Almost!

Testing Your Water

It's good to test your aquarium water often to ensure the chemical levels are safe for your fish!

You should test for:

pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, general hardness, alkalinity, phosphate, and salinity.

How To Test Your Water

Purchase a testing kit that includes tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, general hardness, alkalinity, and phosphate

There are 2 types of test kits - testing strips and liquid testing kits. Testing strips are easier to use and read, quicker, but less accurate. Liquid testing kits take more time, are a little harder to read, but are very accurate. Follow the instructions provided and test your aquarium often.

To test for salinity you will need either a refractometer, a salinometer, or a hydrometer. Follow the instructions and test for salinity often.

This is to determine if your aquarium is too acidic (1.0 - 6.0) , too basic (8.0 - 14.0), or neutral (7.0). Most freshwater aquarium tropical fish need a pH between 6.8 to 7.6, although certain fish may require higher or lower levels. Most saltwater aquariums need a pH between7.6 and 8.4. Water changes can help bring the pH to neutral, you can also purchase pH buffers to bring the pH up or down as needed.

Ammonia

The only safe ammonia level is zero. Ammonia will build up over time due to waste build up, decomposing food, newly added fish, and having an un-cycled tank. Water changes and added bacteria into the system can bring the ammonia levels down.

Nitrite

The only safe nitrite level is zero. A rise in nitrite levels usually follows an ammonia spike. Nitrite also spikes when a new tank is cycling for the first time.

Nitrate

Nitrate is safer for the aquarium and should be under 40 ppm (parts per million). You can decrease your nitrate levels by doing consistent water changes.

General Hardness

This is the measure of calcium, magnesium and other ions in water, sometimes referred to as Total Hardness. Most freshwater fish adapt to a wide range of general hardness, and it is best to adjust them to your local water. The freshwater range is between 4-12 dGH (71.6 - 214.8 ppm), but some species like a more specific range. The saltwater range is between 350-450 ppm for Calcium, 1150-1350 ppm for Magnesium, less than 0.10 ppm for Iodine, and between 4-10 ppm for Strontium.

Alkalinity (KH)

This is the measure of carbonates and bicarbonates in water and the ability to resist changes in pH. The range should be between 4-8 KH in a freshwater aquarium. In a saltwater aquarium the range should be between 8-12 KH. Consistent water changes will help stabilize the alkalinity.

Phosphate

Phosphate can be found in tap water, fish food, certain types of activated carbon, decaying organic material, and certain types of buffers and water additives. While phosphate is not particularly harmful to fish, it is a major contributor to algae blooms, especially “hair algae”. To maintain low phosphate in an aquarium, do regular partial water changes using phosphate-free water.

Salinity

In a freshwater aquarium the salinity should be between 1.000 - 1.005 sg and in a saltwater aquarium the salinity should be between 1.020 - 1.028 sg. You will need to add salt to the aquarium to increase the salinity. Small amounts of salt in a freshwater aquariums can be beneficial to the health of the fish.