Can anyone give me information on PH and Ammonia readers for my fish tank?

Question

I just went and bought some new fish yesterday and i was looking at the Ph and ammonia readers. How important are they? Should i have one for my tank? If so, what kind do you recommend?

Answer 1

Unless you're keeping a species that's very sensitive to pH (wild-caught fish, discus, saltwater) I'd say not to get the pH tests. Most fish are captive bred, and are quite adaptable to pH levels from 6.0 to 8.5. If you want to have yours tested to know a general value, take a sample of your tank water and tap water (if this is your water source) to your fish store and they can do this test for you.

Ammonia is more important to the health of your fish, but it only appears when you first set up a tank, or after you've used antibiotics. The ammonia is a waste product that is produced by your fish, and the decay of any excess food in your tank. This interferes with the ability of the fish to use the oxygen dissolved in the water (hence, they "gasp" at the surface). In a mature tank, you'll have beneficial bacteria that convert the ammonia to nitrite, then to nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite both stress fish begininning at levels around 0.5 parts per million (ppm) and can kill sensitive species if the level is over 1.0ppm. Nitrate on the other hand, doesn't begin to be a problem until the level is over 40 ppm in a freshwater tank. The bacteria are quite effective unless you seriously overfeed the fish, overstock your tank, or use antibiotic medications.

As far as type, I prefer liquid test kits to paper strips. They're much more accurate and longer-lasting. They appear to cost more, but from the number of tests performed, they actually are less than the strips. I use the API master kits myself, and these include ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH all together: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/11391/product.web There are also saltwater 9for fish-only tanks, or when first setting up) and reefmaster (for corals and inverts) versions available.

Answer 2

You should purchase the Jungle brand 5-in-1 test strips. Its the same thing petsmart uses these to test people's water. they actually end up saving you money.

it is very important to know what is going on chemically with your tank. However, really you don't need to purchase ammonia testing strips, If this is your first tank it would be a smart idea to purchase ammonia tester
the cycle works like this
1)ammonia (fish waste) builds up
2)The filter turns ammonia into nitrites
3)The filter turns nitrites to nitrates.
4)you do water changes which removes nitrates.

The only time that you should have ammonia levels in your tank is if A) you are setting up a brand new tank or B)your tank is overstocked or under filtered. Nitrites and Nitrates are less toxic to your fish than ammonia is--hence the filter.

So it is safe to forgo the ammonia, but the rest is really important. You cannot look at a fish tank and know how healthy it is, you must test your water. The Jungle Quick Dip 5-in-1 is an awesome easy tool which does not require vials or the correct amounts of drops, everything you need to know in one strip.$15- seems like a lot, but when you add up the cost of all the chemicals it replaces, it is a bargain!

Answer 3

I can suggest a good one that I use from PetSmart. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit, for 20-25$. It tests for important things like pH, ammonia, nitrAtes, nitrItes, and even high pH... It works great so you dont have to buy a bunch of seperate 20$ each test kits. Good luck with your tank and yes you should really have one. :]

Answer 4

get one from wal mart or target