Water Test Kits

Water test kits are used to monitor the water quality of your aquarium and are highly recommended for all aquarists, regardless of your experience and type of aquarium. What you should test for will depend on you aquarium. If you are keeping a freshwater aquarium there is for instance really no use for a salinity test. Basic water test kits will at least let you test the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and check the pH-level. Buying one that will also allow you to test the hardiness of your water is recommended, since this is an important parameter for many fish species. If you know the hardiness you will also know a little more about the buffering capacity which will affect the pH-levels. Other examples of testable compounds that will affect your aquarium are phosphate and copper.

By frequently using water test kits you will obtain a much greater knowledge about what is really going on in your aquarium. You will often be able to foresee problems before they manifest and correct unsuitable water chemistry before it injures the fish or plants. You will also more rapidly see the effects of your work, such as the result of a larger water change or a newly installed protein skimmer.

There are several types of water test kits available for the aquarists. Some fish keepers prefer dry chemical reagents while others chose liquid test kits. A third type of water test kits are the convenient dipping strips. The dry chemical water test kits are usually pills or powder. Water test kits must be stored in a cool place, unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer. Water test kits should never be used after the expiration date, since they loose their capacity with age.

Remember that all water test kits contain potent chemicals. Always be very careful when you use your water test kits to avoid injuring your self of your fish. If you are a beginner, you should make sure that you buy water test kits that are easy to use and easy to read. Some water test kits are quite complicated to decipher and the test result will not be of much use if you are unable to understand it.