What ammonia test kit to get?

[tatuvaaj]

Hi,

I made a quick search and found out that most hobbyist NH3 test kits are not very sensitive. The best I could find are the LaMotte 7418-02 (0,03 ppm NH3) and 3304 (0,06 ppm NH3) kits. The 3304 is designed to be used in saltwater only, the 7418-02 is for both fresh- and saltwater.

1) Does anyone know better test kits to be used in a reef tank?
2) I remember that some ammonium test methods have interferences from calcium and some other ions found in seawater. Is this a issue with common test kits or is the sample prepared somehow before testing by kits using these methods?

TIA!

 

[BoomerD]

LaMotte is possibly the best, most accurate "hobbyist grade" test kit you can buy. Most of us use Salifert, which would be 2nd best of the 2. IIRC, Hach kits are available, (professional kits) but you will certainly pay for the premium quality.

 

[tatuvaaj]

Actually, the Salifert test kit has a detection limit of 0.5 ppm. The best "aquarium" test kit I found was Tropic Marin which has a DL of 0.1 ppm.

The reason I'm looking for the lowest detection limit available is that it's so boring to measure "zero" levels

 

[Boomer]

Tatu & Company

This will be along post so bear with me I agree on your choice of kits if one wants to get picky.

Before we go anywhere we all need to be on the same page. The best example is: " my Nitrate is 1 ppm, well my nitrate is 5 ppm". Ok, they both have the same reading . One kit is expressing it as NO3-N and the other as NO3- (ion). The stds in the water world are expressed ad "N" = Nitrogen. It has been becoming practice in this hobby to use NO3 (ion). Half of the kits in this hobby are in each but there is a trend towards the NO3-(ion). I have never like the N expression. This is not the same for ammonia and ammonia gets even worse.

What is an expression in chemistry. Well, it is not the same often like it is when comparing them to inches to centimeters or F to C. Actually you can express something anyway you want. I do not have to express Ca++ as that. I can express it as CaCO3 which is very misleading. I can also express, if I choose, as lead, gold or what ever I want. It is just a weight thing. Obviously we do not want to do the latter.

First, almost all ammonia test kits measure TAN= Total Ammonia. There are a couple out there that actually test for NH3-N. One can only assume the test kits that say NH3-N, are actually TAN. If it explicitly says NH3 or if the kit says it tests for TAN and NH3 then we can assume that is what it is doing.. This means that even though the kit expresses it as NH3-N or even NH4+ - N, it is actually measuring both.

Second, Some kits in this hobby express it as TAN or TAN-N more confusion. I wish these kit manufacture would get their head out of their butt

Most kits no matter how they are expressed are actually TAN or TAN-N.

So what is all this in the numbers game. The conversion is 1.2 or 1 ppm TAN -N= 1.2 TAN. Almost all sources we read in this hobby by far are expressed in real terms as TAN-N. i.e., fish toxicity, invert toxicity, etc.

As pH rises the ammonia gets converted from NH4+ to NH3, as at higher pH there is less H+ in the water. At SSTP-NSW parameters 90% is NH4+ -N and 10% is NH3-N. The most dangerous/toxic of the two by far is NH3. The real killer. Since the two are a function of pH and temp it really makes no difference what the kit actually tests for. It is just a math calculation, kinda like ppm Alk to Meq / l or dkH only more complicated. But we do need to know if it is an "N" kit.

For most fish and many inverts this level is 1 ppm TAN-N or a calculated 0.1 actual NH3-N. Many of the kits in this hobby only go to 1 ppm i.e., 0 -.1 -.2 -.3.-4 .-5. -6. -.7-.8 -.9- 1.0. Most fish at this 1 ppm TAN-N will die in 3-5 day if there is not immediate action taken. You need to know what your kit is expressed at. For example; IIRC the Salifert is as TAN and not TAN-N. Someone check for me

These two links will explain all about ammonia, allot is repeated. The first link has a calculator if you wish to know how much NH4+-N you have vs. NH3-N. The other link has a table.


As TAN-N
http://bridge.ecn.purdue.edu/~piwc/w3-research/free-ammonia/nh3.html


As TAN
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_FA031#FIGURE 3

 

[Stalwart]

Good stuff Boomer.

I know now that my fish are going to get STDS and a nice TAN

Sounds like my trip to Cancun last year. :bigblue:

JK, that was a good scientific explanation, I appreciate the Chemistry work you do. Keep up the good work

Karma to ya, as soon as I allowed to give it, again

 

[cheeks69]

A bit off-topic but why would you use an ammonia test kit in an established tank ? Or are you starting a new tank tatuvaaj ? I haven't measured ammonia in my tank in 2 years. Just curious that's all

Good info to know non-the-less.

 

[Boomer]

Bob, I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone said that and then their tank crashed because some animals died and the ammonia went through the roof ===> dead animals I guess you have never heard of my story, -$1,000.00 in animals I had for 10 -15 yeras, all dead due to a contaminated seamix. I thought when I came home, no bg deal, just a slight snowstorm. Next morning when I get up all dead. See, I was just like you, why test for ammonia in an established tank

 

[cheeks69]

-$1,000.00 in animals I had for 10 -15 yeras, all dead due to a contaminated seamix. I thought when I came home, no bg deal, just a slight snowstorm. Next morning when I get up all dead. See, I was just like you, why test for ammonia in an established tank

Wow that's messed up ! Although in a situation like that you would never know until you start seeing your fish drop then it would be too late. I guess you should always test you freshly mixed ASW before adding. Reminds me of the big IO problem with alk in the 30's dKH :bugout:

 

[Boomer]

Bob, yes I should have though . Cloudy water is often due to bacterial explosions often with high ammonia. Me, I thought, yah right in my tank. It does not know what the fliippin' word ammonia even is. I might add, "they" compensated me for my loss in animals. But you really can not say that for animals kept that long. This was about the time I quite the hobby.

Just so you know, most fresh mixes have about .15-.25 ppm ammonia

 

[cheeks69]

Just so you know, most fresh mixes have about .15-.25 ppm ammonia

Yes you mentioned that one time in the old reefing forum that shall remain un-named...LOL

I thought that if you let the mix aerate for several hours then the ammonia wouldn't be an issue.

I might add, "they" compensated me for my loss in animals. But you really can not say that for animals kept that long. This was about the time I quite the hobby.

Yes very true

 

[tatuvaaj]

I have always liked the way scientific papers refer to nutrient concentrations by the element (NO3-N, NH3-N, PO4-P etc) and not by the ion because it makes it very easy to compare how much each species can potentially contribute to biochemical processes. 1 mg NH4-N = 1 mg NO2-N = 1 mg NO3-N when it comes to the nitrogen. I don't care how many milligrams of oxygen comes with nitrite or nitrate (well, sometimes I do )

BTW, does anyone know a test kit available to hobbyists that doesn't convert NH4+ to NH3 ?

 

[tatuvaaj]

A bit off-topic but why would you use an ammonia test kit in an established tank ? Or are you starting a new tank tatuvaaj ? I haven't measured ammonia in my tank in 2 years. Just curious that's all

Because I'm curious also! I have never measured ammonia in my tanks, not even when starting the tank. I just waited until nitrites came down to "zero" and nitrates started to increase.

I agree that most test kits available would probably be of little use in a working reef tank as the sensitivity isn't too great but I'll give the LaMotte kit a try.

 

[Boomer]

tatu

I say one just the other day that was NH4+ but do not remebmer where. I'll rack my brain.

each species can potentially contribute to biochemical processes

Yup and is why it is std

1 mg NH4-N = 1 mg NO2-N = 1 mg NO3-N


True but that is very misleading to a point;

1 ppm ammonia (yields) --> 2.7 ppm nitrite(yields) --> 3.6 ppm nitrate(yields)

Ammonia x 3.6 = Nitrate ppm
Ammonia x 2.7 = Nitrite ppm