Post by ACKislander on Apr 2, 2004 13:48:01 GMT -5
Hey guys. I had a long conversation yesterday about the two types of ammonia test kits. Since testing for ammonia in your betta tank or bowl is necessary (not an option 
) I thought it might help if the differences were explained.
There are two types of ammonia test kits that use test-tubes and liquid reagent bottles. (There are powder and other forms too, but liquid are most common and recommended, so for the sake of argument, we’ll just talk about these reagent testers.)
1. Nessler Reagent Tester
2. Salicylate Reagent Tester
1. First lets talk about Nessler Testers. (NT so I don’t have to type it out every time)
A Nessler Tester usually comes with a test tube and 1 bottle, which you place drops into the tube containing aquarium water and measure the shade of color (often yellow) against a card.
Nessler testers determine the total amount of ammonia in a tank regardless of weather it is non-toxic or toxic ammonia. Ammonia can become non-toxic when it is bound by a conditioner. The conditioner turns it into a compound that is no longer harmful to fish. This non-toxic ammonia is sometimes referred to as “bound” or “locked”. NT cannot tell the difference between toxic and non-toxic ammonia so if you use a conditioner like AmQuel or Ammolock 2, it will not be able to accurately tell you how much harmful ammonia you have in your tank.
2 Salicylate Testers (ST) usually come with a test tube and 2 or 3 bottles of reagent, which you place drops into the tube containing aquarium water and measure the shade of color (often green) against the card.
ST determine only the amount of toxic ammonia in the water. Since aquarists are usually only interested in what is toxic to their fish, they usually rely on this type of tester. The Salicylate testers are safe to use with any kind of water conditioner.
A couple of notes:
When purchasing a water conditioner check to see if the manufacturer recommends a specific type of tester. For instance, Kordon’s AmQuel and NovAqua state that for accurate results a Salicylate Tester is recommended.
Nessler testers often do not measure ammonia below 1 ppm (part per million), which is considerably high for an aquarium. The Salicylate Testers usually start by measuring as low as .25 ppm. Since even small amounts like .25 ppm can negatively impact fish, it is good to use a tester with a low threshold for ammonia.
There has been talk about removing Nessler testers from public sale because they contain poisonous mercury in the reagents. You may find that in the future that NT will not be sold in your area.
Ok, that wraps it up. I hope this helps to explain the difference. Remember: 1 bottle = Nessler and 2 or 3 bottles = Salicylate.
) I thought it might help if the differences were explained.There are two types of ammonia test kits that use test-tubes and liquid reagent bottles. (There are powder and other forms too, but liquid are most common and recommended, so for the sake of argument, we’ll just talk about these reagent testers.)
1. Nessler Reagent Tester
2. Salicylate Reagent Tester
1. First lets talk about Nessler Testers. (NT so I don’t have to type it out every time)
A Nessler Tester usually comes with a test tube and 1 bottle, which you place drops into the tube containing aquarium water and measure the shade of color (often yellow) against a card.
Nessler testers determine the total amount of ammonia in a tank regardless of weather it is non-toxic or toxic ammonia. Ammonia can become non-toxic when it is bound by a conditioner. The conditioner turns it into a compound that is no longer harmful to fish. This non-toxic ammonia is sometimes referred to as “bound” or “locked”. NT cannot tell the difference between toxic and non-toxic ammonia so if you use a conditioner like AmQuel or Ammolock 2, it will not be able to accurately tell you how much harmful ammonia you have in your tank.
2 Salicylate Testers (ST) usually come with a test tube and 2 or 3 bottles of reagent, which you place drops into the tube containing aquarium water and measure the shade of color (often green) against the card.
ST determine only the amount of toxic ammonia in the water. Since aquarists are usually only interested in what is toxic to their fish, they usually rely on this type of tester. The Salicylate testers are safe to use with any kind of water conditioner.
A couple of notes:
When purchasing a water conditioner check to see if the manufacturer recommends a specific type of tester. For instance, Kordon’s AmQuel and NovAqua state that for accurate results a Salicylate Tester is recommended.
Nessler testers often do not measure ammonia below 1 ppm (part per million), which is considerably high for an aquarium. The Salicylate Testers usually start by measuring as low as .25 ppm. Since even small amounts like .25 ppm can negatively impact fish, it is good to use a tester with a low threshold for ammonia.
There has been talk about removing Nessler testers from public sale because they contain poisonous mercury in the reagents. You may find that in the future that NT will not be sold in your area.
Ok, that wraps it up. I hope this helps to explain the difference. Remember: 1 bottle = Nessler and 2 or 3 bottles = Salicylate.
