Mardel Live NH3 In-Tank Meter Aquarium Water Testing (Ammonia) Three Pack

I dislike this even more than I did the PH meter. According to the readings everything in my tank should be dead. But when I use the traditional tester the water is fine. Should have remembered that if it sounds too good to be true- it usually is...

This ammonia tester does test for ammonia levels and it does it well. However it isn't truly a "live" meter. For example over time the ammonia levels may creep up, but when you do something [like change the water or run a detox solution] the meter doesn't return to zero. Basically this is like those test strips for one time use( when the ammonia levels get high you must change the strip).. the only difference being this meter can stay in the water. Just go with the test strips and test the water occasionally.

This Mardel tester is very accurate. I really like this one. This one works better than the pH one did.

These have worked great for me and the ability to just leave it in the tank is convenient. The suction cup works well, and the unit is fairly flat so it does not take up room in the tank.

This description does not specify anywhere, but the product is only for fresh water tanks. I'm a bit frustrated because I only noticed this small print after I had torn apart the packaging.

I have to admit to getting complacent when it comes to checking the health of the aquarium water. Even though ammonia is only one part of the system, it is very nice to not have to do the ammonia checked regularly. This system is so easy to read that I find myself glancing at it every time I pass by the aquarium. I know pretty quickly when something is wrong and have been able to fix the problem before any fish died.

At first I disliked it, thought it did not work (this was before I understood difference between nh3 and nh4, and the ph/temp-based relationship between the two) because sometimes it would say zero and liquid test kit would show trace ammonia. Now that I understand that liquid test shows both nh3 and nh4, and this meter only the more toxic nh3, I like it. Nh3 is the toxic form of ammonia, that kills fish. Though in a cycled aquarium both nh3 and nh4 should be zero. Because at first I did not know all this, I just left the thing sitting in the bottom of my sump and forgot about it for 6+ months. Over the months I learned. Then one day for no particular reason, I pulled the meter out of the sump and threw it in the goldfish tank, and sure enough it turned light green after about an hour, thus telling my goldfish tank had free ammonia. I found a dead, decaying fish, removed it, and after a couple of days the meter returned to yellow indicating no nh3. So, it works.

This product is great! It is very accurate. It alerted me that my ammonia levels were unsafe; I also have a test tube water testing kit that is VERY accurate, so I tested my water immediately with the test tubes...the results were right on the money with what the in tak meter read. I was impressed. I was able to get my water levels back to normal, and my fish were safe and happy!