Aquarium, pond & aquaponics water tests

Q: Which parameters should be measured first in aquaponics?

Ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, which track the nitrogen cycle from start to finish, then pH and KH, which tell you whether the pH will stay stable. That is what the pack of 5 aquaponics tests contains. Iron and potassium tests can be added to monitor plant nutrition.

Q: Drop tests or test strips?

JBL ProAquaTest Easy strips read chlorine, pH from 6.4 to 9, KH, GH, nitrite and nitrate in one minute, but not ammonium, and their pH reading is unreliable in very soft water. Drop tests measure one parameter at a time, more precisely: ammonium can be read from 0.05 mg/L.

Q: At what level does nitrite become dangerous?

The target is zero. The nitrite test's product page puts the danger threshold between 0.5 and 1 mg/L depending on the species, with fry among the most sensitive. Any readable value means you need to look for the cause.

Q: What KH should I aim for to keep pH stable?

In aquaponics, the product page for potassium bicarbonate recommends 6 to 12 °dKH: below 6, the buffer reserve thins out and pH varies more from one day to the next. The KH test is read by titration, with one drop equal to one degree in 5 ml of water.

Q: How many tests does a drop test kit allow?

It depends on the test: about 50 tests for the wide-range pH test, 80 for the narrow-range one, and about 50 for the JBL PondCheck pH and KH test. Reagent refills are sold separately and reuse the glassware from the kit.

Q: Does a digital meter need calibrating?

Yes. The ARKA myAqua tester comes with 3 sachets of pH buffer and a conductivity calibration solution. The AMTRA pH tester is calibrated with buffers at 6.86 and then 4.00 or 9.18, to be bought separately.

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Reagent refills

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Digital meters

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JBL PROAQUATEST LAB water analysis case closed, black box with handle on a white background

JBL ProAquaTest Lab water analysis case, 13 tests for aquarium and pond

$166.00

-7%

Aquaponics water analysis pack, complete test kit to monitor pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates

Pack of 5 aquaponics water tests: NH4, NO2, NO3, pH, KH

$106.00

~~$114.00~~ $106.00

-50% on a selection of fish food

Closed JBL ProAquaTest Lab Koi case, front panel listing the parameters KH, GH, NH4, NO2, NO3, pH, PO4 and O2

10-in-1 water analysis kit for ponds

$199.00

Closed JBL ProAquaTest Combiset Pond analysis case, with pH, KH, GH, NH4, NO2 and PO4 tests on the lid

6-in-1 pond water analysis kit

$88.00

JBL ProAquaTest CombiSet Plus NH4 test kit case, closed, with the pH, KH, NO2, NO3, CO2 and NH4 parameters shown on the front

6-in-1 Aquarium Water Testing Kit

From $78.00

Front-facing view of the potassium K water test box on a white background, labelled 25 tests

Potassium K water test in drops

$38.00

Cardboard box for the PO4 Sensitive phosphate test, with 50 X TEST printed at the top

Phosphate PO4 water test in drops

$27.00

Box for the NH4 ammonium water test, 10.6 by 17.5 cm format, approximately 50 measurements

Ammonium NH4 water test, drop format

$25.00

Cardboard box for the NO3 nitrate water test, labelled 40 X TEST

Nitrate NO3 water test, drop format

$33.00

Cardboard box for the iron Fe drop test, labelled 50 tests, for aquarium, pond and saltwater

Iron (Fe) water test, drop format

$28.00

Box of the copper Cu water test in drops, labelled 50 X TEST, on a white background

Cu copper water test in drops

$28.00

Freshwater magnesium water test box, 10.6 by 17.5 cm format, labelled 60 measurements

Magnesium Mg water test in drops, freshwater

$33.00

Box for the KH carbonate hardness water test, 10.6 by 17.5 cm, reagent and test tube inside

KH water test, carbonate hardness, drop-based

$17.00

Box of pH drop test, range 3.0 to 10.0, 50 tests stated on the packaging

pH water test in drops, wide or narrow range

From $17.00

Box of the nitrite NO2 drop water test, on a white background

Nitrite NO2 water test in drops

$23.00

15 products out of 48

A water test answers a specific question, and the right test depends on the one you are asking. To monitor the nitrogen cycle, three measurements are enough: ammonium, readable from 0.05 to 5 mg/L, nitrite, from 0.025 to 1 mg/L, with a target of zero, and nitrate, from 0.5 to 200 mg/L. pH and KH then tell you whether the water will stay stable; in aquaponics, the product page for the JBL PondCheck test puts the pH between 6.8 and 7.5.

Drop tests give the most precise reading, sold individually or in a case; the pack of 5 aquaponics tests brings together the five measurements for routine monitoring, and reagent refills extend each test without buying the glassware again. Test strips read six parameters in a single dip, in one minute, for a quick check. Digital meters display a number rather than a colour: the ARKA myAqua tester measures pH to two decimal places, conductivity and temperature, which is mainly useful in hydroponics. To interpret your results, the article on the nitrogen cycle in aquaponics explains the role of each value.

Frequently asked questions

Which parameters should be measured first in aquaponics?

Drop tests or test strips?

At what level does nitrite become dangerous?

What KH should I aim for to keep pH stable?

How many tests does a drop test kit allow?

Does a digital meter need calibrating?

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