MARINE LAB TESTS
Marine Lab - Phosphate Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Phosphorus analysis for invertebrate health and aquarium hygiene. High sensitivity colourimetric test for precise and accurate results.
What is phosphate?
Phosphate is an essential component in fish nutrition, but is also produced as a waste product by fish. Phosphate is practically non-toxic to fish, but excess phosphate can cause unwanted algae and will inhibit coral growth.
Why test for phosphate?
Maintaining a low level of phosphate is essential for reducing unwanted algae and maintaining coral growth rates. Phosphate tends to accumulate as an aquarium ages, so regular monitoring of phosphate is required to determine the health of the aquarium.
What is the correct level of phosphate?
Phosphate in natural seawater generally varies from 0.01 mg/l to 0.06 mg/l (in terms of phosphorus) in reef areas. However, in a reef aquarium, aim for 0.03 mg/l to maintain good coral growth and keep nuisance algae at to a minimum.
What to do if the phosphate level is wrong?
Regular maintenance and use of partial water changes with a good quality reef salt should help to keep phosphate low. To remove additional phosphate, use of NT labs Phosphate Remover in your filter or add NT Labs Anti-Phos liquid regularly to instantly remove phosphate.
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Marine Lab - Calcium Test
The essential water quality test for reef aquariums. Calcium analysis for invertebrate health and growth. Titration kit for precise and accurate results.
What is calcium?
Calcium is one of the critical building blocks for corals, clams, calcareous algae and many other marine organisms. After sodium and magnesium, calcium is the third-most abundant cation found in sea water and is vital for a balanced marine environment.
Why test for calcium?
Achieving the correct calcium concentration range is critical: too little can lead to poor coral health, while too much can result in depletion of carbonate hardness (KH). Testing for calcium allows you to ensure optimal conditions for your aquarium inhabitants and the stability of other significant water chemistry parameters.
What is the correct level of calcium?
The typical value of calcium found in seawater is 420 mg/l, but values in the aquarium vary from 380 mg/l to 450 mg/l, dependant on the method of running your aquarium.
What to do if the calcium level is wrong?
If the calcium level in your aquarium is wrong, partial water changes using a good quality reef salt is recommend to help re-establish the correct calcium concentration. It is also important to check the magnesium and KH as the three are correlated. If the calcium is incorrect, magnesium and KH are also likely to be wrong.
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Marine Lab - Magnesium Test
The essential water quality test for reef aquariums. Magnesium analysis for invertebrate health and water stability. Titration test for precise and accurate results.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is a the second-most abundant cation found in natural seawater. Magnesium is essential for the efficient assimilation of calcium by marine invertebrates.
Why test for magnesium?
Without the correct levels of magnesium, corals and invertebrates cannot properly or efficiently utilise calcium for the formation of their shells and growth of skeletons. Sufficient magnesium also prevents precipitation of calcium and carbonate ions, ensuring bioavailable calcium and a pH stabilising effect. As magnesium tends to deplete with the age of the water, monitoring the magnesium frequently is the only reliable method to determine the concentration present in the water.
What is the correct level of magnesium?
The average magnesium level in natural seawater is 1300-1400 mg/l. Equally importantly, the correct ratio between magnesium and calcium should be achieved. The concentration of magnesium should be 3 times that of calcium (e.g. a magnesium to calcium of 3:1).
What to do if the magnesium level is wrong?
If the magnesium concentration in your aquarium is wrong, partial water changes using a good quality reef salt is recommend to help re-establish the correct magnesium concentration. It is also important to check the calcium and KH as the three are correlated. If the magnesium is incorrect, calcium and KH are also likely to be wrong.
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Marine Lab - Carbonate Hardness Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Carbonate hardness analysis for marine water stability and health. Titration kit for precise and accurate results.
What is KH?
KH, or carbonate hardness, describes the pH buffering capability of water. Water with the correct KH will resist changes to the pH, ensuring a stable environment for your aquarium’s inhabitants. KH measures the concentration of carbonates and bicarbonates dissolved in the water which provide the pH-stabilising effect. In a reef aquarium, these are also an essential component for reef-building corals and other invertebrates with calcium-based exoskeletons.
Why test for KH?
As marine water ages, acidic processes in the aquarium consume the KH causing it to decrease. Furthermore, many marine invertebrates assimilate carbonates removing them from the water column. If the KH becomes too low, the pH of the water is at risk of significant fluctuations. It is these changes that cause stress to fish and make them more susceptible to disease. The KH should be tested frequently to ensure that it remains at the correct level to provide a stable environment for your aquarium’s inhabitants.
What is the correct level of KH?
In natural seawater, the dissolved carbonate hardness is normally 7 dKH (or °KH), but you may wish to maintain a level between 7 and 14 dKH depending on your method of running the aquarium.
What to do if the KH level is wrong?
If your KH is low in your aquarium, use NT Labs Marine Buffer Powder to safely increase the KH up to the desired level. Monitor the KH frequently to determine how quickly the KH decreases over the period of a week and adjust to frequency of water changes or addition of buffer to maintain a stable KH. If the KH in your aquarium is high, a water change with a good quality salt will help reduce the KH, but changes to KH should be carried out slowly to avoid stressing the inhabitants.
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Marine Lab - pH Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Analysis of pH for marine water suitability. Colourimetric test for rapid and accurate results.
What is pH?
The pH is the measure of how acidic or alkaline water in your aquarium is. The pH scale runs from 0 to 14. Very acidic water is pH 0 and very alkaline water is pH 14, while water that is neither acid or alkaline is pH 7 and described as neutral.
Why test for pH
Most marine organisms have evolved to optimally live in a narrow pH range. Deviations away from their preferred pH can result in stress, poor health and ultimately, death. As aquarium water tends to acidify with age, regularly testing the pH of the water is the only reliable method of ensuring that the pH is correct for the aquarium’s inhabitants.
What is the correct pH level in my aquarium?
The pH in a marine aquarium should be approximately 8.3. In addition to meeting this pH range, a stable pH is equally important. Rapid fluctuations in pH can be just as detrimental as the wrong pH. As KH (carbonate hardness) is strongly correlated with the stability of the pH, KH should also be monitored at the same time as pH.
What to do if my pH is wrong?
If the pH is outside of the desired range, test and ensure that the KH is also correct. To safely increase the pH and the KH, use NT Labs Marine Buffer Powder. When the KH is correct, the pH should return to the normal range. Excessively high pH (and KH) can be caused by inappropriate décor or overuse of some calcium supplements; identify the precise cause and carry out partial water changes to dilute high KH and restore the pH to the required range.
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Marine Lab - Nitrate Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Nitrogen analysis for marine invertebrate health and filtration efficiency. Colourimetric kit for ease of use and accurate results.
What is nitrate?
Nitrate is the waste product of naturally occurring bacteria (Nitrospira spp.) turning nitrite into relatively non-toxic nitrate. In a typical aquarium, nitrate is the final stage of nitrification and usually accumulates with time.
Why test for nitrate?
Invertebrates do not tolerate a high level of nitrate in a marine aquarium, so careful measurement is essential to keeping corals healthy. Nitrate is also the cause of many algae problems in a marine aquarium so monitoring and responding to nitrate can help reduce these algae issues.
What is the correct level of nitrate?
In a reef aquarium, a concentration of under 10 mg/l is optimal for both coral growth and health. In a marine fish-only system, nitrate should not exceed 20 mg/l. Higher readings are unlikely to affect fish health, but it may promote excess algae growth.
What to do if the nitrate level is wrong?
Regular partial water changes with a good quality salt should be sufficient in maintaining low nitrate. Good aquarium hygiene, such as removing excessive waste from filters or sumps will also help to keep nitrate down to a minimum. Excessive feeding will also cause high nitrate, so ensure that erfed.
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Marine Lab - Nitrite Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Nitrogen analysis for aquarium and filtration health. Colourimetric test for ease of use and rapid results.
What is nitrite?
Nitrite is the intermediate product in the nitrification process. Nitrite originates as a waste product produced by nitrifying bacteria as a result of processing ammonia. It is commonly encountered in newly set up aquaria, where there has been a significant increase in the number of animals in the aquarium, or if the filter has been disrupted.
Why test for nitrite?
Due to the presence of salt, nitrite is much less toxic to marine organisms than freshwater animals. Filtration bacteria in a well-established marine aquarium process nitrite as quickly as it is produced. The presence of nitrite therefore is an indicator that the equilibrium of the aquarium has been disrupted. Testing for nitrite regularly can help quickly assess the health of a marine aquarium before a problem becomes harmful to fish and marine invertebrates.
What is the correct nitrite level in my aquarium?
A healthy, mature aquarium should have 0 mg/l nitrite at all times. Any positive nitrite reading likely indicates a problem with the aquarium and should be addressed.
What to do if the nitrite level is wrong?
If any nitrite is detected in your aquarium, determine the cause for the elevated nitrite (e.g. changes in stocking density, overfeeding, filter maintenance etc). Monitor livestock for changes and ill-health and carry out partial water changes to dilute nitrite if necessary. Add NT Labs Marine Live Filter Bacteria to help repopulate the filter with marine nitrifying bacteria and restart the biological filtration.
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Marine Lab - Ammonia Test
The essential water quality test for all marine aquariums. Nitrogen analysis for fish and invertebrate health. Colourimetric test for ease of use and accurate results.
What is ammonia?
Most ammonia generated in an aquarium is the result of the digestion of proteins by fish and other aquarium animals. Ammonia can also be released by the bacterial breakdown of excess food and other organic matter. It is extremely toxic to fish and invertebrates, especially in a marine aquarium due to the higher pH found in saltwater. Ammonia is broken down into nitrite by the beneficial bacteria in your aquarium filter or live rock and then subsequently into relatively harmless nitrate.
Why test for ammonia?
Low concentration of ammonia can cause respiratory and skin irritation to fish, while greater concentrations can lead to damage and ultimately death. Toxic ammonia can build up in aquariums where there are insufficient nitrifying bacteria to process the waste from the fish. This situation can commonly arise in new aquariums, when new fish are added, when the filter bacteria has been disrupted (e.g. during cleaning), or during accidental mis-dosing of aquarium medications.
What is the correct level of ammonia?
Ammonia should be kept at 0 mg/l at all times. Any positive ammonia reading likely indicates a problem with the aquarium and should be addressed.
What to do if the ammonia level is wrong?
If any ammonia is detected in your aquarium, use water changes to immediately dilute ammonia. Ensure that there is no uneaten food or decaying matter in the aquarium and use Live Filter Bacteria to help colonise the filter and restart the biological filtration.