How to Test Aquarium Water pH

By eHow Arts & Entertainment Editor

Related Entries:

Instructions

Step 1:
Know the pH levels of the fish's water where they previously resided. Ask the attendant at the fish store or ask the fish expert where you purchased your fish. Determine the shop's pH and keep your tank's pH levels the same.
Step 2:
Buy a pH test from the fish store. Popular pH test kits include the Instant Ocean test kit, Marine pH & Alkalinity Multi Test Kit or High pH & Alkalinity Test Kit. The test kit costs about $10 and has anywhere from 30 to 75 tests per kit.
Step 3:
Check the pH once a month, especially when there is a sick fish, or when there is a deceased fish.
Step 4:
Check the KH, or carbonate hardness, of the water if you have rapid changes in the pH levels frequently. A KH test can be purchased at the fish store and often times in a combined kit with pH kits. Purchase buffering compounds to stabilize pH levels due to KH issues.
Step 5:
Follow the directions provided with the kits. Line up the color with the color change chart and read the results. The kits are fast and accurate and can save fish lives.

Tips & Warnings

Let water from the tap sit overnight in a new tank before testing the pH levels. Gases in the water can alter accurate test results.
A 0.2 change in water pH can harm the fish.

More Puppy Pages

How to Increase Alkalinity in Fish Tanks

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Alkaline/pH test Air stone Calcium additive Step 1: Test the water using a basic test kit found at pet stores. While alkalinity is measured in kH (calcium hardness), a pH test interprets the acidity in the water...

How to Test Aquarium Water for Water Hardness

Instructions Step 1: Purchase a water hardness test kit at the Aquatic House website (see Resources). You may go to any pet store offline also and ask the sales representative for a GH and KH test kit for water hardness. Step 2: Open the test kit. There...

Instructions Step 1: Go to a pet store that sells fish supplies. If you have a saltwater tank, make sure the store sells supplies for marine tanks. Some stores that do not sell saltwater fish carry marine fish supplies. Step 2: Look at the different kits...

How to Choose Tropical Fish and Keep Them Healthy

Instructions Step 1: Before you choose tropical fish the first thing you should know is what kind of water you have at your home. You should take a sample of water from your tap to a pet store. Ask them to test your water for hardness and pH. You should...

Instructions Things You’ll Need: Ammonia test kit Step 1: Buy a strip test. The kit comes with small strips and all you will have to do is place the correct end of the strip into the fish tank. You'll have a reading on the ammonia levels in seconds...