I was reading some things about saltwater tanks. And it says to take Ammonia Tests everyday. I'm not sure how to take ammonia tests and what to use. Can anyone help me?
2007-06-30 21:03:32 · 7 answers · asked by Spencer 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
And also testing pH and anything else that needs to be tested.
2007-06-30 21:06:00 · update #1
You need to check in a local fish store and find a master kit similar to this one that I use: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11392/product.web
It's not necessary to test ammonia every day - every few days while the tank is new (and cycling) will do. If you're not familiar with cycling, I'll include a link that explains this at the end, but it's basically establishing a population of bacteria that converts the ammonia produced by your fish into nitrite, then nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are both toxic, where nitrate isn't in moderate levels. The tesk kit in the link tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, as well as pH. Once the tank has cycled, you shouldn't see ammonia or nitrite unless you have a fish die or you use medication in the tank, so once you can detect only nitrate, you can reduce the tests to once a week and cut the ammonia and nitrite tests completely as long as you're observant of the behavior of the fish in the tank and do regular nitrate testing and cleaning.
There are instructions in the kit that tell you how to do each test, and they're all pretty easy. You just add a water sample to a clean glass tube, add drops of chemicals (the bottles will tell you how many for each chemical, and some you have to shake first), then you just wait a specified time for the reaction to finish, then compare the color of the water to the proper chart for a reading. The booklet tells you how to interpret your results.
2007-06-30 21:24:28 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can use a liquid test for those kind of things. They come in little containers which you can mix with the water you are testing to get a color. Each ration of ammonia or pH will be in different colors. You can get them in most shops and i happen to find them at ace hardware stores too. The brand Tetra is good.
Also you should check nitrate, which is the most deadly substance in a nitrogen cycle if in high ammounts.
Also take time to read about the nitrogen cycle in pages, you can learn alot from it.
2007-07-01 04:24:32 · answer #2 · answered by Chris 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no need to test anything daily, with the possible exception of during the cycling process.
Ammonia, and pH are tested by using test kits, or by taking your water into your local fish store and asking them to test it.
2007-07-01 07:07:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The is two product that you should know of which will help you solve both issues.
The first is a product call Ammonia Alert, it's a product by Seachem and it'll will help you monitor your water 24/7 for months. Read the link ....
http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/AmmoniaAlert.html
The other product is also from Seachem call pH Alert. It also help you to monitor pH of your water 24/7 for a couple of months. Read this link ...
http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/pHAlert.html
I am not a sales person for Seachem :) But I love Ammonia Alert especially during cycling.
2007-07-01 05:07:01 · answer #4 · answered by dragonfly_sg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get litmus paper and check the ph against the ph chart.
2007-07-01 04:13:09 · answer #5 · answered by Jiamin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lick your finger and put it in the water.
No seriously, their are test kits you can buy at pet stores.
2007-07-01 04:09:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
buy a test kit and a book
2007-07-05 03:54:44 · answer #7 · answered by Brandon F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋