1/2″ diameter (or depth if a square or rectangle). I’m guessing they also > sell plastic test tubes nowadays but I’ll confess that I’ve been out > of high > school for a couple of years. Of course, the plastic ones would not > fare well over a bunsen burner so maybe they don’t sell many of them in > school supply outlets. Do they still let high schoolers use bunsen > burners… or is that considered too dangerous nowadays? I only remember > creating a hazard a few times… and I think only one resulted in an > actual > evacuation. LOL > > Lenny Vasbinder > Fish Blog - http://GoldLenny.blogspot.com > (Links to any articles referenced in above reply are listed on the right > side, alphabetically under Labels and also under Archives by Year, Month) > > —–Original Message—– > From: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com > > [mailto:AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com > ] On > Behalf Of turbocoupe76 > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:09 AM > To: AquaticLife@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [AquaticLife] Alternative to API test tubes? > > Anyone use anything less breakable than API glass test tubes? I keep > breaking them because the floor in the fish room is cement… and im > clumsy. > I tried API test strips but they seem very vague. I am down to my last > tube! > >