The chemical equation that drives the relationship between ammonia and ammonium is: NH3 + H2O ↔ NH4+ + OH- When the pH is low, the reaction is driven to the right, and when the pH is high, the reaction is driven to the left. In general, at around room temperature, at a pH less than 6.0, the proportion of ammonium-N plus ammonia-N as NH3 is very-very low and as NH4+ is very-very high. At a pH around 8.0 (the assay buffer pH), the proportion as NH3 is 10 percent or less. Laboratory methods measure ammonium-N plus ammonia-N. It is very difficult to directly determine the activity of aqueous ammonia, so instead the surrogate of ammonium-N plus ammonia-N is used. Nitrite, the middle of your nitrogen cycle, is often overlooked once your system has been established. But if your ammonia or nitrate are fluctuating, it is critical that you also evaluate your nitrite levels to see where all of your nitrogen products are registering. To best test your nitrite levels, we recommend the Monitor Nitrite Test Kit. This test kit has a better range of values and can detect lower levels of nitrite than other test kits on the market. It comes with enough tools and materials to perform 200 tests, and it can work for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums.

In the ammonia test method that employs the Hydroxybenzyl Alcohol chemistry, free ammonia reacts with hypochlorite to form monochloramine. Monochloramine reacts with HBA, in the presence of sodium nitroferricyanide, to form a green coloured complex. This test method measures the sum of free ammonia and monochloramine. Results are expressed in ppm (mg/l) ammonia-nitrogen, NH 3-N. Q: My pH reagent has changed colour, is it still ok to use? A: Our pH reagent can change colour over time. It will start green, but can change to any colour on the colour chart. This is normal and you will still get accurate results.

The Direct Nesslerisation Method

Water pH is an essential component of your aquarium’s water quality and influences all living animals in your system. For testing pH, you can use a liquid test kit or an electronic probe. Electronic probes can be more accurate if calibrated properly but are more expensive than their liquid counterparts. Due to this, we recommend using the API pH Test Kit. It comes with a testing vial, testing solution, color card, and a glass vial with a snap-tight cap to prevent messes. The entire kit can be used for around 250 tests and accurately tests pH within a 6.0 to 7.6 range. This is ideal for freshwater tanks, so if you have a saltwater tank (or a freshwater tank with a higher optimal pH range), you will need to look for another product, like the API High Range pH Test Kit. When the pH is low, the reaction is driven to the right, and when the pH is high, the reaction is driven to the left. In general, at around room temperature, at a pH less than 6.0, the proportion of ammonium-N plus ammonia-N as NH3 is very low and as NH4+ is very high. At a pH around 8.0 (the ammonia assay buffer pH), the proportion as NH3 is 10 percent or less. This product is manufactured by BioVision, an Abcam company and was previously called K370 Ammonia Colorimetric Assay Kit. K370-100 is the same size as the 100 test size of ab83360. Since the test result is a sum of both molecular ammonia (NH 3) and ionic ammonium (NH 4 +), the preferred unit for reporting is as nitrogen (NH 3 -N). Most Hach colorimeters and spectrophotometers have the option to convert the test results between nitrogen, ammonia, and ammonium. This does not change the chemistry of the test; it only changes the units. It should be noted that while there is the same amount of nitrogen in ammonia and ammonium, the stoichiometric ratio of N to NH 3 and NH 4 + are not exactly equal due to different number of the hydrogen atoms. Wu B et al. ADSCs-derived exosomes ameliorate hepatic fibrosis by suppressing stellate cell activation and remodeling hepatocellular glutamine synthetase-mediated glutamine and ammonia homeostasis. Stem Cell Res Ther 13:494 (2022).

Analytics and Sample Preparation > Test Kits and Photometric Methods > Visual Tests for Semi-quantitative Analyses > Colorimetric Test Kits > MColortest™ for Very Low to Medium Concentrations Ammonia is an inorganic form of nitrogen that contains hydrogen. It is a plant nutrient often found naturally in water at low levels due to the decomposition of organic plant or animal matter. Higher concentrations in surface waters are toxic to aquatic life. Ammonia exists in water as either the ammonium ion (NH 4 +) or the non-ionized ammonia (NH 3). Non-ionized ammonia is toxic to fish, while the ammonium ion is non-toxic, except at extremely high concentrations. At neutral pH 7 and ambient temperature, almost all the ammonia exists as NH 4 +. As the pH and temperature increase, the amount of NH 3 increases and the amount of NH 4 + decreases.Ammonia is toxic to aquatic life, and the aquaculture industry frequently measures and controls its concentration to keep fish and shellfish alive. Regulatory requirements mandate ammonia testing and monitoring for diverse industries to protect downstream aquatic environments. Examples include wastewater, landfill, acid mine drainage and animal feeding operations where ammonia is measured in effluent, leachate, and unintended discharges. Environmental groups often test for ammonia in water bodies as part of their monitoring program to help them assess trends associated with other aquatic health indicators. Murata K et al. Rifaximin enhances the L-carnitine-mediated preventive effects on skeletal muscle atrophy in cirrhotic rats by modulating the gut-liver-muscle axis. Int J Mol Med 50:N/A (2022). Since it can test for 2 to 14 mg/L, it’s a great option for looking at lower oxygen levels, which can happen as tank temperatures warm or equipment is being swapped out. While it may seem like a lower-range test kit, even if you maxout the test, your levels are still safe. Overall, this is a reliable option that’s readily available in many local pet stores and online retailers. Our test kits measure the strength or weakness of a chemical presence according to the degree of colour saturation. Ie – if it is pale in colour, then the chemical concentration is low. If the colour is strong, then the chemical concentration is high. Simply add the reagent to the compound to be tested and match the colour gained against a colour chart included in the kit. Simply run the water, open the test tube gently (do not twist the cap), and allow the water to dilute and rinse the contents out of the test tube. Avoid getting the contents of the test tube on your skin.