SJ WAVE 11-in-1 Aquarium Test Strips, 150 Strips

The SJ WAVE 11-in-1 kit is a strip-based water test set for freshwater and saltwater tanks. It includes 150 strips in total, and the listing says it covers 950 tests. It also comes with an aquarium thermometer and an ebook.

What it measures

The kit covers ammonia, pH, iron, chlorine, total hardness (GH), carbonate, nitrate, nitrite, total alkalinity, copper and temperature. Iron is useful for planted tanks dosing fertilizer. Copper matters for shrimp and snail keepers and for anyone with older plumbing.

What is in the box

There are 50 strips in a bottle and 100 in separate bags to keep them fresh, which includes 50 ammonia strips. Opening only what you need keeps the rest sealed.

Freshness

SJ WAVE recommends using strips within 3 months after opening for the best accuracy. Note the open date on the bottle. Keep the bags sealed and the bottle capped and dry.

How to use

Dip, wait the time on the chart and compare colors. Read in good daylight or a white LED, since warm lamps make color matching harder. Hold the strip next to the chart, not on top of it, to avoid staining it.

Building a testing routine

• New tank: test ammonia and nitrite every day or two.
• Stable tank: full strip weekly, after water changes, and before adding fish.
• Planted tank: watch iron and hardness when changing fertilizer.

Strip limits

Strips give a quick picture. If a reading is near a danger point, confirm with a liquid kit like the API Freshwater Master Test Kit before making big changes. For a smaller, simpler strip, see the AAwipes 8-in-1.

Who it suits

Keepers with several tanks, or one tank where copper or iron matter, who want lots of tests at hand without buying separate kits.

The thermometer is a nice extra: temperature affects how fast bacteria work and how much oxygen water holds, so logging it next to your strip results helps explain changes you see.