It's important to regularly test the water in your fish tank, especially if you suspect that there may be a problem. Fish can contract diseases that are carried in unhealthy water conditions. The proper testing equipment can help you evaluate the tank water and take necessary corrective steps.

One fairly common problem is too much ammonia. Ammonia is a byproduct of fish waste and food decomposition. Over time, ammonia converts to nitrites. Both of these chemicals have detrimental effects on the environment in the fish tank. If testing indicates that levels of these two chemicals are abnormally high in your aquarium, it's important to take immediate corrective measures.

Ammonia is the more dangerous chemical, though nitrites have the secondary effect of causing the over proliferation of algae. This is why it's extremely important to test a new tank frequently in the first month or so, while established aquariums should be tested in case of a problem, like a plugged filter, for example.

There are a number of different test kits for both salt and fresh water aquariums, including Red Sea Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite test kits. You can use Ammonia Test Lab to measure the total ammonia level in the tank. Nitrite Test Lab and Nitrate Test Lab test kits will measure the overall concentration of nitrites and nitrates in the tank. If the ammonia levels are greater than .2ppm, you'll need to change the water in the tank.

Keep testing each day and change the water as often as you need to. To minimize the build up of ammonia in the aquarium, keep the filter clean and feed your fish a bit less, so there is less wasted, decomposing food. Also, check the nitrite levels each day in new tanks to make sure it's safe to add new fish.

Certain chemicals in the tank water, like chloramines and chlorine, can be fatal to fish. There are various water conditioners that can remove chlorine. Be sure to buy one that gets rid of chloramines as well, and that will neutralize ammonia into a non-toxic form.

You'll also need to know the pH level of your tap water to ensure that the fish you choose can live in these water conditions. pH is a measure of how acid or alkaline the water is, and it can change due to a variety of factors, including decorations and chemical you place in the tank. This is why it's important to check pH levels often.

When mineral salts dissolve it causes hard water which may cause a white crust to form the parts of fish tanks. This makes it difficult to adjust PH levels. Water softeners will take care of this problem.