42 Ammonia Test Kit
Description
This article is from the Beginning Fishkeeping FAQ, by Thomas Narten with numerous contributions by others.
42 Ammonia Test Kit
Get one. Ammonia test kits are cheap ($5-10) and will tell you whether
your tank has elevated ammonia levels. This is useful in two
circumstances. First, during the tank-cycling phase, regular testing
for ammonia will tell you when the first phase of the nitrogen cycle
has completed. Second, should you have unexplained fish deaths,
testing for ammonia verifies that your biological filter is (or is
not) working correctly. Note that even in an established tank, the
biological filter can sometimes weaken or fail outright. Common causes
include
* not cleaning the filter regularly (water can't flow through a
clogged filter, where the nitrifying bacteria reside),
* naively adding fish medicines (antibiotics kill nitrifying
bacteria (oops) as well as disease carrying ones),
* having too small a filter for the fish load, etc.
Be 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?''.
Ammonia levels are measured in ppm. At concentrations as low as .2-.5
ppm (for some fish), ammonia causes rapid death (consult the CYCLING
SECTION for further details). Even at levels above 0.01-0.02 ppm, fish
will be stressed. Common test kits don't register such low
concentrations. Thus, test kits should NEVER detect ammonia in an
established tank. If your test kit detects ANY ammonia, levels are too
high and are stressing fish. Take corrective action immediately by
changing water and identifying the source of the problem.
Warning: Amquel and other similar ``ammonia-neutralizing'' water
additives are incompatible with most ammonia test kits. Water treated
with Amquel will falsely test positive for ammonia, even when ammonia
is not present. Test kits using the ``Nessler'' method are known to
give false readings under such conditions.
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