What Test Kits should i have?? Tropical Fish

Question

What Test Kits should i have?? Tropical Fish

Hi, my tank has been running for about 3 years now. I only since have the pH test kits, I hardly use it. I usually add PH down to the new water when doing water changes. In the tank does PH usually go up or down?? How often should i check the PH and when. What other test kits should i use?? I also add rock salt when i see a fish with a disease or abnormaties, and it always seems like it works, does adding rock salt change the PH level? I mostly have different types of tetras in my tank, 3 mollies and some barbs, 4 diff types of tetras

Answer 1

the major tests you need the most are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You don't really need ph, gh, kh -- its not something you need to monitor regularity. Just get a test done when its required you know what it is before adding something to your tank (ex, a certain live plant or delicate fish).

Answer 2

the major tests you need the most are ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You don't really need ph, gh, kh -- its not something you need to monitor regularity. Just get a test done when its required you know what it is before adding something to your tank (ex, a certain live plant or delicate fish).

PH goes up when you have stuff with calcium and minerals on it. I made a huge mistake with my tank when I bought substrate made of shells and rocks and etc, my PH is as high as 8.5! My fish are fine, so oh well. I highly recomend you DONT use ph-down because you cannot lower the ph safely without first removing whats causing the ph to be low in the first place(shells, etc). If you don't have anything making your water PH high, but your tap water PH is high, just let it adjust and go down by itself over time.

PH goes up when your tank gets more acidic, but generally, fish like a lower PH (obviously not dangerously low). Tank can get more acidic from pee and stuff like that.

Adding salt does not affect your PH, but I don't even know what rock-salt is, but aquarium salt doesn't affect PH.

Your fish are fairly hardy, you don't absolutely need test kits but they are recommended.

PS - to test if something in your tank is making your tank's ph high, add some drops of vinegar onto it and if it bubbles, its a problem. (Make sure its been in your tank for awhile before you test it though)

edit - rofl @ akhi thanks for copying and pasting my answer.

Answer 3

Hey I saw one of your answers on another question.. about where to buy fish or something.. So i clicked your profile because apparently you get your fish from the same places i do. lol Spin out.. Trans aquariums is pretty good :) I get my fish from there.. Gosh i feel like a stalker.. but I found it amusing that you mentioned the fish stores in Canley Vale out of all places.

But yes, you need an ammonia and nitrate test kit thing.. and a ph tester. Apparently its optional.. But its better to have those, so you know whats going on with the water in the tank.  

Answer 4

You need to buy a full test kit that test for pH, Nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, GH, and KH

This is the test kit I use and highly recommend

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d...

Only problem with this kit is you have to buy the nitrate test which you will have to probably get from your LFS.

I have 3 aquariums and test my water weekly (which I highly recommend) and these test kits last a long time.

Answer 5

only nitrate and ph testing gear are essential really...

Nitrate to tell you when you have to do a water change and ph is the only other thing that can have problems. (peaks and troughs) ph goes down. Even with my reef I only test ph and nitrate once every two weeks (salt every week). And all my fish and corals are doing great.