How to Read Aquarium Water Test Strips


Are you new to keeping freshwater aquariums? As someone who has been keeping fish for half my life time, I've got to say that one of the most important things to do-- if you plan to keep fish alive or more than a month-- is to use test strips to check you water parameters at least once a week, and to perform water changes and adjust your water chemistry as necessary. But to someone who's new to the hobby, water chemistry test strips can seem intimidating and confusing. After all, you were signing up to own a school of tetras, not to be an expert chemist! Relax, though. Aquarium test strips are easier to decode than you think.
Most test strips offer five-in-one testing; they'll tell you five important pieces of information about your water at once. The strips will come with a key so you can easily read them. Here are the most common things you'll check for on a test strip.
Nitrite:
This is a nutrient found in water polluted by fish waste, and it's incredibly toxic. Fortunately, nitrite usually only occurs in a new aquarium, and usually for only a few weeks (until special bacteria colonize your tank and convert it to the far less toxic substance, nitrate. Your nitrite levels need to be as close to zero as possible. If there's even a trace of nitrite in your aquarium's water, you need change your water until it's down to undetectable levels. When you have a new tank, you may need to do this almost daily, but after your aquarium is established, nitrite should become a thing of the past.
Nitrate:
Far less toxic than its parent-chemical, nitrite, nitrate occurs in water after your tank is established. When your fishies poop and pee and when food and plants decay, bacteria break the waste down into nitrate. It's normal to have some nitrate and is, in fact, a good sign that you've got those friendly bacteria in your tank! But, while most fish can tolerate some nitrate, you want to keep levels as low as possible. Too much nitrate encourages the growth of algae, and the death of algae leads to more nitrate production, creating a vicious cycle. Live plants, good filtration, proper feeding, and (most importantly!) regular water changes can all help you reduce nitrate levels in your tank.
pH:
This isn't nearly as big of a deal as you probably think it is! Most fish have a pH preference (some like relatively hard or relatively soft water) and this has led many people to think that pH problems in aquariums are common. They're not! Unless you're breeding fish or keeping extremely temperamental species, your pH isn't anything to worry about as long as it's not extreme. You want your pH to be around 7 unless you're keeping a special biotope tank. If you're new to the game and not doing anything fancy, don't worry and don't mess with your pH unless it is either very high or very low (lower than 4 or higher than 10).
Hardness:
Hardness is, essentially, a measure of the amount of mineral dissolved into your water. Most (and again, I say most, because if you're keeping temperamental fish they are an exception) freshwater fish can adapt to almost any water hardness. The only time you really need to worry about water hardness is if you're keeping high-maintenance fish with a strong preference for soft or hard water, or if you're breeding fish of any type. Until you're a little more experienced in the fishkeeping hobby, it's best to stay away from any fish sensitive to hard or soft water, anyway.
Chlorine:
I'm not sure why so many test strips check for chlorine. Almost everyone, even newbies, know that tap water contains chlorine and that water needs to be conditioned with a dechlorinator before fish can be added to it. Even if you accidentally forgot to add water conditioner after a partial water change at some point in the past, it probably evaporated after a few hours and is undetectable now. You'll probably never see chlorine on your test strip at all, but if you do, make sure you're using water conditioner!
Aquarium test strips aren't the scary scientific boogeyman you might fear. With just a little extra help and guidance, you'll soon be reading these strips routinely and won't think anything of it!

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