Information on Fish Tank PH Testing

Maintaining a proper pH in both saltwater and freshwater fish tanks are absolutely vital requirements. To keep a healthy and beautiful environment for your fish, it's recommended that the pH of the water in your tank is monitored frequently. As technology in the pet trade advances, fish owners now have several safe, reliable options for proper pH observation.

  1. Basics

    • When maintaining a fish tank, there are several factors that must be considered and strictly observed to ensure the quality of the water your fish call home. Along with temperature, salinity, and hardness, one of the most important measurements is pH, which is a measure of the alkalinity (or acidity) of your tank's water. For most freshwater tanks, striving for a neutral, or 7.0, pH is important (it's higher for saltwater; usually around 8.3), and therefore keeping accurate tabs on your pH level is extremely vital. But what are some effective methods of doing so?

    Liquid Solutions

    • One of the most common methods for testing pH in your aquarium comes in the form of a test tube and a solution that when added to a sample of your water, will change color in correlation with a corresponding pH level. This is a very accurate, very handy and very inexpensive way of testing pH and is often found in master test kits. The only drawback is that it takes a bit of time; you have to collect the water using a clean test tube (which is usually provided in the kit), add the solution, and then vigorously shake the tube. When the water changes color, that color must be matched up with an included color sheet to determine your water's pH level.

    Test Strips

    • A faster way to check pH is via a specialized paper strip. Available in any pet store, these little strips change color after contact with your water. The resulting color indicates the pH level. While not as accurate as using the solution, quick dipping is a good way to spot check water to see if the pH should be investigated further.

    Meters

    • Providing by far the most reliable accuracy of any pH tester, pH Meters are handheld devices that electronically measure the alkalinity of your water. Using a metal probe, pH meters accurately display your water's pH on a screen, and often even provide a temperature reading. These meters are generally very expensive with some models ranging up into the thousands of dollars.

    Single or Wide Range?

    • When deciding on a test kit, you may be faced with the option of either single or wide range testing. This is simply a matter of how small the increments of pH indication are. For example, a wide range test kit will be able to determine pH in increments higher than a single range test kit. With wide range, increments are generally 0.5, meaning the available measurements include 7.0, 7.5, and so on. In single range, the increments are much smaller; sometimes as low as just 0.2. To get a general idea of your tank's pH, a wide range test kit is recommended. If you already know your tank's general pH and just want an extremely accurate reading, then go with a single range test kit.