Ammonia NH3 Aquarium Alert Continuous Color Aquarium Water Test/Monitor Seachem Does it work?

[SeaBear]

Does this little card really work? It suppose to just sit in the water.

Ammonia NH3 Aquarium Alert Continuous Color Aquarium Water Test/Monitor Seachem

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ammonia-NH3-Aquarium-Alert-Continuous-Color-Aquarium-Water-Test-Monitor-Seachem-/301660331370?hash=item463c5b5d6a

 

[lmforbis]

It does

 

[robertmathern1]

its not highly accurate but no tests are to be honest. It should do the job just fine IMO

 

[lmforbis]

Yeah it isn't quantitative by it will tell you if you have a problem.

 

[geridoc]

Since ammonia should/must be zero, any positive reading on the card indicates a problem, so the card is fine.

 

[flower]

Yep, it's a handy gadget to have. You don't need the numbers... any ammonia spells trouble, do a water change, so that gadget is all you need. I also used ammonia test strips, they are fast and easy to read. I used lab type kits for everything else.

 

[beaslbob]

Yes it does work.

As an added bonus, it only reacts to the dangerous free ammonia. Unlike most test kits like the api liquid ammonia test kit which react to both free and locked ammonia.

So it is entirely possible the kit would measure ammonia which is actually locked and you add chemicals to lock up the ammonia even thou there is no free ammonia. (The dot would still be 0 ppm in that case telling you not to add more chemicals).

The danger is that you could test positive form ammonia, add more chemicals, still test ammonia and so on. The chemicals also locks up oxygen so the fish could suffocate and would even have the same symptoms as ammonia poisoning.

my .02