Mallette d'analyse d'eau JBL PROAQUATEST LAB fermée, coffret noir à poignée sur fond blanc

Mallette JBL PROAQUATEST LAB ouverte sur fond blanc, les 13 tests en gouttes du plateau haut et le compartiment bas

JBL PROAQUATEST LAB, plateau haut du coffret et ses 23 flacons de réactifs

JBL PROAQUATEST LAB, plateau bas avec éprouvettes en verre, seringues et thermomètre

Coffret JBL PROAQUATEST LAB avec ses fiches d'analyse et ses nuanciers déployés

Lecture d'un test JBL PROAQUATEST dans le bloc comparateur de laboratoire

Tableau de conversion du CO2 JBL PROAQUATEST, à croiser entre pH et KH

14-in-1 water analysis kit for aquarium

Name: 14-in-1 water analysis kit for aquarium
Brand: JBL
Price: 147.0 AUD
Availability: InStock

$147.00

(27 avis)

The JBL PROAQUATEST LAB combines 13 liquid drop tests in a single case and covers 14 freshwater parameters, from pH to nitrites through to iron and CO2.

Aquarium, pond or aquaponic system, the laboratory comparison block ensures reliable readings even on coloured water. Multilingual instructions, French included, and reagents available as separate refills.

7/7 customer service by e-mail

Payment in instalments, free of charge

The summary

What you receive: the JBL PROAQUATEST LAB kit, 13 drop tests, 23 reagent bottles, 12 glass test tubes, comparison block and thermometer.
What you measure: 14 freshwater parameters, from ammonia to nitrates, iron to phosphates, silicates to dissolved oxygen.
How long it takes: 5 minutes for a single test, around 30 minutes for a complete assessment of all 14 parameters.
How to choose: the 6-parameter version is sufficient without demanding plants, this one becomes essential when you need to monitor iron and phosphates.
What buyers say: 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon.fr, the accuracy compared to test strips comes up in almost every review.
What gets delivered to you: a parcel weighing 2.11 kg, reagents in their original case, to a collection point or your home.

JBL drop test case with 13 tests, 14 parameters, aquarium, pond and aquaponics

An aquarium gives little warning before things go wrong. When fish are breathing fast at the surface or plants are yellowing from the top, the imbalance has been building for days. The JBL PROAQUATEST LAB helps you see it coming, with 13 drop tests and 14 parameters read in about half an hour of simple procedures.

The difference from a test strip is not about convenience. A test strip dipped for two seconds gives an approximate colour on a support that has absorbed the room's moisture. Here, a measured volume of water reacts with a dosed reagent in a glass test tube, and the reading is taken in a laboratory comparator block that cancels out the water's natural tint. Our notes on cloudy water explain why amber-coloured water distorts a direct reading.

The 14 parameters, group by group

The nitrogen cycle trio

Ammonium, nitrites and nitrates reveal the true state of biological filtration. These are the three values to monitor during cycling, after sudden overstocking and after each incident.

The base, pH, KH and GH

KH stabilises pH, pH determines the proportion of ammonia that is actually toxic, GH controls shrimp moulting and reproduction. These three values must be read together, never separately.

What plants live on

Phosphates, iron and carbon dioxide form the diet of aquatic plants. An iron deficiency shows on young leaves long before appearing in overall growth.

The unwanted ones

Copper, silicates and lack of oxygen explain some of the problems we think inexplicable, from dying shrimp to brown diatoms on the glass.

The nitrogen cycle is the first thing this test kit makes visible. During start-up, ammonia rises then falls, nitrites take over and fall in turn, and the appearance of nitrates marks the end of cycling. Without liquid drop tests, this sequence is invisible and fish are introduced too early.

Each colour chart has three reading bands, marked by a pictogram: the fish for freshwater, the koi carp for garden ponds, the starfish for saltwater. The same colour does not therefore give the same reading depending on the environment, firstly because salt reduces the intensity of the reaction, and secondly because a pond undergoes temperature and light variations that an indoor tank does not experience. Each band shifts from green to yellow then to red, indicating the measured value and the action to take. The detailed breakdown of each parameter is given in the specifications.

Choose carefully before ordering

This kit is designed for freshwater, whether that's a planted aquarium, a community tank, a garden pond or an aquaponic system. Several tests remain usable in seawater thanks to the third band on the colour chart, but a reef tank needs the marine version of this range, not this one. If you're setting up a first tank with no demanding plants, the 6 in 1 water testing kit covers the nitrogen cycle, pH and KH for a much lower price, and the comparator puts both kits side by side.

A complete testing session takes three steps. Water is sampled from the middle of the tank, never from the surface or against the substrate. Tests with immediate readings are done in sequence while those requiring a wait time are left for their timer. Finally, note the values on the supplied analysis sheet, with the date, the temperature recorded from the kit's thermometer, and the last intervention made to the tank. This column of dates is where the real value lies, because a single value is hard to interpret, whereas a six-week series shows a trend.

Mistakes to avoid

Rinsing test tubes in tap water rather than tank water permanently skews phosphate and silicate readings. Laying a dropper bottle on its side lets air in and produces irregular drops, leading to false titrations on KH and GH, whereas the instructions require holding the nozzle vertically downwards. Reading a colour under artificial evening light shifts your nitrite reading. And testing the day after a medication treatment doesn't measure your water, it measures the medication.

In aquaponics, the targets are different

An aquaponic system does not have the same targets as an ornamental aquarium. You accept, and even actively seek, nitrates here that an aquarist would try to reduce, because these are what feed the plants. The pH then becomes a constant trade-off between nitrifying bacteria, which work more efficiently at the higher end of the range, and plant roots, which absorb iron and phosphorus more effectively at the lower end.

Yet the two parameters that can destabilise a system, iron and phosphate, are precisely those that simplified test kits do not measure. Yellowing foliage between green veins signals an iron deficiency and, without testing, you correct blindly. This is why we recommend the complete kit as soon as there are plants in the circuit.

What this kit does not do

It measures neither calcium, magnesium, nor potassium. These three tests do exist from JBL but are sold separately and are primarily intended for seawater and advanced aquascaping. Nor does it replace an electronic probe if you need to monitor pH continuously, minute by minute. What it does provide is a complete, dated and reproducible snapshot, as often as you decide, without calibration, without batteries and without probe drift.

Finally, it's equipment you don't throw away. The water-resistant plastic case, the 12 glass test tubes, the syringes, the measuring spoons, the comparator block, the thermometer and the colour charts all stay with you. Only the 23 reagent bottles run out, and JBL sells its reagents as separate refills. Our water testing section stocks the most common refills, from pH through to nitrates, including iron, copper and oxygen. So the first purchase covers the equipment, and subsequent ones cover only the reagents you've used up.

Technical specifications

The essentials

Parameters measured: 14, including 13 drop testsThe fourteenth, CO2, is read from a chart matching the pH and KH already measured
Method: Liquid reagents, colourimetric readingThe supplied comparator block cancels the water's natural colour at the time of reading
Covered media: Freshwater, pond, aquaponicsOne reading scale per environment on each colour chart, including seawater
Manufacturer reference: JBL 2408400, PROAQUATEST rangeJBL GmbH & Co. KG, Neuhofen, Germany
Reagent bottles: 23, child-safety capsFrom 1 bottle for KH or iron to 3 bottles for ammonia, silicates and oxygen
Refills: Reagents sold separately by JBLGlassware, colour charts, comparator block and thermometer are kept, only the liquids run out
Box dimensions: 38.2 x 31.8 x 8.5 cmDimensions from the JBL logistics sheet, packaging included
Package weight: 2.11 kgShipping weight from our warehouse. JBL states 1.27 kg net for the case alone

The 14 parameters, test by test

pH, wide range: 3.0 to 10.0To place an unknown water sample before refining with one of the two narrow ranges
pH, acidic range: 6.0 to 7.65 ml of water, 4 drops, read after 3 minutes
pH, alkaline range: 7.4 to 9.0Hard water, cichlids, koi ponds. 5 ml of water, 4 drops, read after 5 minutes
KH, carbonate hardness: Titration, 1 drop = 1 °dHThat is 1.78 °f, 0.36 mmol per litre of alkalinity or 21.8 mg per litre of bicarbonate
GH, total hardness: Titration, 1 drop = 1 °dHThat is 1.78 °f and 1.25 °e. On 5 ml of water, without colour chart
NH4 and NH3, ammonium: Colourimetric, 3 reagentsThe truly toxic ammonia portion is deduced from a chart matching pH and temperature
NO2, nitrites: Colourimetric, 2 reagents5 ml of water, reading after 5 minutes. The reference test during cycling
NO3, nitrates: Colourimetric, 2 reagentsOn 10 ml of water. In aquaponics, it's the nitrogen ration for the crops
PO4, phosphates: Sensitive version, 2 reagentsFormulation designed for low concentrations, those that balance plants and algae
Fe, iron: Colourimetric, 1 reagentKey parameter for planted tanks and aquaponic circuits
Cu, copper: Colourimetric, 2 reagents5 ml of water, read after 15 minutes. Check after treatment or on old pipework
SiO2, silicates: Colourimetric, 3 reagentsThe solution to follow when brown diatoms keep returning on the glass
O2, dissolved oxygen: Colourimetric, 3 reagentsOn 20 ml of water sampled without air bubbles, the trickiest test in the kit
CO2, carbon dioxide: No reagent, reading on chartThe value is read by cross-referencing pH and KH on the supplied chart

Operating instructions

Water volume per test: 5 to 20 ml5 ml for pH, KH, GH, nitrites and copper, 10 ml for nitrates, 20 ml for oxygen
Wait time: 3 to 15 minutes3 minutes for pH 6.0 to 7.6, 5 minutes for nitrites, 15 minutes for copper
Titration tests: KH and GHYou count the drops until the colour shifts, there is no colour chart for these two tests
Bottle holder: Vertical, nozzle pointing downwardsInstruction requirement, no bubbles, otherwise the drop volume varies and titration is wrong
Reading: Colour chart, in daylightWarm artificial lighting shifts the perception of pink and orange hues
Complete overview: Approximately 30 minutesRough estimate for the 14 parameters, accounting for all waiting times between tests

20 further specifications are available in the detailed view.

In the box

1 water-resistant plastic case, handle and clip closures
13 drop tests, or 23 bottles of reagents with child-safety caps
12 graduated glass test tubes, to run multiple tests without rinsing
2 plastic test tubes
2 sampling syringes
3 measuring scoops for powdered reagents
1 laboratory comparator block
1 thermometer, necessary to convert ammonia to toxic ammonia
1 colour chart set, 3 reading strips per test
1 CO2 conversion chart, pH and KH entries
1 ballpoint pen and 1 set of analysis sheets
1 multilingual instruction manual, French included

Content, dimensions and reference taken from the official JBL 2408400 datasheet. JBL states 13 tests: our count of 14 parameters is our own, 13 tests plus CO2 read from the chart. The 23 bottles are deduced from the hazard statements JBL publishes for each reagent individually. JBL does not publish the ranges of the colour charts, the number of measurements per bottle, or shelf life.

Six parameters or fourteen?

Both kits come from the same manufacturer, use the same drop-based reagents and the same comparison block. What sets them apart is the range of what they allow you to see.

Are you torn between the two kits? Four questions about what lives in your water, and we highlight the case made for you.

	Parameters covered (Parameters)	Drop tests included (tests)	Reagent bottles (bottles)	pH, KH, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and CO2 by table	GH, total hardness	PO4, phosphates	Fe, iron	Cu, copper	SiO2, silicates	O2, dissolved oxygen	Available pH ranges	Glass test tubes	Sampling syringes	Measuring spoons	Plastic test tubes	Laboratory comparison block	Thermometer	CO2 conversion chart	Analysis sheets	Case width (cm)	Case height (cm)	Case thickness (cm)	Prices
6 in 1, JBL PROAQUATEST COMBISET Plus NH4Your choice	6 Parameters	5 tests	9 bottles	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no	Single range, 3.0 to 10.0	3	1	1	1	yes	no	yes	yes	26,6 cm	22,6 cm	5,2 cm	$70.00
Recommended 14 in 1, JBL PROAQUATEST LABYour choice	14 Parameters	13 tests	23 bottles	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	Three, two of which are fine ranges	12	2	3	2	yes	yes	yes	yes	38,2 cm	31,8 cm	8,5 cm	$147.00

6 in 1, JBL PROAQUATEST COMBISET Plus NH4

What each kit measures

Parameters covered (Parameters)6 Parameters

Drop tests included (tests)5 tests

Reagent bottles (bottles)9 bottles

pH, KH, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and CO2 by tableyes

GH, total hardnessno

PO4, phosphatesno

Fe, ironno

Cu, copperno

SiO2, silicatesno

O2, dissolved oxygenno

Available pH rangesSingle range, 3.0 to 10.0

Equipment supplied

Glass test tubes3

Sampling syringes1

Measuring spoons1

Plastic test tubes1

Laboratory comparison blockyes

Thermometerno

CO2 conversion chartyes

Analysis sheetsyes

Space and budget

Case width (cm)26,6 cm

Case height (cm)22,6 cm

Case thickness (cm)5,2 cm

14 in 1, JBL PROAQUATEST LABRecommended

What each kit measures

Parameters covered (Parameters)14 Parameters

Drop tests included (tests)13 tests

Reagent bottles (bottles)23 bottles

pH, KH, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia and CO2 by tableyes

GH, total hardnessyes

PO4, phosphatesyes

Fe, ironyes

Cu, copperyes

SiO2, silicatesyes

O2, dissolved oxygenyes

Available pH rangesThree, two of which are fine ranges

Equipment supplied

Glass test tubes12

Sampling syringes2

Measuring spoons3

Plastic test tubes2

Laboratory comparison blockyes

Thermometeryes

CO2 conversion chartyes

Analysis sheetsyes

Space and budget

Case width (cm)38,2 cm

Case height (cm)31,8 cm

Case thickness (cm)8,5 cm

JBL states 13 tests per complete kit: our count of 14 parameters is our own,13 tests plus CO2 read from a chart. The vial counts come from hazard notices published by JBL. The prices shown are those from the two shop pages in your currency. The complete kit costs just over twice the 6-in-1: a parameter you won't measure is of no use to you, it's the list above that decides, not a price ratio. Details of the other model: <a href="/products/mallette-test-deau-6-en-1-aquarium">6-in-1 analysis kit</a>.

Product videos

JBL water tests: how to test correctly and what are the benefits

Presentation of the JBL PROAQUATEST LAB kit by the manufacturer, in German

JBL TV 53, mastering water tests and avoiding common mistakes, in German

JBL TV 27, testing your aquarium water step by step, in German

Documents & manuals

Official JBL PROAQUATEST instructions

Official JBL manual, multilingual with French. Volumes, drops, waiting times and corrections to apply, parameter by parameter.

PDF · 3,3 Mo

Download

Estimate your
delivery time

Parcel of 2.11 kg, dispatched to a Mondial Relay collection point or to your home with Colissimo, your choice during payment. The exact amount is shown in your basket.

Reviews of this product

4.6/5 · 912 reviews · source: Amazon.fr

Really comprehensive! All drop tests at this price point is genuinely excellent value. Much more accurate and reliable than my strip tests. Part of any aquarist's starter kit, I'd highly recommend it.

The case is very comprehensive and the instructions are straightforward. It also indicates which products to use if your readings aren't right. The tests are very simple to perform.

Most tests are straightforward, except one or two where you need to be a proper little chemist. I had strips and an electronic meter for pH, EC and TDS, and for pH I was getting three wildly different results. That's why I switched to the kit, which is said to be more reliable than strips.

Very simple to use, the manual is very clear. If we had to find a fault, it is a pity that the magnesium and calcium test is not in the kit, it must be purchased separately.

Very well packaged, as described.

Frequently asked questions

14 questions

6 key questions, 14 in the detailed view

Why 14 parameters when the kit contains 13 tests?

This 14-in-1 kit or the 6-in-1 case?

Three cases, in the order they arise.

Fish only, easy plants. The 6 in 1 kit covers the nitrogen cycle, pH, KH and CO2. That is sufficient.
Demanding plants, shrimp, pond or aquaponics. Four tests become essential and are missing from the short version: iron, phosphates, dissolved oxygen and silicates.
Treatment already used, or old pipework. The copper test is added to the list, and it exists only in the complete kit.

How often should you test the water in your aquarium?

During cycling: twice weekly on ammonia and nitrites, until both drop to zero and nitrates appear. The full process is described in our article on the nitrogen cycle.
On an established system: a full check once a month.
After an event: a nitrite check within 48 hours following the addition of fish, fish death, pump failure, treatment or mass filter cleaning.
In a pond, in summer: add an oxygen check during heat waves.

How many measurements can be made with this kit?

We cannot give you a reliable figure, and we prefer to be honest about it. JBL does not publish the number of possible measurements per bottle for this test kit, and the numbers circulating amongst retailers for the same tests sold individually contradict each other from one website to another.

What is certain is that the 23 bottles do not run out at the same rate: nitrites, nitrates and pH are used quickly, silicates and copper last for years. And reagents can be purchased separately, so you never replace the entire kit.

Is it suitable for a complete beginner?

Yes, provided you read the instructions carefully once: each test amounts to drawing a volume of water with the syringe, adding a number of drops as indicated, waiting 3 to 15 minutes depending on the test, then comparing the colour.

Two tests require a little more method, oxygen and silicates, because they involve three reagents in sequence with waiting times to observe. The comparator block itself prevents the most common beginner error: reading a colour distorted by the natural tint of cloudy or amber water.

Is this kit suitable for a garden pond or a marine aquarium?

In a pond, yes, and it is planned: each colour chart has a reading strip marked with a koi carp pictogram, with its own thresholds. The recommendations differ from freshwater indoor systems because a pond undergoes far greater temperature and light fluctuations, a point we detail in our guide on pond algae in summer.

In seawater, several tests remain readable thanks to the third strip of the colour chart, but a reef requires parameters specific to the saline environment that this kit does not contain. For a marine aquarium, choose the marine version of the range.

How many bottles of reagents are in the case?

Can it be used on an aquaponic system?

It is one of the uses where it brings the most benefit, because an aquaponic circuit requires monitoring two populations with opposite needs.

Ammonia and nitrites: they protect the fish, they must remain at zero.
Nitrates: they measure what is actually available for the crops.
Iron and phosphates: they explain leaf deficiencies.
pH and KH: they determine whether these minerals are assimilable by the roots.

This is exactly the set of parameters that simplified test kits leave out.

Do reagents expire?

Yes, like any chemical reagent, and an opened bottle degrades faster than a sealed one because air gets in.

JBL does not publish a shelf life for this test kit's datasheet, and we will not invent one for you. The reliable indicator is the behaviour of the test itself: a reagent whose reference colour has browned, or which gives inconsistent results from one session to another on water that has not changed, must be replaced and not interpreted. The JBL instructions request that reagents be stored dry, at room temperature and in their original packaging.

How do you read the CO2 value without reagent?

Measure the pH using the fine range kit suited to your water.
Measure the KH by titration, counting the drops.
Cross-reference the two values on the provided chart: the intersection box gives the carbon dioxide concentration.

This method assumes that water acidity comes from dissolved CO2, which is the case in the vast majority of freshwater aquariums, but not in heavily peaty water or immediately after adding a chemical acidifier.

Can you buy reagents separately?

To a large extent, yes. JBL sells its PROAQUATEST reagents in separate refill packs, and our water analysis section offers refills individually for pH, KH, GH, ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, iron, copper and oxygen.

The silicates reagent is not currently in our catalogue: contact us if you are looking for one. The kit, glassware, comparison block, thermometer and colour charts do not wear out.

Why does the colour chart display three series of values for the same test?

Because the same colour does not mean the same thing everywhere. The three pictograms correspond to freshwater, garden pond and seawater.

The values differ because the high salt concentration in seawater attenuates the intensity of the reaction: at equal colouration, the value there is higher. The recommendations differ because one environment does not tolerate the same variations as another. A value that is still green in an aquarium may already be yellow in a pond, where temperature and light vary constantly.

What precautions should be taken with reagents?

The bottles have child safety caps and the kit closes securely, but several reagents carry official hazard warnings. The most severe, published by JBL, are:

KH and silicates 1: H314 and H318, serious burns and eye damage.
Ammonia 3: H225, highly flammable liquid, and H336, drowsiness or dizziness.
Most of the others: H319, serious eye irritation, and H226, flammable liquid.

Keep out of reach of children, avoid eye contact, rinse thoroughly in case of splashing and retain the original label to show to a doctor. Never pour test tube residue back into the aquarium.

Do you need a thermometer to interpret ammonia?

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14-in-1 water analysis kit for aquarium

The summary