# In-tank pH and ammonia testers



## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

Hey,

I'll be cycling a new tank before too much longer and have been looking at those leave-in pH and ammonia testers. Anyone used these before and do you think your results were accurate?

Thanks!

Laura Lee


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The pH tester is what we also call a "drop checker". See the DIY sticky about them to see how we use them.


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## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

Thanks for the thread and that definitely sounds very handy (especially for someone also checking pH against CO2) but I actually was referring to these products where I wouldn't need to use solutions at all (I guess I should have included links in my original post- sorry! lol)

Mardel master in-tank monitor

or this one

Seachem in-tank pH monitor


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

There is no need for a continuous reading of pH in the tank. Only if you are using pH and KH to determine ppm of CO2 in the water is pH of great importance. Trying to adjust pH will generally do more harm than good.


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## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

LOL How about I'm cycling the tank and lazy/don't want to mess with test tubes and drops to keep checking the ammonia?

I also will be using peat for the first time (under my susbstrate and in my canister filter) and so want to monitor the pH to try and get the amounts right. I'm on slightly alkaline well water (runs about 7.5 and I'd like to get it a little under 7.0).

If these are reliable I'd like to use them- they're cheap! lol


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## ken05salmon (Feb 1, 2007)

Laurellee:
Believe you're "Way ahead" of me, but we also have a well and concerns regarding water quality. 
Before we set up this 90 gal. tank, I installed a nice home water filter system, but was not a RO system. I knew most of the minerals would pass through, but we had water tested and found we also had traces of Arsenic. Yikes! So, made sure our filtering system would eliminate Arsenic. Then I set up tank with some plants, and about 2 weeks later began introduction of fish. This was the disappointing part; after some fish were lost, thought I needed to "figure out" what was happening. And i tested Ammonia and found readings were higher than anticipated. So, attributed fish loss to Ammonia. 
Over the next several weeks, worked on getting Ammonia down through mostly water changes plus jacks "Bio-Boost." Not sure that really did anything. But Ammonia did come down (although not to zero), and on occassion, would loose a fish now and then. So. began checking other water quality indicators, mostly PH. 
Even purchased a Milwaukee PH meter, (but calibration is an issue) and would monitor. I did find that our PH of well water was significantly higher than our local fish store (where we purchased fish). Our reading were in the neghborhood of 8.2 - 8.5; while Jack's was reading at or slightly above 7.2. My understand is that for each .1 of Ph change, means a ten fold difference. I also consulted with Jacks and tried several of their "chemicals" intended to adjust the PH, however, none seemed effective. And, my personal belief was that these chemicals were doing nothing to enhance the health of the fish nor plants. So, ended up making another purchase of an "On demand RO" system.
This "On demand RO" system does not involve a holding tank, and I just needed to tap into my cold water (softened) line. There are 3 "Pretty good size" filters and the system operates well on lower well pressure. Believe I have a little over 40 PSI on our holding tank. When I turn on this RO system, I fill two plastic water containers, one is 7 gals, the other 5 gals. It takes about 5 minutes to make 1 gallon of RO, I just set my timer for 35 minutes and I'd better be around or this container (7 gal.) will overflow! Water quality is good, I have been able to bring down the PH in our 90 gal. tank over time. 

Ken


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

This has been discussed several times, but it is still an interesting topic. When you plant an aquarium heavily, and use lots of fast growing plants, the plants consume the ammonia that the fish create with their waste products. Eventually a colony of nitrifying bacteria also gets established to help with that. But, it is safe to add fish to the tank within a few days of starting the plants. So, it isn't necessary to keep monitoring ammonia in the water - it isn't likely there will be any, and weekly water changes will get rid of what little bit there is.

Once you start adding stuff to the water to try to make the pH be what you want it to be you are adding to the total dissolved solids in the water, you are establishing a set of water parameters you need to try to match every time you change water, which should be weekly, at least during the start up time. That soon gets to be more of a problem than a solution.

Plants and fish are very adaptable, and will live well in almost any tap water that is drinkable, once you acclimate them, which you need to do in any case. Some plants need soft water, but not many. And, some fish need lower pH or higher pH water to reproduce, but just to keep them healthy in the tank you don't need to give them good breeding conditions.

Those are the reasons I don't believe monitoring pH and ammonia is a worthwhile activity. Others undoubtably will have different opinions, but that is how we all learn - by thinking about such differing opinions.


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## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm setting up a S. American discus tank, investing in Jack Wattley discus, and will be monitoring my parameters very very closely because $300 worth of fish is not something i'm playing around with! LOL 

I'm not planning on trying to breed them, so don't want too low a pH but something closer to the pH on his farm (6.8-7.0). I'm not too worried about the pH in PWC's being a little off because I'll be doing less water more frequently.

I'm planting fairly heavily, and am hoping that this tank will be naturally buffered enough to hold. I have a RO unit but it's only hooked up to the fridge and would be a pain to try and get water from for my tank (take forever plus temp diff.)- I'm not going to go that direction unless I have to.

I think I'll just get them and check them against the drop kit I already have for a week or so to compare results...


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

If you are serious about monitoring pH, I suggest you get a pH probe. I have good experience with the Pinpoint pH Monitor.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Don't you need to have decided what you will do if the pH is outside of the limits you want to remain in? You can add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to raise the KH, which will stabilize the pH somewhat, but at the price of also raising it.

Good luck with the discus! I would be asking for a divorce if I spent that much for any fish, and then started to lose them. My courage level just isn't that high yet.


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

hoppycalif said:


> Don't you need to have decided what you will do if the pH is outside of the limits you want to remain in?


Not necessary. The continuous read-out from a pH monitor makes it easier to be familiar with the baseline fluctuations of the tank water pH. When something out of the ordinary takes place regarding the pH, it can be traced to the most likely triggered events. By avoiding those events in the future, one can maintain a stable system with minimum intervention.


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## lauraleellbp (Jan 31, 2008)

bartoli said:


> If you are serious about monitoring pH, I suggest you get a pH probe. I have good experience with the Pinpoint pH Monitor.


I have looked at that, and if these turn out to be unreliable there's a durn good chance I'll try and snag one... but if these things work that's much better bang for the buck for me!

Hoppy- If I can't get it stabilized then I'll scrap the discus and replace them with colombian tetras and german rams... I'm not messing around with baking soda and all that- peat is the only additive I'm willing to consider outside of a super-careful fert regime; I'm not throwing good $ after bad!!! lol I don't live that far from Wattley's farm, though, so I have high hopes about the whole water parameter issue working out...


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

bartoli said:


> Not necessary. The continuous read-out from a pH monitor makes it easier to be familiar with the baseline fluctuations of the tank water pH. When something out of the ordinary takes place regarding the pH, it can be traced to the most likely triggered events. By avoiding those events in the future, one can maintain a stable system with minimum intervention.


Good point, and that is far better than trying to react to every little change you see.


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