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Nitrates, nitrites, ammonia and pH, questions

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Tazman 
#1 ·
I need to get a test kit for nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and pH...I have done research but I am not sure how to test for them, what the test kits even look like or more importantly how to use them, and where to go from there? I know ammonia is from fish waste and obviously is bad for fish to breathe in, I think nitrates are good bacteria that eat up ammonia?? And nitrites are...bad...and levels should be zero? Apologies for sounding so uninformed about this, I want to learn everything I need to know to keep my fish happy and healthy and safe. Also I was told at pet smart that I didn't need to worry about testing these things or pH levels for a few months in and that I could bring in water samples for them to test for free. But I would like to learn how to do it on my own. And if the levels are too high, how do you fix them? With more frequent water changes? If someone could point me in the right direction for where to begin I'd greatly appreciate any advice, thanks!
 
#3 ·
levels article



very informative article, helped me understand these things better, thanks! I think I will go out and get the water test kits...ps, makes me wish I cycled my tank with out fish but oh well too late...guess I'll know better for the next tank!
 
#4 ·
I would highly recommend the API Master test kit, it contains all the tests you need for your tank.

There is one IMPORTANT thing to remember when using it for the NITRATE test, shake bottle#2 for at least 2 minutes before adding it to the test tube and shaking the tube for 1 minute, this will give you a more accurate result.
 
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