Test Kits and Testers

Ammonia is excreted by fish directly into the water, and is also released from the breakdown of solid waste and uneaten food. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, but is usually removed from the water by the bacteria which live inside the filter. However, in new tanks, or if the filter bacteria are damaged, the ammonia level may become toxic. The only way to know what the ammonia level is, is by testing it with a TetraTest Ammonia kit. Regular testing, especially in new aquariums, will prevent damage caused by ammonia poisoning.

Nitrate is the end product of biological filtration and the result of decomposition of nitrite. It can also be present in tap water supplies, especially in areas of high fertilizer run-off. Although virtually non-toxic to fish, nitrate is a key algae nutrient and high concentrations can harm your fish.

Nitrate testing is also an indicator of general water quality and filter function; as biological filtration converts ammonia to nitrite and finally to nitrate, other important chemical changes take place in the aquarium. These changes can include the loss of alkalinity (buffering capacity) or the accumulation of phosphate - thus nitrate testing can indicate possible imbalances in other areas without directly testing each one.

It’s important to monitor the pH value of your freshwater aquarium. That’s because a pH value of 6.5 to 8.0 will suit most species of freshwater aquarium fish, but a sudden or significant pH change can occur when tap water is added. That’s why you should always check both aquarium and tap water pH before adding water to your aquarium. The Tetratest® pH Kit was professionally developed to accurately determine the pH level in your freshwater aquarium. The kit contains one 10-ml test reagent (enough for 50 tests), a test vial, color scale, instructions and recommendations.

Test the water in your aquarium weekly to ensure optimum water quality.

For Freshwater & Saltwater : Ammonia (NH3/NH4) : Reads 0 to 8 ppm : 130 Tests

Ammonia, the number one killer of tropical fish, is constantly being produced in the aquarium from fish waste and urine, decomposing plants, and uneaten fish food. By accurately measuring the ammonia level, this kit gives an indication of the efficiency of the biological filter, which helps eliminate ammonia from the aquarium

Kit contains:

• : Dropper bottle for accurate dispensing of test solutions
• : Easy-to-read instructions and colour chart
• : Non-staining glass test tube with snap-tight cap

For Freshwater & Saltwater : Nitrite (NO2) : Reads 0 to 5 ppm : 180 Tests

Nitrite, a major cause of fish death, is produced in the aquarium by fish waste and overfeeding. Even low levels affect the red blood cells of fish, reducing their ability to carry oxygen, thus causing suffocation and even death

Kit contains:

• : Dropper bottle for accurate dispensing of test solutions
• : Easy-to-read instructions and colour chart
• : Non-staining glass test tube with snap-tight cap

Use to measure pH changes in marine aquariums, aquariums with African cichlids, and very alkaline tap water. Reads the pH of water within the high range of 7.4 to 8.8. 160 tests per kit.

For Freshwater : reads 6.0 to 7.6 pH : 250 Tests : pH Up & pH Down

All fish thrive at a particular pH level. pH can fluctuate due to fish waste, tap water and build-up of natural acids. This kit allows you to easily and accurately measure the pH level and maintain a healthy aquarium for your fish

Kit contains:

• : Dropper bottle for accurate dispensing of test solutions
• : Easy-to-read instructions and colour chart
• : Non-staining glass test tube with snap-tight cap
• : 37ml bottle of pH UP adjusting solution
• : 37ml bottle of pH DOWN adjusting solution

For Freshwater : General (GH) & Carbonate (KH) Hardness

The general hardness (GH) and carbonate hardness (KH) of aquarium water should match that of the natural habitat of the fish. Otherwise, fish will be stressed and prone to disease. Since adding tap water increases the hardness of aquarium water, frequent GH and KH testing is imperative.
This kit measures both general hardness (GH) : the measure of calcium and magnesium in water, and carbonate (KH) hardness : the measure of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations
Proper GH and KH levels are an important part of water quality and are necessary for the health of fish and the development and growth of aquarium plants

Kit contains:

• : Two Dropper bottles for accurate dispensing of test solutions
• : Easy-to-read instructions and colour chart
• : Non-staining glass test tube with snap-tight cap

The carbonate hardness (KH) of aquarium water should be tested frequently, since water with a low KH is subject to rapid shifts in pH, greatly stressing fish and making them vunerable to disease. The kit measures carbonate (KH) hardness, the measure of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations in the water. The proper KH level is an important part of water quality and is necessary for the health of fish and the development and growth of aquarium plants

Kit contains:

• : Dropper bottle for accurate dispensing of test solutions
• : Easy-to-read instructions and colour chart
• : Non-staining glass test tube with snap-tight cap

Ammonia and ammonium should be rapidly converted by aerobic nitrification into nitrite and then nitrate and finally into nitrogen gas. If this does not happen then either the aquarium is not fully matured or there is a problem with the tank's biological system, which can be caused by an excessive biological loading being placed on the system.

If the pH is too low then the cause may be a too low alkalinity and/or a build up of carbon dioxide caused by insufficient aeration.

Sufficient for 50 tests

Calcium is not the only substance needed to form the skeletal material of corals and allow calcareous algae to grow. Carbonate and bicarbonate are also needed and these two substances can have a major effect on stabilising or buffering pH levels in the aquarium in the correct range of 8.1 to 8.4.

The total carbonate and bicarbonate concentration is also called alkalinity or carbonate hardness and for a stable system the alkalinity should not fluctuate by more than 5% from the optimum level of approx. 2.8 meq/L i.e a maximum fluctuation of 0.14 meq/L.

The Salifert test is sensitive enough to detect small changes in levels of alkalinity, measuring in steps of 0.1 meq/L and demonstrating a very sharp colour change.

The Salifert KH + pH buffer additive makes correction of the alkalinity or carbonate hardness simple and does not upset the pH of the system

Sufficient for 100 to 200 tests

When there are insufficient areas of a tank which are deprived of oxygen (anaerobic zones) or denitrification is not taking place properly, nitrate will build up. This can also happen in an aquarium where the biological loading on the system is causing an imbalance e.g is there is excessive livestock for the aquarium volume or over feeding is occurring.

The build up of nitrate can result in unwanted algae growth and the slowing down of coral growth.

The nitrate concentration in a reef aquarium should be lower than 1 mg/L, although fish only aquariums would usually have a higher concentration.

Just as with nitrite, many nitrate test kits are prone to amine interference which can make the levels of nitrate appear much lower than they actually are.

The Salifert test kit does not suffer from such interference and gives accurate and quick results with a total testing time of less than 3 minutes.

The test kit’s range goes from a very low to a very high nitrate concentration (approx. 0.2 - 100 mg/L as total nitrate).

Sufficient for 50 tests

In a properly cycled aquarium, nitrite is converted to nitrate and then, if there are areas deprived of oxygen such as in live rock and other filter materials, this nitrate is converted back to nitrite and then transformed into harmless nitrogen gas.

If this cycle breaks down then nitrites, which are extremely toxic to fish and invertebrates, can form in high concentration.

Many nitrite test kits suffer from interference caused by amines e.g naturally occurring and essential amino acids. This can result in a too low measured value, especially when the nitrite concentration is relatively low.

Because of its unique formulation, the Salifert Test Kit does not suffer from amine interference, and offers full colour development within one minute. Also, the colour is very intense making the detection of even minute traces of nitrite easy.

The test kit has two different scales: an ultra-low scale for nitrite-nitrogen which ranges from 0.002 - 0.12 mg/L, and a medium scale for nitrite-nitrogen which ranges from 0.02 - 1.2 mg/L.

Sufficient for 50 tests

• Corals and marine fish require very high levels of oxygen concentration because of the low solubility of oxygen in salt water so it is very important to regularly test the level of oxygen present.

• The Salifert Oxygen Profi-Test is extremely fast, measuring oxygen levels in just a few minutes and is scaled from 2 - 14 mg/L.

• Sufficient for 40 tests