Salifert Test Kits

Salifert Potassium Reef Test
Potassium concentration in natural seawater is approximately 400 ppm. Many aquarists have reported that a low potassium value reduces colors in corals. This can be corrected by increasing the potassium value to the normal natural concentration. Now you can accurately measure this value with the new Salifert Potassium Reef Test kits. 

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Strontium plays an important role by accelerating coral and calcareous algae growth.
NSW contains approx. 7 – 9 mg/L strontium.
Since the growth of corals and calcareous algae goes hand in hand with strontium and calcium depletion, depletion of calcium usually means depletion of strontium as well.

It is advisable to maintain a strontium concentration between 5 and 20 mg/L.

Strontium measurement is a necessity but is unfortunately a relatively difficult test. Perhaps in forthcoming years this will change when newer and easier methods for strontium measurement will become available.

It therefore is a test, which many hobbyists will not conduct frequent enough.

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Silicate occurs especially in tap water or in purified water when the RO or DI unit is not functioning properly. Silicate not only results in diatom bloom but might also block some essential trace elements such as vanadium and molybdenum.

Salifert offers a very sensitive and accurate silicate test kit. Silicate content can be decreased by using the granular Phosphate-Killer or the liquid Phosphate-Eliminator. Although both are designed for phosphate removal they have also a very high affinity for silicate.

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The pH value can have a major impact on the growth of corals and calcareous algae and on many biological processes. The pH should not be allowed to fluctuate more than approx. 0.3 units during 24 hours and should preferably be kept between 8.0 and 8.2.

If the pH is too low then the cause may be a too low alkalinity and/or insufficient aeration.

A low pH can be corrected by improving aeration and by increasing the alkalinity to NSW (Natural seawater)  value or upto approx 25% above NSW levels.

The Salifert pH test kit is sufficiently accurate to monitor  pH fluctuations of approx 0.2 pH units. Our KH + pH Buffer allows fast and efficient correction of alkalinity.

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Phosphate has several negative effects if present in a too high concentration. First of all undesirable algae growth might result. Making an aquarium an unpleasant sight.

 

Phosphate also blocks or retards the growth of corals and calcareous algae.

One of the scientific studies shows that a phosphate concentration higher than 0.05 mg/L decreases the growth of calcareous algae by 90%!

 

Washing fish food, which is a rich source for phosphates in a sieve after thawing reduces the input of phosphate tremendously. Also avoiding use of phosphate-rich low-grade activated carbon helps keep phosphate levels as low as possible. Checking the activated carbon for phosphate prior to use is therefore highly recommended.

 

Elevated concentrations of phosphate can be removed by using the liquid Phosphate-Eliminator or the highly effective granular Phosphate-Killer. Both also decrease silicate and organics content and adsorb toxic heavy metals.

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Nitrate testing

When an aquarium has insufficient regions deprived of oxygen (= anaerobic zones) or denitrification proceeds incompletely then nitrate will build-up.

A too high nitrate concentration can result in unwanted algae-growth and these might irritate corals in their neighborhood.

Nitrate as such also retards coral growth.

The nitrate concentration in a proper functioning reef aquarium should preferably be lower than 1 mg/L. Fish-only aquariums would usually show much higher nitrate concentrations.

Most test kits use a procedure in which a certain part of nitrate is converted chemically into nitrite and is measured as such.

Once again, just as with nitrite testing, amine interference has a major impact on the measured value. If such an interference occurs concentrations much lower than actual will be measured.

For Marine Aquarium Use.

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Nitrite testing

Nitrite is a substance that is toxic to fish and invertebrates.

It is a misconception that once a tank is through its cycle (first 3 or 4 weeks) that nitrite has vanished.

Many nitrite test kits suffer from interference by amines (such as naturally occurring and essential amino acids) resulting in a too low measured value especially if the nitrite concentration is relatively low.

Nitrite is converted to nitrate in properly cycled aquariums. The thus formed nitrate is transformed into harmless nitrogen gas (=denitrification). This happens in areas deprived of oxygen within live rock and miscellaneous filter materials.

Before it can be transformed to nitrogen gas the nitrate is first converted back to nitrite. When for whatever reason this particular cycle can not be completed, toxic nitrite can be present in significant concentration and readily be detected by test kits that do not suffer from amine interference.

May be used with fresh and salt water aquariums.

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Salifert KH Alkalinity Test Kit Information

Calcium alone cannot form the skeletal material of corals and allow calcareous algae to grow. Some other substances are needed as well. A few other constituents are carbonate and bicarbonate. These two substances also have a major impact on the stabilization of the pH in the proper range of 8.1 – 8.4. Such stabilization is also called buffering.

The total carbonate and bicarbonate concentration is also called carbonate alkalinity or carbonate hardness. The only difference between alkalinity and carbonate hardness is a conversion factor.

NSW has an alkalinity of approx. 2.7 meq/L or approx. 7.5 dKH when expressed as carbonate hardness.

For a stable system the alkalinity or carbonate hardness should have a value similar to NSW or slightly higher and should preferably not fluctuate by more than 5%. This means a maximum fluctuation of 0.14 meq/L or 0.4 dKH.

Therefore an alkalinity test kit should be capable in measuring in steps smaller than 0.14 meq/L.

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COPPER PROFI-TEST Copper can be present in tap water and in salt mixes. If the copper concentration is higher than approximately 0.03 ppm it will be detected. During treatment of fishes a steady and accurate copper content is the major key to success. This test will aid you in doing this. Test range 0.05 - 2 ppm copper. Learn More