That is, they actually measure the combined concentration of nitrite and nitrate. Most nitrate test kits actually convert nitrate to nitrite first, then test for the concentration of nitrite. Note: A nitrate test kit is only of limited value in determining whether the nitrogen cycle has completed. For fry, however, much lower concentrations become toxic.
Nitrates become toxic to fish (and plants) at levels of 50-300 ppm, depending on the fish species. Having a nitrate test kit helps you determine whether or not your water changes are removing nitrates quickly enough. (The only exception to this rule is heavily-planted tanks and some reef tanks, which MAY be able to consume nitrogen faster than it is produced.) Because nitrates become toxic at high concentrations, they must be removed periodically (e.g., through regular water changes). Nitrate Test Kit Get this kit! Nitrate levels increase over time in established tanks as the end result of the nitrogen cycle. At 10-20 ppm, concentrations become lethal. Thus, one common saying about tank cycling is: ``if your fish survive the ammonia spike, they'll probably survive the nitrite spike and the rest of the cycling process.'' However, even at levels above. (If the bio filter in an established tank isn't working, both ammonia and nitrite levels will be elevated.) Nitrite is an order of magnitude less toxic than ammonia. Once a tank has cycled, nitrite kits are pretty much useless. As in the case for ammonia, if your test kit detects nitrite, your biological filter is not working adequately. The only time a nitrite kit provides information that an ammonia kit can't is while testing for completion of the second phase of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrite Test Kit You might want to get one of these! Nitrite kits are cheap and are useful in the same circumstances where an ammonia test is useful. Test kits using the ``Nessler'' method are known to give false readings under such conditions. Water treated with Amquel will falsely test positive for ammonia, even when ammonia is not present. Warning: Amquel and other similar ``ammonia-neutralizing'' water additives are incompatible with most ammonia test kits. Take corrective action immediately by changing water and identifying the source of the problem. If your test kit detects ANY ammonia, levels are too high and are stressing fish. Thus, test kits should NEVER detect ammonia in an established tank. Common test kits don't register such low concentrations. Even at levels above 0.01-0.02 ppm, fish will be stressed. 2-.5 ppm (for some fish), ammonia causes rapid death. Having too small a filter for the fish load, etc.īe warned: if you have fish deaths and subsequently ask the net (or a fish store) for advice, the first question asked will be ``what are your ammonia (and nitrite) levels?''.Īmmonia levels are measured in ppm.naively adding fish medicines (antibiotics kill nitrifying bacteria (oops!) as well as disease carrying ones),.not cleaning the filter regularly (water can't flow through a clogged filter, where the nitrifying bacteria reside),.Note: Even in an established tank, the biological filter can sometimes weaken or fail outright. Second, should you have unexplained fish deaths, testing for ammonia verifies that your biological filter is (or is not) working correctly. First, during the tank-cycling phase, regular testing for ammonia will tell you when the first phase of the nitrogen cycle has completed. In the following, we describe the test kits that are most useful and the conditions under which they are useful.Īmmonia Test Kit Get one! Ammonia test kits are cheap and will tell you whether your tank has elevated ammonia levels. However, test kits are extremely useful at eliminating guesswork when something goes wrong (e.g., fish appear stressed or die). It is quite possible to have a healthy tank without ever buying a single test kit. Does one really need to buy them? The quick answer is no. Which Are Useful? There is a seemingly endless array of test kits for testing everything from ammonia levels to phosphate levels.
TEST KITS I found this while browsing random stuffs, a good read.