The new magnetic Test Stirrer from Colombo is the kind of quality-of-life accessory that we need much more of in the aquarium hobby. Some tests like pH and alkalinity are easy enough to perform, but have you ever tried to stir a water sample for a titration test while paying attention to what you’re doing?
It’s taken us years of practice to become proficient at stirring and titrating for calcium and magnesium test kits, but this is the analytical equivalent of patting your head while rubbing your belly. A couple years ago we came across a tiny magnetic stirrer in an unmarked brown box that has become indispensable for streamlining our water testing procedures at the Reef Builders Studio.
Dutch aquarium company Colombo has also become convinced of the utility of this miniature magnetic stirrer and developed a version that they are also offering to the general aquarium hobby. While only currently available in Europe, the €29 kit for the Colombo Test Stirrer is a simple box with a magnetic stirrer base, a tiny stirrer bar the size of a grain of rice – hopefully more than one are included – and a simple on/off switch.
If you test calcium and magnesium with titration kits only once in a while you can get by with manually stirring. But for anyone who tests water more often, we’re talking about service companies and aquarium stores, you really ought to give the Colombo Test Stirrer a spin because it really simplifies the testing experience, reducing the required time and streamlining the process probably leads to more consistent and reliable test results. [Colombo]
