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THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER FOR AQUARIUMS AND PONDS, AND ABOUT WATER TEST KITS -- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
* First Of All -- What You Need To Know About The Water Supplied By Public Water Utilities -- Toxic Chlorine, Choramine, and Metals
* The Problem With Water Pipes And Heavy Metals Such As Lead In The Public Water Supplies
* What About The Effect Of Hard Water On Fishes And Aquatic Invertebrates And Test Kits?
* What About Using Bottled Water, Or Deionized Water, Or Reverse Osmosis Water And Their Effects On Test Kits?
* Next -- What You Need To Know About Water Test Kits -- The Basics
* Chemical Reagents For The Colorimetric Test Kits
* What Is The Most Important Test Kit To Use In Testing Aquarium And Pond Water?
* The Way To Reduce The Need For Using Water Test Kits -- And What Kordon Water Conditioners Do In Detoxifying The Water
* The Range of Quality In Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Test Kits On The Market
* Non-Electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Powder Chemical Reagents
* Non-Electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Liquid Chemical Reagents
* Non-Electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Paper Strip Chemical Reagents
* The Trouble With Colorimetric Water Tests For Nitrate
* The Trouble With Kordon AmQuel+ Interfering With Readings From Colorimetric Water Tests For Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
* The Importance of Using Non-Electronic Colorimetric Water Tests That Are Dated
* The Use of Electronic Meters For Reading Water Quality
* Analytical Radiometers
* Electronic Colorimeters
* Spectrophotometers
* * * * * * *
In understanding water test kits for aquarium and pond keeping, there are things you need first to know about the use of tap water in aquariums and ponds, about other water sources, about water conditioners, and then finally about water test kits -- that will save you from a lot of grief. It takes some reading time to tell you what you need to know, but the time will be worth it for you, because water quality and water testing are among the most misunderstood subjects in aquarium and pond keeping. (Henceforth, we will refer to aquarium keepers as "aquarists." To simplify the term for pond keepers, we will refer to the pond keeper as "pondist," as was established by Lord Palmerton and reported upon in the Atlantic Monthly magazine in 1861 [see Kordon FAQ on "aquarist" and "pondist")
For the sections below on water conditions, this duplicates some of what is in the Kordon Article "What You Need To Know About Water Sources For Aquariums and Ponds" . This duplication is done in order to be sure you have an understanding of the different types of water that are the basis of water testing.
If you want the short simple answer to this subject for successful aquarium and pond keeping in regard to the nitrogen testing (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates) in water, we will give it to you right now. And that is the use of tap water for aquariums and ponds is OK when you use Kordon AmQuel+ and Kordon NovAqua+ regularly together for water conditioning. Do this when you make water additions or changes, and at frequent intervals, such as once a week. These products do a whole bunch of chemical reactions to straighten out water conditions, no matter where you are in the United States, Canada, Europe, or elsewhere.
Water problems for aquarium and pond keeping are universal, and there is a simple way of solving some of the most important problems by the use of AmQuel+ together with NovAqua+ that no other products (or combination of products) accomplish. By doing this, you greatly reduce the need for testing the nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) in the water, which as you will see below, is not as simple as it might seem. (For further information on water conditioners see the Kordon Article "Kordon's Aquarium and Pond Water Conditioners"
First Of All -- What You Need to Know About The Water Supplied By Public Water Utilities -- Toxic Chlorine, Chloramine, and Metals
Tap water is the most readily available source of water for aquariums and ponds. All public and municipal water supplies from the utilities in the U.S. are providing tap water that is more or less toxic to fishes. The use of chlorine in public water supplies has been in use for over 100 years. It has become ever more prevalent in use and as the problems with infectious viruses and bacteria have increased, the amount of chlorine used in public water supplies has substantially increased, including recently. While you will see web sites, printed articles and books, particularly from some old-timers saying that there are limited or no problems with tap water for fish keeping, that time is now past.
In March 2005 the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) issued an edict to all of the public water utilities in the United States (there are over 4,000 major water utilities and over 140,000 in all including subsidiaries) regarding their 4 ppm maximum requirement for chlorine in public water supplies in order to kill all viruses and bacteria in tap water. The chlorine can be in the form of one or more soluble chlorines. Please understand that 0.2-0.3 ppm or more of chlorine, less than 1/10th of what the EPA is mandating as its maximum, is harmful to fishes. Anywhere near 4 ppm chlorine in the water is going to be lethal to fishes and aquatic invertebrates.
But this isn't the half of it. Ever more public water utilities consider that using chlorine to kill viruses and bacteria is not enough. So they are mixing chlorine with ammonia, which when combined are called chloramine and are synergistic in being more stable in being toxic to bacteria, viruses, fishes and other aquatic life, than either chlorine or ammonia is separately. The use of chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia) was mainly initiated in 1979 in the United States, and its use has been accelerating ever since. Some public water utilities are just now going to the use of chloramine. While chlorine dissipates in days when in water exposed to air, chloramine take weeks. Therefore, for aquariums and ponds it is a much greater problem.
Talk to those at the public water utilities, and if they are frank, they will tell you that their duty is to provide water safe for man, and this includes land animals such as farm animals, dogs, cats, birds, other pets, and plants. But it does not include fishes and other aquatic animals for aquarium and pond keeping. It is up to the aquarist and pondist (pond keeper) to solve that problem. Chloramine must be removed, because in fishes and aquatic invertebrates it goes into their blood, binds to iron in red blood cell hemoglobin, causing reduced cell capacity to carry oxygen. It is safe for people and land animals to drink water with chloramine because it is neutralized by the digestive system, as well as being safe for them to bathe in. Chloramine is safe for man to cook with, bathe in, and for other general uses.
As for public water utilities in other countries, such as Canada, and Europe, they are essentially doing the same thing as in the U.S.in regard to chlorine and chloramine, as are many other countries. The need for using Kordon's AmQuel+ and NovAqua+ products for water conditioning is just as important for them as these products are in the United States.
There is no question that public water utilities stringently monitor the quality of water being supplied to their users, and are doing their best to keep that water free of harmful organisms. Public water utilities in the U.S. are required to have over 99% of the viruses and bacteria killed before the water leaves their facilities. When they use chlorine or chloramines it remains toxic throughout the whole water system through to the end user. So the chances of living organisms getting through alive are slight, or at least considerably reduced. But the chlorine, ammonia, and chloramines that are added are as toxic as ever by the time the water they are in reach the consumer. These need to be taken care of by the aquarist and pondist before they affect their fishes and other aquatic life.
Adding to the toxicity of the water, there can be occasional leaks in the pipes, etc., along the way to the consumer. Organisms dying in the water pipes between the water utilities and the end user can be adding nitrogen wastes (ammonia, etc.) to the water that are harmful to fishes. The wastes are due to suffocation of organisms in the water and their death from lack of oxygen, and from what the utilities are adding to the water to kill any living organisms present. They may not be noticeable to man and land animals, but they can be adverse to fish and other aquatic life.
Therefore, tap water from public water utilities is to some extent toxic to aquarium and pond fishes, and needs to be treated immediately when used. The choice for removing chloramine in the water is to use biological filtration, natural zeolites as filter material, or chemical water conditioners. Acidity/alkalinity of the water is not a factor, since chloramine do not affect pH.
The water conditioners that need to be used are those that will break the bond of the chlorine and ammonia in the chloramine, remove up to 4 ppm of chlorines and all the ammonia/ammonium from the chloramine in the water. The ratio between chlorines and ammonia/ammonium varies, but there is usually more chlorine than ammonia in the mix. At its most toxic form affecting fishes, for every 1 ppm of chlorines used in chloramine, there will be 1/8th to 2 ppm of ammonia/ammonium used. Kordon provides the foremost products in removing chlorines, chloramine, and toxic nitrogen compounds (including ammonia/ammonium, nitrites, and nitrates) from all types of fresh and salt water. These are the Kordon AmQuel+ products, which are capable of removing per liquid dose, mostly within five minutes, over 33 ppm of all forms of chlorines, and all the contents of chloramine.
The Problem With Water Pipes and Heavy Metals Such As Lead In The Public Water Supplies
For tap water coming from water utilities, well water, and other natural sources, there is another concern for aquarium and pond keeping. Water passing through pipes also needs to be treated to get rid of the "heavy metals" (zinc, iron, lead, copper, the heavy metals in bronze and brass, etc.) that get into the water from the pipes and are toxic to fishes and aquatic invertebrates. The older the pipes the more they are rusting and releasing heavy metals into the water. Also, the use of chloramine by public water utilities in tap water causes lead to be leached out of the water pipes, which is toxic to fishes.
There is not the need to have to get test kits to read for heavy metals, because they can be quickly and permanently removed by using one or more regular dose of Kordon's NovAqua+. NovAqua+ takes care of removing the heavy metals, as well as takes care of other water conditioning needs for aquatic life that Kordon's Amquel+ does not do. These tasks include removing all chlorines and chloramine from the water, buffering the unstable pH of the tap water, and adding vitamins and electrolytes necessary for fish health, antivirus protection, etc. Both AmQuel+ and NovAqua+ are needed for aquarium and pond keeping. When NovAqua+ is used alone, it is removing/detoxifying 6 ppm of chlorines in the chloramine and in the water, so it serves as a backup to AmQuel+ in this regard.
What About The Effect Of Hard Water On Fishes And Aquatic Invertebrates And Test Kits?
Hard water is primarily caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium in the water. There is no well defined distinction between hard and soft water. In general, hardness values less than 75 ppm (=mgL) as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) represent soft water, and values above 150 ppm (=mgL) represent hard water, according to the U.S. EPA (Enhanced Coagulation and Enhanced Precipitative Softening Guidance Manual, EPA815-R-99-012, May 1999). In the United States the regions with hard water are Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana. For a map of the U.S. showing the distribution of soft and hard water see http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/characteristics.html.
The usual way to determine hardness in the water is with an alkalinity test kit. The simplest way to reduce hardness in the water for fishes and aquatic life is to dilute hard water with deionized or RO (reverse osmosis) water. Conversely, the addition of magnesium/calcium such as in carbonates will increase hardness. As to understanding fishes' requirements for hard or soft water, it is best to learn about the natural conditions from which they came. For example, Koi prefer hard water.
There is much misinformation about tropical freshwater fishes being from soft water, etc. But most come from rivers and streams that vary widely from one season to the other in water conditions, including hardness, pH (acidity/alkalinity), tannins in the water (blackwater), etc. Consider that the rivers vary greatly between the wet and dry seasons in water flow, and this has a profound effect on water quality. There are descriptions of different species of tropical freshwater aquarium fishes from the same river source as being soft water or hard water species, etc. , when in fact the water was harder (more alkaline) in the dry season, and softer (less alkaline, more acid) in the wet season for all of these species.
What About Using Bottled Water, Or Deionized Water, Or Reverse Osmosis Water And Their Effects On Test Kits?
So far as water testing is concerned, this is not a problem. The test kits will handle these types of water.
These sources of water may have serious drawbacks for aquariums or ponds. See the section on water in the Kordon Article "What Every Beginner Needs to Know About Water Sources...;" which is presently being prepared and will be posted when finished. Many who hear about the problems with tap water, such as having highly mineralized "hard water," think that their answer is in using water that is pure water -- that is hydrogen dioxide, or nearly so. But these can lack the elements (major, minor, and trace) that are required by fishes and other aquatic organisms for their survival and health. Their use should be with the understanding of exactly what is being accomplished by using these types of water.
With the use of Kordon's NovAqua+ and AmQuel+, the water source easiest to handle properly is going to be tap water from the local public water utility. If in doubt, telephone the local utility for their advice on the water that they are providing. If you are up in your understanding of water chemistry, ask them for a copy of their water analyses. It may be that you will need to use a pure water source for part of your water, and for the remainder to use tap water. If that is the case, use Kordon VitaTrace fresh water or marine for all the missing or under-supplied trace elements.
Next -- What You Need To Know About Water Test Kits -- The Basics
There is a real anomaly here. The information most aquarists and pondists learn about on water quality is based on technical measurements. They think that for serious aquarium and pond keeping the measurements need to be precise -- for some tests (such as for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) they need to be providing results in parts per million, where for example in ammonia and nitrite one-half or less part per million can be a serious difference to some fishes. Their understanding that even a part per million for ammonia or nitrite can be a big difference in health and survival for their fishes. However, the range of test kits available to the aquarist and pondist on the market varies from the near useless to professional technical grade. Many aquarists and pondists choose the least expensive kits, under the illusion of expecting them to perform satisfactorily, when at the same time they esteem their aquarium and pond inhabitants as being highly valued and deserving the best. The two are incompatible, as will be explained.
Water tests that are available to aquarists and pondists are of two basic types in the case of many of the tests -- electronic and non-electronic -- that use chemical reagents to change the test water to specific colors to read in parts per million. The former are digital electric meters that read the most precisely, but are expensive. They are the least used by aquarists and pondists and will be discussed at the end of this article. The latter, which are the most used and the least expensive are non-electronic, requiring the user to interpret the color of the test to determine the reading.
There are several types of non-electronic test kits -- test cubes in which to test a water sample with color readings on printed color films or wheels, titrimetric that use drop counts for readings, and test strips with the color reagents imprinted on the strips that change color when dipped in the aquarium or pond water.
Test strips are described as "semi-quantitative" in the trade. That is their accuracy varies depending upon the quality of the strips used, the type of water tested, and the range of measurement. In other words this means that their accuracy is difficult to estimate.
Titration kits, which for most tests require 10-20 drops of the test water, have a typical accuracy, for those of scientific/technical grade, of about ± 1 drop for titrations requiring up to 20 drops, and ± 5% for titrations requiring over 20 drops.
Color cubes are described as easy, uncomplicated, the most economical of the potentially accurate color-comparator-based kits, with an accuracy for the scientific/technical grade of color cubes of about plus or minus one-half color-step out of five (meaning plus or minus 10%) for comparators with 5 colors to choose from. In other words do not expect total precision in measurement, but those that are fully scientific/technical grade may be able to provide measurement accuracy within plus or minus 10%.
In this Kordon Article the most important water tests will be discussed, which are for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH (acidity/alkalinity). There are other tests, such as for chlorine, oxygen, hardness, and various elements in the water, such as carbonates, phosphorus, copper, iron, etc. These other tests can be of considerable importance in water keeping, but are only used by a few aquarists and pond keepers.
A chlorine test kit is not needed to prove that chlorine is in the tap water. You can depend upon its being there, since it is almost universally used by public water suppliers. Chlorine is not naturally in the water supply, but is added up to 4.0 ppm by public water suppliers in the U.S. and elsewhere. More than 0.2-0.3 ppm of chlorines in the water can be lethal to fishes. Any aquarium or pond chlorine remover product that will remove up to 4.0 ppm chlorine from the water will remove very quickly all the chlorine that can be expected in the tap water. A regular dose of any of the Kordon AmQuels and NovAquas will do this in seconds in aquariums and within a few minutes in ponds. NovAqua+ removes 6 ppm chlorines per dose (much higherfor its new pond products), AmQuel+ removes 33 ppm chlorines per dose (much higher for its new pond products), plus all the toxic nitrogen compounds to the extent that it eliminates them.
As for ammonia/ammonium in the water, aquarium and pond fishes and aquatic invertebrates should be kept in water that has 0.25 ppm or less ammonia, and for some this needs to be below 0.05 ppm. Higher amounts of ammonia, especially above 1.0 ppm, can be lethal to them. Nitrites should be kept near zero, with 0.2-0.3 ppm nitrites being toxic to some fishes and aquatic invertebrates. Nitrates should be kept at 10 ppm or less, based on recent scientific studies on fishes. For further information see the EPA web site http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/dw_contamfs/nitrates.html.“ Consumer Factsheet on Nitrates/Nitrites.”
We know from using scientific grade electronic test equipment costing hundreds or thousands of dollars each that Kordon's Amquel+ can be depended upon to remove/detoxify from water all the chlorines whatever their level in the water, and all the toxic nitrogen compounds (ammonias, nitrites, nitrates, etc.) to at least the level per dose that is indicated on the product label. This is because AmQuel+ undergoes the needed chemical reactions, whatever the water conditions. If it is realized that none of the non-electronic test kits sold in the aquarium and pond trade are precise enough to read accurately the 0.05-0.25 ppm range for ammonia/ammonium except as an estimated guess, it shows how important it is to have AmQuel+ that is going to eliminate this very low yet toxic amount, without having to worry about a test to prove it.
Unfortunately, the aquarist or pond keeper may be unable to determine proper test readings when using many of the test kits using color test readings provided by pet and aquarium stores, particularly for those tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The least expensive of these kits on the market simply are not accurate enough for aquarium and pond water conditions. Also, Amquel+ removes dyes from the water (such as used in such medications that have methylene blue, malachite green, iodine, and potassium permangate), and when dyes are present they may interfere with the readings of some of the less expensive colorimetric water tests that for whatever reasons are incompatible with AmQuel+. What you can depend upon for the most accurate test readings in the aquarium and pond trade for non-electronic water test kits, whatever the water conditions, are Kordon AquaTru water test kits (see Water Test Kits listed on Kordon's home page). Otherwise, for greater accuracy the aquarist or pondist should use digital test kits that are electronic.
Chemical Reagents For The Colorimetric Test Kits
There are three types of chemical reagents for the colorimetric test kits -- liquid reagents, powder reagents, and the test strips. The liquid reagents usually have a shorter shelf life than the powder and are usually less accurate than the powder. The powder reagents range up to scientific grade with a high degree of accuracy. When using any colorimetric test kit attention has to be paid to when the reagents go out of date, which can then read erroneously high or low readings. All reagents expire after time and they should be dated as to expiration. Also, the test kits with liquid and powder reagents should tell how to get replacements for out-of-date reagents.
There are those who do not want to pay the price required for accurate test kits, and there are sellers who are willing to accommodate them. But this results in a lot of confusion when the tests do not come out right. Low quality or expired reagents either read high or low, confusing the user who then thinks something else he has used, such as water conditioners, are not acting correctly. Kordon's AmQuel water conditioners do not go out of date and do not vary from what is prescribed on the container. If the test kit is reading extremely high or low after a water conditioner has been used, and it is surmised that the water conditioner is not working properly, recheck the accuracy of the test kit.
What Are The Most Important Test Kits To Use In Testing Aquarium And Pond Water
Since Kordon Amquel+ and NovAqua+ take out by detoxification and removal all of the most important toxicants in public water supplies, completely doing so when dosed properly, that leaves for more regular use one of the most important test kits needed in aquarium and pond keeping -- and that is for pH acidity/alkalinity of the water. The main concern is to see that the pH of the water does not become too acid for most aquarium and pond fishes and inhabitants, which would generally be an acidity below 6.0-6.5 in fresh water and below 7.5-8.0 in salt water. Falling pH usually means that the water quality is declining. Rising pH usually is caused by calcium and/or magnesium based gravels or decorations that are slowing dissolving in the water.
However, adjusting pH in the aquarium can be a daunting experience, because the water often does not want to cooperate. And, rapidly adjusting pH can be very stressful to the fishes and aquatic invertebrates. Most freshwater fishes and aquatic invertebrates will adjust to a wide range of pHs (6.5-8.0), regardless of where they came from originally. It is often best to adjust the fishes to the prevailing pH of the water, rather than the reverse. For fresh water that would preferably be between pH 6.5-7.5.
Do not test the pH of water directly out of the tap. The water will usually be anaerobic and much lower in pH than when it adjusts to open air conditions. Wait one or two days before testing.
pH is related to alkalinity which has its own test kits. Understanding alkalinity, including for reef aquariums, is complex, and we will leave it to other experts elsewhere to explain alkalinity to you. As for the Kordon pH Water Test Kits, click the links to the pH Water Test Kits on Kordon's home page on this web site for further information.
The other water test kit that is the most important for aquarists and pondists is the low-range nitrate test, and if conditions for nitrate build up are really bad, the high-range nitrate test. This test tells you the general condition in the water for the build up over time of all the toxic nitrogen compounds. The more nitrate that there is in the water, the more other toxic nitrogen compounds are present that can be of harm to fishes and other aquatic organisms. We say low-range nitrate test first, because you want to keep the nitrates at or below 10 ppm, according to the latest scientific information on the subject. What is above 10 ppm should be eliminated by water changes or the use of Kordon AmQuel+. The advantage to using AmQuel+ is that it saves making as many water changes as otherwise would be needed. It saves on water, and for marine aquariums it saves on sea salt.
The Way To Reduce The Need For Using Water Test Kits -- And What Kordon Water Conditioners Do In Detoxifying The Water
Regardless of what the aquarium and pond water test kits say in their test results, in all uses one dose of AmQuel+ will permanently remove/detoxify the entire amount of chlorines (and break the chloramine bond that combines the chlorine to ammonia) that are added to the water by public water suppliers. This removal/detoxification is mostly completed within a few seconds for chlorines, whatever the size of the aquarium, and within a few minutes for a pond.
For the ammonia/ammonium present in the water due to the chloramine and from what is naturally present, the addition of AmQuel or AmQuel+ per dose will permanently remove/detoxify at least 1.0 ppm (parts per million, which is essentially equal to mgl =milligrams per liter) for AmQuel and 1.2 ppm for AmQuel+ of all forms of ammonia and ammonium. To remove all other toxic nitrogen compounds, one dose of AmQuel+ will permanently remove/detoxify at least 2 ppm of nitrites, 13 ppm of nitrates, and many other toxic nitrogen compounds in addition to its removing 1.2 ppm of ammonia/ammonium. Kordon AmQuel+ will remove/detoxify per dose mostly within five minutes at least the amount of ammonia/ammonium, nitrites, and nitrates as shown on the label, and often it will be more than shown on the label. The slight remaining amount to be removed per dose will be done over the next 24 hours. In fact if the nitrogen compounds in the water are mainly nitrates, it can be up to 85 ppm nitrates that are detoxified per dose of AmQuel+.
Once these nitrogen compounds are removed by AmQuel+, the remains are permanently nontoxic and no longer are detected by any non-electronic or electronic water test kits. By "colorimetric" we mean those tests that are read by the amount of change in color that there is after the test is completed. The AmQuels do not interfere with the actions and feeding of the beneficial bacteria in the water, nor with the nitrogen cycle, nor with biological filtration. The beneficial bacteria involved go on consuming the remains of the nitrogen compounds after AmQuel+ has detoxified them as if nothing has happened.
What Kordon AmQuel+ is doing in aquarium and pond keeping is so remarkable, it has received a lot of skepticism, with some users looking for what will prove that it is not doing what is claimed for it. In fact it meets its claims, and it totally changes what is needed by aquarists and pondists in water testing. Regular use of AmQuel+ eliminates most of the need to use the water tests for the nitrogens. All the ammonia put in by public water utilities will be removed by the first dose. All the urine and excretions of the fish and other life forms will be removed/detoxified by regular use of dosages of AmQuel+ in the water. The end build up of nitrates which naturally are not taken out of the water by any organisms in normal aquarium and pond keeping will be eliminated by the regular use of AmQuel+, without the need for water changes for this purpose.
Since the aquarist and pondist can depend on Kordon AmQuel+ to detoxify all the nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and others) with which they may have some problems, this really leaves the main water tests to be used for aquarium and pond keeping to be for pH acidity/alkalinity. And just to be sure that there is not an end build up of toxic nitrogen in the water -- the low range nitrate water test. Keep in mind that Kordon is selling a complete range of these professional-grade nitrogen test kits. We are putting telling the truth over just trying to make sales of test kits.
The Range Of Quality In Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Test Kits On the Market
Independent laboratory tests of the water test kits on the aquarium/ornamental pond product market show that many of the colorimetric water test kits measuring nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) that are presently sold for aquarium and pond use are to some extent inaccurate.
The basic problem is that reading low levels at parts per million (= milligrams per liter) requires great accuracy in chemical reagents that cannot be provided at a cheap price. Scientific/technical grade test-kit reagents are needed for this purpose, which are considerably more expensive than the cheapest. What has happened is that the trade and consumer demand has been towards buying the cheapest test kits, mainly those that are test strips, without regard to quality. .
The trend has been to make aquarium and pond water test kits ever more inexpensive and price competitive, but to do so means that lesser-grade materials have been used, with decreased accuracy -- in some cases to being considerably inaccurate in test results. One problem is that according to their original manufacturers that supply companies in the aquarium trade that put their labels on their products, the inexpensive test kits have shorter shelf lives, being less stable. When freshly made they were fully accurate, meeting the standards printed on their labels, but over time they may more quickly degrade.
Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Powder Chemical Reagents
The test kits using powder reagents are generally the most stable and accurate, usually with scientific accuracy. They are also the most expensive and have the longest shelf life. These kits are the most stable in accurately showing the correct levels of ammonia/nitrite/nitrate when Kordon's AmQuels are used in water conditioning. All of Kordon's water tests use scientific grade powder reagents.
Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Liquid Chemical Reagents
The test kits using liquid reagents vary widely in accuracy and shelf life, and are at intermediate cost.
Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Tests Using Paper Strip Chemical Reagents
Water Test Strips can be as accurate as any other form of colorimetric water test, providing they are of technical/scientific grade. Based on independent laboratory tests, most water tests on the market for aquariums and ponds using color strips that are dipped in the water to obtain color readings are the least accurate of all the kinds of kits on the market. And they are the least expensive, with a short shelf life when their packaging is opened, regardless of what is indicated on their labels.
Test Strips are the simplest and least expensive of the test kits, often providing an approximate reading more of a rough measure of test results rather than a precise measurement. A rough measure can be useful to the aquarist and pondist, but for ammonia and nitrite they may or may not be helpful. Test strips are paper strips printed in colors that when dipped in water indicate by changing color what the test results are. Exposure to moisture, repeated wettings and dryings between uses, and aging can degrade their use. Shelf life can be critical for them. Test strips for making quick check ups on water conditions can be very useful. However, the user needs to understand their limitations and be cautious in making his conclusions based on the results from test strips.
In general, according to the original manufacturers contacted by Novalek, at best the strips' shelf life that they supply into the aquarium and pond trade is 30 days or less after being opened. Some test strips are manufactured outside the United States and need to go through the importers, through the distributors, through the dealers, through to the consumers and then be used. This takes time, and the test strips can be out of date before being used by the consumers. However, there are scientific/laboratory grade test strips that have high accuracy and longer shelf life, but they are appreciably more expensive than most on the market. Therefore, the aquarist and pondist need to consider that there is a wide range of accuracy in the products on the market.
The Trouble With Non-electronic Colorimetric Water Tests For Nitrate
As we have previously indicated, accurately testing for nitrogen compounds in water requires the use of test kits that are of high quality, especially when using non-electronic colorimetric readings. This is particularly true for testing for nitrate. Getting an accurate reading from non-electronic colorimetric nitrate test kits is usually more difficult, and the readings may be interfered with by the nitrogen compounds in the aquarium or pond water. Some of the nitrate tests have only slight changes in color between different readings, so that it is difficult to judge the correct reading, depending upon how well the viewer's eyes differentiate the colors. One way to overcome this is to have others check your readings to see if they are seeing colors differently than you are.
The Trouble With Kordon AmQuel+ Interfering With Readings Of Colorimetric Water Tests For Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
The differences in quality between test kits has been found to be particularly true in tests by less expensive test kits done on water samples from aquarium or pond water to which AmQuel+ has been added. AmQuel+ is a dye remover in addition to what else it does. Therefore, if the water test is not of sufficient strength in its colorimetric reading, it will have its color reading distorted, being either higher or lower than it should be. A better grade test kit meeting scientific/technical standards is essential here for an accurate reading. This means that even for some tests done with more costly powdered reagents, the test results can be difficult to read properly. Kordon's AquaTru water tests are of sufficient high grade as to not to be interfered with by AmQuel+. The test strips for water tests were the least stable, and most likely to be interfered with by AmQuel+.
A number of the salicylate ammonia test kits (reading from yellow to green to blue-green in test results), as well as some of the nitrite test kits are accurate enough to get a general reading for ammonia and nitrite, respectively. The aquarist and pondist need to find out which ones those are.
The greatest confusion comes from the ammonia test kits, which clearly are the most trouble for aquarists and pondists to understand. More of the ammonia tests appear to be inaccurate, than for any other test reading.
There is one type of ammonia test kit to avoid, particularly so when using one of the AmQuel water conditioners. This is the Nessler test which was developed for testing water for those live seafood (lobsters, crabs, mollusks, some shrimp) that have a high tolerance for ammonia. The Nessler test reads best at the high range of 3-10 or more ppm ammonia, which is far too toxic for fishes, but not as toxic to the live seafood listed above. The Nessler test is not compatible to use with fish and aquarium invertebrates that need to be kept below 0.25 ppm ammonia. You recognize a Nessler test by the colorimetric readings being in shades of yellow or amber, a unique feature of these tests, and one that is difficult to read.
The proper test to use for aquariums and ponds is the ammonia Salicylate test that reads the lower range needed for aquarium keeping between 0-1.0 ppm. The Nessler ammonia test reads in shades of yellow or amber for all its readings. The Salicylate test reads in shades of yellow to green to blue-green, and is much easier to read than the Nessler test.
The Nessler ammonia test should not be used with the AmQuel and AmQuel+ products, because the chemicals in these products interfere with the Nessler yellow color readings, often turning the readings to brown or black. The Salicylate test is the proper colorimetric test kit to use for aquarium and pond use in order to provide accurate readings of the ammonia in the water at the levels that are important to aquariums and ponds, which are mainly below one ppm.
However, there are Salicylate test kits on the market that use test strips and liquid reagents that are completely incompatible with AmQuel and AmQuel+. And, for example, there is one of the best selling ammonia Salicylate test kits using liquid reagents that is consistently reported to us as being incompatible with Kordon AmQuel and AmQuel+. We do not understand why the tests are incompatible with the AmQuels, and we will report on this in a modification of this Kordon Article as soon as we have some answers.
The Importance Of Using Colorimetric Water Tests That Are Dated
A general rule worth following for all water quality tests is not to use colorimetric water tests that do not provide the "use before" date for their reagents. When out of date, or nearly so, the readings may be inaccurate. Do not expect that kits or reagents when purchased are always fresh and "in date." They may have been stored for some time and under adverse conditions, and actually for the reagents to be out of date, or nearly so, even when they say otherwise. Knowing the quality of the test kits and reagents you are using is important. For those not dated, especially for some of the least expensive tests, according to some of their manufacturers these tests have a shelf life of 1.5 years sealed in their packaging, and can have as short a shelf life as 30 days from the time the outer packaging is opened.
You can depend on all Kordon Aqua-Tru Water Quality Test Kits to be accurate and easy to read, with dated scientific/technical grade (powdered) reagents. If they go out of date, Kordon will replace them free. Pet/aquarium/pond product stores that handle Kordon products can order these test kits and reagents for you from their wholesale distributors. For a convenient Internet site providing these test kits, use the Novalek web site www.novalek.com and go to NovaShop for pricing and ordering information under the Fish/aquatics and Test Kit categories.
The Use of Electronic Meters For Reading Water Quality
The most precise readings are from the electronic meters. Until recently, they have generally been more expensive, up to $1,000 and more, and are considered by most aquarists and pondists to be beyond their budget. Nevertheless, for the serious hobbyist, who values his animals, they can pay for themselves in peace of mind and safety. They are available from scientific instrument suppliers, as well as from those supplying aquarium and pond instruments. This is the coming way to read water qualities accurately and quickly, and the cost for the lower-priced meters is coming down.
Analytical Radiometers. These electronic meters are used for titration with reagents, such as for accurate readings of pH, mV, alkalinity, hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and redox. They use electrodes and potentiometric titration working with liquid samples. They allow automation for handling numerous samples to test.
Electronic Colorimeters. These are more versatile (and usually more expensive) electronic meters using reagents and include the units that are termed "water quality laboratories" for all the parameters that are generally needed to be tested in water quality, including acidity, alkalinity, carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen ammonia, chloride, nitrite, nitrate, iron, pH, phosphate, turbidity, temperature, iron, hardness, conductivity/TDS (total dissolved solids), etc.
Spectrophotometers. These are the most expensive for specialized investigations and the most accurate in test readings. Its measurements are based on measuring the relative intensities of light in different parts of the spectrum to identify test results. Spectrophotometers range up to those that can measure over a hundred preprogrammed parameters. There are spectrophotometers that are specialized as easy-to-use water quality instruments.
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For detailed information on ammonia test kits see Kordon Article WHAT EVERY AQUARIST AND POND KEEPER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AMMONIA TEST KITS... , and for nitrate test kits see Kordon Article WHAT EVERY AQUARIST AND POND KEEPER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NITRATE TEST KITS...
For further information -- on the home page of the Novalek web site www.novalek.com, put the search word(s), such as water test kits, or water conditioners, or AmQuel+. A list of all the pages on these subjects on the Novalek web site will be provided, which will include general and technical information.
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