Marine Aquarium Test Kits

Marine Aquarium Test Kits

Keeping a marine aquarium can be a joyful experience. To sustain a 'healthy' life in there however, you need to be very careful about its installation and upkeep. For this purpose, regular water testing is a very important exercise in the marine tank maintenance.

Test kit – The need:
Disproportionate quantity of chemicals in a marine tank can be harmful, even lethal, to the inmates. Timed water testing helps ascertain the fluctuations in an aquarium's water chemistry. As per the test results, you can take necessary steps to set right the chemical content of your marine tank.

Test kit – Chemicals monitored:
Ammonia, chlorine, and nitrate are the key chemicals affecting the health of a marine aquarium. Their increased levels can be very harmful to the fishes. Water salinity and pH are the other two factors affecting pet marine life. Any variation in their levels can be dangerous for even their survival. Master test kits help monitor all these chemical factors of saltwater.

Test kits – The methods:

Titration: As the name suggests, it is an old method to find the concentration of the reactant, in this case the chemicals in water. Drops of the reagent are added to the tank water to determine the level of a certain chemical in it.

Color comparison: Upon adding the reagent, the water sample changes its color. This new color is matched to the color chart provided with the kit to verify the chemical constituent.

Digital monitors: These expensive and accurate monitors check the water using a probe immersed in the tank. The water sample is tested and the information can be viewed on the monitor. The kit also functions as a controller and adjusts the tank conditions as per the requirements.

Reagents available - forms:

Dry powder reagents: Most convenient of reagents, these must be checked for expiry date before use.

Tablet reagents: They are easy to use, with different refills available for chemical testing.

Liquid reagents: These are not as popular as the dry or tablet forms due to their short shelf life. In addition, they are leak and spill prone due to their fluidity.

Using a cheap and low quality test kit could prove dangerous for the fishes. Therefore, you must invest in a good kit that is suitable for a marine tank. Make sure you check for expiration and proper functioning before using the kit. A right test will help keep your marine pets healthy and the tank clean.

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