I was going to measure the water with the chemicals to calibrate the meter and then use the meter.. But to calibrate it I have to have some known thing to calibrate it against..

I have found the person selling identical meters to mine on trademe and asked them if they can source the solution as that would be ideal so will see how that goes..

Ok well Blackadder is a legend! He made me up a buffer solution and got it in the mail thanks heaps man lol now gotta get new batts for ph metre as it went flat sitting in fishroom for so long lol

Most test kit reagents have a shelf life of between 18-24mths. Both pH meters and TDS meters provide a more accurate and reliable method of analytical assessment of water chemistry. Like most things in this world you get what you pay for. Having used pH meters and TDS meters in both "domestic and professional aquaculture use, the cheaper electronic meters tend to fail from corrosion or worse lose their calibration giving you false confidence. Calibration solutions and pH buffers are readily available. My advice is to use a "middle market" pH stick meter such as the LaMotte Tracer or equivalent - not a cheapie but not full laboratory grade.