Electronic water testing equipment

[Rachel]

I have been browsing different types of electronic testing equipment lately. Such as this one that tests pH and temperature: pHep-4 or 5 at Drs. Foster & Smith.

Is it worth the cost? The accuracy claim is +/- 0.01.

It seems like it would be a very convenient alternative to usual test kits. Besides the initial high price tag I'm assuming there may be other drawbacks to it. For instance, how often would you have to replace the electrode (a $45 purchase)?

[amanichen]

For home use (on most freshwater tanks), it's not worth the cost. You can get accurate enough for much less cost.

From what I remember from chemistry, the electrode must be kept in distilled water, must not be allowed to dry out, and will be accurate for about a year if properly handled.