Ammonia Profi-Test

Boron Profi-Test

• Calcium is a major constituent of coralline algae, the skeletal material of hard corals and the skeletal needles of soft/leather corals. In many cases too low a calcium concentration retards coral and coralline algae growth.
  
• Calcium also fulfills many important biological functions.
  
• In a healthy aquarium, the growth and multiplication of corals, calcareous algae and other organisms can result in calcium depletion. To maintain a stable environment it is important that the calcium content should not fluctuate by more than 15 mg/L from the optimum range of 420 - 450 mg/L so regular testing should be carried out.
  
• This means that any calcium test used should have an accuracy of significantly less than 15mg/L otherwise it will be difficult to monitor such fluctuations.
  
• The Salifert test kit measures in steps of 5 mg/L and has an accuracy of 10 mg/L.
  
• The color change is precise, detecting small but significant fluctuations in the concentration of calcium.
  
• The test is not affected by magnesium.
  
• Sufficient for 50-100 tests.
  

• Checking for yellowness in the water is not an accurate method of assessing when to change the carbon: firstly, if the water is visibly yellow then the level of pollution is already too high, and secondly with the "blue" aquarium lights now available, any yellowness in the water cannot easily be seen.
• Therefore testing is the only accurate way to test the remaining capacity of carbon.
  
• By using the Salifert Test Kit, the remaining capacity of the activated carbon is tested, allowing you to decide when it needs to be renewed.
  
• Sufficient for 75 tests.
  

• Copper is often used as a treatment for parasite infested fish and it is essential that the correct concentration is used as too high levels can be toxic to marine fish and invertebrates.
  
• Tap water can also be naturally high in copper and it is therefore advisable to test for this on a regular basis.
  
• The Salifert test kit offers a very sensitive and accurate test for measuring dissolved or weakly chelated copper from 0.05mg/L to 2mg/L.
  
• Lasts for several copper cures or provides sufficient for up to 50 tests on tap or aquarium water as a routine check.
  

• Iodine is present in natural sea water in a very low concentration (0.6 mg/L or 0.06 PPM) and this iodine occurs as several different species including iodide, iodate, molecular iodine and hypoiodite.
  
• There is a misconception among many hobbyists that iodide predominates in natural sea water but in fact, it is iodate which is the predominant element.
  
• Test kits which are not capable of detecting iodate are not suitable for aquarium use, since in a properly functioning tank most of the iodide will be transferred to iodate and any test kits not able to detect iodate will give a false, low iodine reading.
  
• Iodine test kits should be capable of measuring all forms of naturally occurring iodine. The Salifert Test Kit is the only one offering this feature, measuring all naturally occurring iodine compounds and giving a reading of total iodine concentration.
  
• Unlike many other test kits, the Salifert Iodine Profi-Test is free from interference from other elements found in saltwater, which means the results obtained are very accurate.
  
• Color remains stable for several hours.
  
• Scale goes from 0.01 - 0.15ppm and optimum level is 0.06 mg/L.
  
• Can provide up to 40 tests.
  

• Calcium is not the only substance needed to form the skeletal material of corals and allow calcareous algae to grow. Carbonate and bicarbonate are also needed and these two substances can have a major effect on stabilizing or buffering pH levels in the aquarium in the correct range of 8.1 to 8.4.
  
• The total carbonate and bicarbonate concentration is also called alkalinity or carbonate hardness and for a stable system the alkalinity should not fluctuate by more than 5% from the optimum level of approx. 2.8 meq/L i.e. a maximum fluctuation of 0.14 meq/L.
  
• The Salifert test is sensitive enough to detect small changes in levels of alkalinity, measuring in steps of 0.1 meq/L and demonstrating a very sharp color change.
  
• Sufficient for 100 to 200 tests.
  
• The Salifert KH + pH buffer additive makes correction of the alkalinity or carbonate hardness simple and does not upset the pH of the system
  

• Magnesium is present in natural sea water in a fairly high concentration (1350 - 1500 mg/L) and is an essential element of chlorophyll which is necessary for photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis plants, algae and coral would not be able to survive.
  
• Magnesium also helps to maintain the correct combination of calcium concentration and alkalinity as it slows down the formation of calcium carbonate which can absorb many important trace elements within the aquarium.
  
• Maintaining a correct magnesium concentration is therefore very important and is indirectly responsible for fast coral and calcareous algae growth by making it possible to maintain correct calcium and alkalinity figures.
  
• Magnesium is depleted by algae growth and also by the use of excessive kalkwasser or by going far beyond natural calcium, alkalinity and pH values.
  
• The Salifert Magnesium Profi-Test is easy to use and accurate with measurements in steps of 30 mg/L.
  
• Results are not affected by strontium and calcium interference.
  
• Sufficient for 50 tests.
  

• When there are insufficient areas of a tank which are deprived of oxygen (anaerobic zones) or denitrification is not taking place properly, nitrate will build up. This can also happen in an aquarium where the biological loading on the system is causing an imbalance e.g. is there is excessive livestock for the aquarium volume or over feeding is occurring.
  
• The build up of nitrate can result in unwanted algae growth and the slowing down of coral growth.
  
• The nitrate concentration in a reef aquarium should be lower than 1 mg/L, although fish only aquariums would usually have a higher concentration.
  
• Just as with nitrite, many nitrate test kits are prone to amine interference which can make the levels of nitrate appear much lower than they actually are.
  
• The Salifert test kit does not suffer from such interference and gives accurate and quick results with a total testing time of less than 3 minutes.
  
• The test kit’s range goes from a very low to a very high nitrate concentration (approx. 0.2 - 100 mg/L as total nitrate).
  
• Sufficient for 50 tests.
  

• In a properly cycled aquarium, nitrite is converted to nitrate and then, if there are areas deprived of oxygen such as in live rock and other filter materials, this nitrate is converted back to nitrite and then transformed into harmless nitrogen gas.
  
• If this cycle breaks down then nitrites, which are extremely toxic to fish and invertebrates, can form in high concentration.
  
• Many nitrite test kits suffer from interference caused by amines e.g. naturally occurring and essential amino acids. This can result in a too low measured value, especially when the nitrite concentration is relatively low.
  
• Because of its unique formulation, the Salifert Test Kit does not suffer from amine interference, and offers full color development within one minute. Also, the color is very intense making the detection of even minute traces of nitrite easy.
  
• The test kit has two different scales: an ultra-low scale for nitrite-nitrogen which ranges from 0.002 - 0.12 mg/L, and a medium scale for nitrite-nitrogen which ranges from 0.02 - 1.2 mg/L.
  
• Sufficient for 50 tests.

• Some organic compounds, such as phenolics/humic acids cannot be removed effectively by skimming, biological filtration or activated carbon. These compounds can become refractory (difficult to remove) and have a negative effect on the water quality.
  
• The Salifert Organics test is a semi-quantitative measure for such compounds, and no other manufacturer offers such a test kit.
  
• Number of tests depends on degree of pollution.
  

• Corals and marine fish require very high levels of oxygen concentration because of the low solubility of oxygen in salt water so it is very important to regularly test the level of oxygen present.
  
• The Salifert Oxygen Profi-Test is extremely fast, measuring oxygen levels in just a few minutes and is scaled from 2 - 14 mg/L.
  
• Sufficient for 40 tests.
  

• The pH value in a marine tank has a major impact on the growth of corals and calcareous algae and on many biological processes. The pH should not be allowed to fluctuate more than approx. 0.2 units during any 24 hour period and should preferably be kept above 8.2.
  
• If the pH is too low then the cause may be a too low alkalinity and/or a build up of carbon dioxide caused by insufficient aeration
  
• A low pH can be corrected by improving aeration and by increasing the alkalinity.
  
• The Salifert Test Kit is sufficiently accurate to monitor minor pH fluctuations and is scaled from pH 7.4 - 8.7.
  
• Sufficient for 50 tests.
  
• For marine water only.

• If phosphate is present in too high a concentration there may be an increase in growth of undesirable algae and if the phosphate level is higher than 0.04 mg/L the growth rate of corals and calcareous algae may decrease by as much as 90%.
  
• Washing fish food (a rich source of phosphates) after thawing can significantly reduce the input of phosphate, and using a high grade, phosphate free activated carbon can also help to keep phosphate levels as low as possible.
  
• The Salifert Phosphate test kit detects, in less than 5 seconds, the level of phosphate present.
  
• There are two different ranges within the kit: a low range for phosphate-phosphor from 0.01 - 1 mg/L and a medium range for phosphate-phosphor from 0.02 - 2 mg/L.
  
• Sufficient for 60 tests.

• Silicate occurs in tap water or purified water when the reverse osmosis or de ionizing unit is not functioning properly.
  
• Silicate can result in diatom bloom and can block some essential trace elements such as vanadium and molybdenum.
  
• The Salifert Test kit for silicate is a very fast, sensitive and accurate test, with two scales: an ultra low scale which is particularly useful for marine water and a high scale which is suitable for freshwater environments.
  
• Sufficient for 60 tests.

• In a marine aquarium strontium plays an important role in accelerating the growth of coral and calcareous algae and natural sea water contains approx. 7 - 9 mg/L strontium.
  
• Strontium is very difficult to test for, but if there is found to be a depletion of calcium in the aquarium then strontium levels are likely to be very low as well.
  
• It is advisable to maintain a strontium concentration of between 5 and 20 mg/L.
  
• Salifert was the first to introduce a strontium test kit and this test measures both ionically free and moderately complex strontium in increments of 5 mg/L.
  
• Sufficient for up to 40 tests.
  
• For marine use only.