Owning an aquarium is a huge responsibility. If you want your fish to thrive then it is essential that the condition of the water is just right. If there is even so much as a tiny imbalance, this can cause serious problems for your fish and if things get too bad, it may kill off all life in the tank.
It sounds worrying but there are ways to make sure that trace elements in the water don’t become a serious problem. Nitrate is just one of the elements that can be found in aquarium water and while very tiny amounts are OK, it is essential not to let these levels rise. Using a nitrate testing kit will allow you to monitor the quality of the water and keep your fish healthy and happy.
But unless the test kit is 100% reliable, you won’t get an accurate reading and this could be detrimental to the health of your aquarium. So, we have taken the time to check out some nitrate testing kits and bring you a rundown of the best ones.
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What Is Nitrate And Why Is It A Problem For Fish?
Nitrate is a chemical element that is created in an aquarium as a result of fish waste. As beneficial bacteria break down the fish waste, this element is one of the by-products.
There are various elements in a fish tank that can cause problems but fortunately, nitrate is far from being the worst. If high levels of ammonia or nitrite are in the water, this can be seriously harmful for the fish and these levels should always be kept at zero or as close as possible.
However, where nitrate is concerned, you do have a little more leeway. That said, while it isn’t as dangerous, it can be incredibly stressful for your fish when there are high levels of it. As a direct result of this, the lifespan of the fish will be reduced as stress makes them more prone to diseases. Moreover, for fish breeders, keeping nitrate levels low is essential.
Nitrate is an element that will also boost algae growth, and as an aquarist, you will know that this is not something you want in your tank. However, as we said, you can have slightly higher levels of nitrate and not be too concerned, but this should never be any higher than 10-20mg/l. If levels exceed this, then the only solution is to perform a partial water change.
What To Consider When Buying A Nitrate Test Kit
One of the most important things to think about when buying a nitrate test kit is that you are getting something reliable. Nitrate test kits are not expensive but you should avoid going for very cheap products as these may not have the same level of reliability as higher-end kits.
Moreover, you may wish to consider the type of nitrate kit you are going to buy. You have several options here. Nitrate test kits can be purchased on their own but it isn’t uncommon to see them as part of a larger kit. Typically, you may find them with a nitrite test kit or as part of a master test kit which includes tests for everything and is great for monitoring the overall condition of the water.
Furthermore, nitrate test kits come in different forms. As a general rule, it is far better to use a liquid kit as you will get a more reliable result. However, for many people, the cost of these can be an issue so there are also strip tests which are cheaper but less reliable. Alternatively, you may choose to use a tablet test kit which has the same level of reliability as a liquid kit. But in any case, you should be able to get a decent enough reading that will allow you to take action if the nitrate levels soar too high.
What Is The Best Nitrate Test Kit
As with anything, there are always going to be test kits that are better than others. It is important, as we have detailed, to find something reliable and we have been testing some of these kits to find out which are the best. After some reviewing, we believe that the following kits will give you the best results.
Salifert Nitrate Test Kit
Many experienced fish keepers rely on the accuracy and ease of use of the Salifert nitrate test kit. It takes just two steps to test the water and what is also attractive about the kit is its affordability. This one is a firm favorite for those with reef tanks but it can be used with a variety of aquarium types.
This liquid test kit can detect nitrate levels as low as 0.2ppm so is also one of the most sensitive on the market.
NYOS Nitrate Test Kit
One of the things that sets the NYOS kit apart from the competition is that it is extremely easy to read. The yellow graduation is simple to decipher even for new fish keepers and the accuracy of the test is second to none.
What’s more, in each box, you get 50 tests so you can continue to monitor the water condition over time. All of this and you aren’t going to end up paying over the odds either.
API Nitrate Test Kit
This is another liquid test kit for nitrate that is beautifully easy to use and incredibly accurate. If it is reliability you are looking for then we wouldn’t recommend anything more than this one. It is super easy to use and will work for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums.
If you prefer a test strip then API also offers these, giving aquarists great options on how they monitor the quality of the water. But what’s really attractive about this product is that it is more affordable than any of the other options we have looked at.
BOSIKE 6 In 1 Aquarium Test Strips
If you are someone who prefers to use a test strip over a liquid nitrate test then this might be the product for you. Not only does it allow you to measure the nitrate levels but it provides readings for other elements, giving you a much clearer picture of the water quality.
What really caught our attention though was the fact that the test is so quick. It takes only 60 seconds so can be easily incorporated into your day-to-day aquarium care. The affordability is great too with each bottle containing 125 strips; that’ll keep your testing for months!
How Often Should I Test For Nitrate In My Aquarium?
It is incredibly important to make sure that you test your tank water regularly for nitrate. When you first set up the aquarium, you will need to do this more frequently, and performing a check every two to three days will be necessary. However, once the tank is established, you can lower this to once a week.
How Do I Get Rid Of Nitrate?
If you have used a nitrate test kit and have discovered that the levels in the aquarium are too high, don’t be too alarmed. As we have discussed, this element is nowhere near as problematic as things like ammonia but it does still need to be removed to avoid stressing out your fish and causing secondary health problems, or worse, death.
Experienced aquarists will find a method of restoring balance in the water that suits them but if you are new to fish keeping then you’ll probably be wondering how to get rid of high nitrates in your fish tank. The good news is that it isn’t a massively complicated task provided you take action as soon as you see the levels rising.
One of the easiest ways to remove nitrate from the water is to perform a water change. However, this will only have an effect to a certain degree. For example, if the nitrate levels of the tank are at 40ppm and you perform a 20% water change, that means that you’ll still be left with 32ppm. You can perform several water changes over the course of a few weeks but this isn’t ideal.
In very serious cases where a simple water change won’t do the trick, there are products that you can use in the aquarium to gently remove nitrates. One of the most reliable products is ALGONE which will not only remove nitrates from the water but will also restore its clarity.
It is far better to try to keep nitrate levels low to avoid problems and this can be done in several ways. Firstly, you may consider adding more live plants to the tank. Plants thrive on nitrate as a form of food and so the more that you have, the more nitrate will get used up by them. It is for this reason that algae is a common problem in water with high nitrate. Since algae is a plant, it thrives off these high levels which act as fuel.
In some cases, the size of your tank compared with the number of fish could be a problem. If you consistently have high nitrate levels it may be that too much fish waste is building up because the tank is too small for the population. There are two things you can do here; you will either need to upgrade your tank or remove some of the fish. If you do choose to upgrade the tank, it can be tempting to add more fish in the mind that you now have additional space but you should avoid doing this lest you face the same problem again.
Something that surprises a lot of new aquarists is that fish food can be an issue where nitrate is concerned. You see, if too much is added to the water, this can begin to pollute it which will therefore increase nitrate levels as well as other elements. What’s more, overfeeding will result in cloudy water.
Conclusion
Nitrate is a trace element that is found in aquariums. While it may not be as dangerous as other elements, it isn’t something that you will want in your tank. Too high nitrate levels can cause your fish to become stressed which may then lead to disease and potentially death.
To avoid this, it is important to test the quality of the water on a regular basis and take action if the levels are too high. This can be done by using a simple nitrate test kit that will alert you to any changes within the water. While they come in various forms, liquid and tablet tests are thought to provide you with better accuracy and the kits in this guide are among some of the very best.
