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Regular water testing ensures a healthy environment for your fish and is an important part of setting up your new or existing aquarium. By testing the water weekly, you’ll discover any potential issues early in time to fix it and check all water parameters are at a safe level for your fish to thrive.
No need to make an appointment. All you need to do is bring a water sample of at least 100ml of aquarium water in a clean glass jar or other container and bring it in to your local Animates store for a free water test.
It’s preferable that you get this water from the mid to bottom of the aquarium using the gravel siphon, as we will get a better idea of quality this way.
We will give you feedback on:
PH: measure of acidity or alkalinity of the water.
Ammonia: main waste product from fish or uneaten food that builds up in an aquarium.
Nitrite: one of the most harmful pollutants in aquarium water. Nitrite is a toxic waste material found in most aquariums. It is produced as nitrifying bacteria in the biological filter break down ammonia.
Nitrate: is a by-product of nitrite oxidation during the latter stages of the nitrogen cycle and is present to some degree in all aquariums. Decaying plant material, dirty filters, over-feeding, and overstocking the aquarium all contribute to increased levels of nitrate.
KH (carbon hardness): measures the amount of carbonates and bicarbonates in water, which affects the buffering capacity of the water. This means that KH helps neutralize acids and prevents your pH from changing too rapidly, which is useful because sudden pH crashes can cause health issues in your fish.
GH (General Hardness): measure of dissolved magnesium and calcium in the water. Incorrect levels affect the ability to maintain correct water and salt balance.
After 10-15 minutes, we’ll provide you with details of the results to identify any areas of concern. We have a wide range of water treatment products available, so our instore fish experts can provide advice and product recommendations to improve your tank water quality.
We recommend regularly testing your aquarium water at home too. By constantly testing the water with a test kit, you ensure the water parameters are within safe levels and quickly act if they are not – to help keep your fish happy and healthy.
