Purchasing a saltwater test kit is an essential part of your Hampton aquarium maintenance. Saltwater tests kits usually include test for nitrites, nitrates, ammonium, and pH. These four elements need to be regulated and checked regularly as early signs of problems in a tank.
Ammonia is extremely toxic for fish. If you detect even one part per million of ammonia in your tank, your fish can get gill disorders that will kill them in a few days. If you do see an ammonia spike, you need do a water change as part of your Hampton aquarium maintenance. There is also water conditioner that will convert the toxic ammonia to a less harmful isotope.
Testing for Nitrates in Hampton Aquarium Maintenance
Nitrates are not harmful to fish unless they are in extreme quantities. An established aquarium should expect to show between ten and fifty parts per million. The problem with nitrates is that unsightly algae feeds off it. Algae is the enemy of almost every aquarist.
The way to minimize algae in the tank, is to reduce the nitrates. Adding aquatic plants is one way of using up nitrates, but it if your levels are high enough, there will be plenty left over for the algae to feed off of. The best way to reduce nitrates, is to monitor them weekly, and try and correlate any spikes with procedures you have done that week.
