Water Testing

[Wit]

Ok I have had tropical fish for a few months now and guy in aquarium shop has been testing all my water for me every other week unless one seemed a bit high and done a weekly check on that and he advised me on what to do.

Have decided to do some testing myself and he has started me with testing nitrate and he still doing others for now every other week. Upon reading instructions I have just totally confused myself as there is a SALTWATER and FRESHWATER colour chart.

Which chart do I use ? Here is the bit that has confused me (NO shop is not open today and can't go tomorrow):

The FRESHWATER chart is the appropriate chart for use with aquariums to which salt has been added <-- does this mean me or water company ?

To me, its telling me to use the saltwater chart (an the instructions on that bit are mad aswell) as I have not added salt myself to the water but the fish I have are referred to as freshwater fish in books I have been reading.

Please answer this for me and those of you that want to laugh... then... laugh away but I don't want it on my conscience that I have read wrong chart and my fish could suffer.

 

[timmystood]

Very strange!
I would say freshwater but those instructions are a bit mad - could you not wait until Tuesday to ask your LFS???

 

[kris-b-]

I had instructions like that with my API master freshwater kit and on my ammonia test it said it could be used for water which had salt added to it aswell as freshwater (without salt)

 

[Clairel]

I got a salt water test in my master test kit, i dont need it as mine is freshwater, so just use the freshwater test, and strips with the colours on...

C x

 

[SkiFletch]

wierd, the guy who wrote that must have had a little too much

go ahead and use the freshwater scale when reading it

 

[OohFeeshy]

By salt, it probably means Aquarium Salt, not marine salt.

 

[lemond68]

I was told (and I am a newbie) that most tropical freshwater fish live in "freshwater" that contains some salt. Of course the salt content is ver low as compared with salt water aquariums, but the salt is still there.
I have a 55 gallon salt and I added 120cc of salt (according to the container instruction) to my freshwater tank.

 

[jolaf]

I think it meant Aqaurium salt not marine salt. Some people add aquarium salt to a freshwater tank, which is not avisable for most freshwater fish or scaleless fish. if you have nt added salt then go with the freshwater test.

Ok I have had tropical fish for a few months now and guy in aquarium shop has been testing all my water for me every other week unless one seemed a bit high and done a weekly check on that and he advised me on what to do.

Have decided to do some testing myself and he has started me with testing nitrate and he still doing others for now every other week. Upon reading instructions I have just totally confused myself as there is a SALTWATER and FRESHWATER colour chart.

Which chart do I use ? Here is the bit that has confused me (NO shop is not open today and can't go tomorrow):

The FRESHWATER chart is the appropriate chart for use with aquariums to which salt has been added <-- does this mean me or water company ?

To me, its telling me to use the saltwater chart (an the instructions on that bit are mad aswell) as I have not added salt myself to the water but the fish I have are referred to as freshwater fish in books I have been reading.

Please answer this for me and those of you that want to laugh... then... laugh away but I don't want it on my conscience that I have read wrong chart and my fish could suffer.

 

[Wit]

I think the freshwater chart is the correct one also.
Thank You all for your help.

I think the freshwater chart is the correct one also.
Thank You all for your help.