You can test the salinity of your aquarium in three different ways, but which one to use will depend on the equipment you have and the conditions under which your aquarium is kept. When testing saltwater aquariums, you must be sure that your equipment can detect the presence of a specific pH range. This is called a pH indicator or a saltwater tester. There are inexpensive, even cheap pH testers available, but even the most affordable aquarium salinity tester will give results worthy of monitoring.
One such inexpensive kit is the Nemo-Plus. It is available at some aquarium supply stores. To use it, add aquarium freshwater contained in a plastic bag into the bottom of the tester. The test strip inside the bag will contain different colors. If the color of the strip changes, then you know you have found a new salinity level in your aquarium.
A more expensive kit is the Phrommium Acid Chiller. This kit comes with instructions and a test tube. Before using the Phrommium Acid Chiller, be sure that the aquarium is completely dry. Place a small drop of aquarium water into the chiller and turn the power on. When the water starts to evaporate, the gauge on the tank will show the temperature. This test should take only a few seconds.
To test the aquarium water, place a water sample into a meter that has been loaded with electrodes. The meter will register a measurement of the concentration of salt in the aquarium water. You can either test the samples yourself, or have a friend do the test for you. Test kits for aquarium salinity tester indicate which types of electrodes are suitable to use for individual species.
You should check the instructions on the test kit to know how much testing to do and how long each test should last. Read through all the test reports carefully to find any abnormalities or to confirm results. Salinity levels can become erroneous due to fluctuations in water temperatures, lighting and water quality. If you notice any problems, such as the presence of too much or too little saltwater aquarium salt, you should make immediate changes to improve the aquarium salinity level.
You can also use an aquarium tester to find out whether aquarium salt is evenly distributed in the water. Equal proportions of salt are needed to keep the water salted. To test for an even distribution of salt, pour a small amount of aquarium water into a clean glass jar and place a test spoon in it. Dip the end of the spoon into the aquarium water and wait for a while. If a uniformly distributed salt concentration is present in the water, then your aquarium salinity tester is working properly.
When there are variations in the concentration of aquarium salt in the water, this can cause incorrect salting of your aquarium. This is because the levels of mineral ions in the water are not the same throughout the tank. To test for the salting of your saltwater aquarium, dip a piece of string or wire into the water and place it in the aquarium.
To maintain the right salinities, you have to keep a close watch on the salinity level in your saltwater aquarium. Make sure to perform regular aquarium maintenance including changing the water and cleaning the filter. If there are abnormalities, such as cloudy water, dying plants or fishes, you should consider changing the saltwater aquarium salinity tester. Changing the saltwater aquarium salinity tester may also help to prevent future abnormalities from occurring.