Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everyone,

Is anyone else here having issues monitoring their ammonia? I bought a testing kit, but I find it to be too time-consuming. Does anyone know of a product that can monitor ammonia real time? Something that is cost-efficient. Or know of a substitute to the testing kit? Thank you so much for all your help peeps!

I wouldn't call them issues since I rarely have to test for ammonia and I don't mind taking the small amount of time it actually takes. Mostly you just wait for the color change. Once you're system is done cycling you probably won't be doing ammonia tests or other tests all that often.

If you want to keep tabs on the ammonia without having to test, I'm pretty sure there is an indicator around that you can use although I don't know of anyone who has used one (I can't vouch for how well it works). It's designed just to alert you to high ammonia levels. Try looking in aquarium products for "ammonia" and "alert" and I think you'll find it.

something like - Seachem Ammonia Alert (google gets links to it, as does 'Ammonia Alert')

no idea how it would go for AP. As Scotty says it is more a visual warning type things.
And not everyone is confident about them in the aquarium world.

[edit] you would definitely still want to do manual tests to keep an eye on things, wouldn't want to rely on it for anything other than identifying change.


Milwaukee, Hanna and various others do Ammonia probes amongst other things.

For electronic probes most brands are $1000+......
Couple (like Hanna and Cole Palmer) in the $500-$1000 and also photometers.

Google 'ammonia probe' or 'ammonia electrode' or 'ammonia photometer'

I use a Seneye device (allows remote monitoring) to keep tabs on ammonia, temperature and out of water alert... it isn't accurate for pH because my water is very soft. Other forum members have pointed out that the results aren't as accurate as dedicated testing devices, it isn't cheap and slides must be replaced every month at extra cost - but was worth it for me because I'm away a lot.

As Scotty435 says, once your system is mature, your ammonia shouldn't need frequent testing unless you overfeed or something dies in your tank.

there is also this..... https://www.seneye.com/devices/seneye-reef

but again aquarium and no idea how would go for AP.

on eBay for couple hundred dollars.


[edit] Dave beat me to it - +1 to all his comments

good on you for posting the link (not being lazy like me)

I have two of them and they work very well in my fish tanks. Very reliable alerts if any of the parameters go out of bounds. Their support is good too. But not cheap and some say not that accurate.

Ok thank you so much, I'm new to the aquaponics business. Also is it even worth monitoring my ammonia levels? From what Scotty says, after the system is done cycling, you won't do much testing. Sorry for citing you Scotty, please correct me if I am wrong.

Important to monitor frequently when cycling and when adding fingerlings or if increasing feeding levels.

Some monitor regularly after that while others say they only check if the fish look sick or stop feeding... it probably depends more on where you sit on the obsessionality spectrum than anything else

I'm happy to admit that my personality means that I check to see what it is every few days (can do it on my smartphone or computer)... but the truth is that my levels of free ammonia are always well within safety margins and often negligible.

You'll probably find that you test pH more frequently... will probably spend first few months worrying about how to get it down and then spend your time trying to keep it up.

That's fine .

To add to what Dave said - Yes it's worth monitoring the ammonia levels occasionally (could be once a week, once a month or whatever you're comfortable with) but I also look for indications that something is wrong and test under certain conditions and times of year when problems are more likely. Here are some examples of times when I'd look at my ammonia, nitrites, pH and water temp as well (the list is not all inclusive)-

When fish aren't eating or aren't acting normal (jerky movements for example or gasping at the top)

When the tank, grow beds, or filters don't smell normal

When you've just added more fish to the system

When you've just upped the feed amount

For a period after cleaning out one or all of the grow beds.

After adding a supplement that has nitrogen in some form where it can be converted to ammonia

When you've found a dead fish

During the seasonal transition, particularly headed into fall (the reason for this is many organisms die off during this period and can add ammonia from their decomposition). A big algae die off would be an example but there are lots of potential causes like decomposing leaves in the tank.

Remember an ammonia reading without a water temp and pH reading won't do you much good. You need all three to determine if the ammonia is in the toxic form or not. Once you have all three then the ammonia toxicity chart in the IBC of Aquaponics will tell you if you've got a problem.

Which testing kit are you using? The API freshwater master kit is pretty simple to use.

..
I wonder why there is a problem.. why there is ammonia instability, that needs diligent observations..
It.sounds.like.something in the system is.incapable.of.dealing.with the existing conditions ..

My new system is a bit like that, because it has minimal media for Bio filtration..
Thus I EXPECT some wildish swings, but interestingly, they have never been as wild as I expected..
Using the TAN table and accepting the suggestion of salt mittigating the effect of Nitrites, I was prepared to accept swings..

I have kept the pH to closer to 6.. Salted to 1ppt.. and I have had no issues, so the question again arises.. "why are you concerned "
..

Thanks this is helping out a lot. Originally I thought a simple ammonia sensor, and a device that filtered my excess nitrates would be enough. It seems like there is a lot take into account. I think I'm gonna build a simple temperature sensor and see where that takes me.

Xtreme Contributor - I was using an API kit, but as I mentioned before I wanted to use something real time.

I use the API kit.. but I do not follow directions..
The kit requires use of 5ml of test water and the required drops of reagents.. so why waste, when you could cut that by 1/5, thus dramatically extending the life of the kit..
So I use 1/5 for all except Ammonia, where I use 1/4

I got a 1ml syringe and use that as an accurate water measure.. using the syringe, it takes about 90 seconds to complete the test, but then have to wait for reaction time and interpretation ..

Using the standard kit.. with two tube at the front and two at the back.. and the reagent bottles arranged from back to front
pH, Ammona, Nitrate, Nitrite
The first pair (front) of tubes takes ONE drop of single reagent
The Second row (back) takes TWO drops of reagent..

I carefully drip the drops so they fall to the button.. I dose the reagents from the bottles on the left, and to the tubes left to right (qualified)
I then just FILL the syringe four times and squirt into each tube.. 1234. But then add a 1/4ml extra water to the AMMONIA tube
I then add the second reagents to the second (back) tubes - 2 drops each..

I pick up the left tubes in one hand and hole tight at he top and the flick them at the base with the other hand ensuring complete.mixing.. repeat with the right tubes..

60 to 90 seconds plus a wait time..

Back to your desire for automatic..
FIRST - automatic instruments are very expensive and generally require regular calibration.
SECOND - your system should not NEED such constant monitoring - if it is working correctly..

Lastly, you spoke of treatment to remove excess Nitrates... generally that is called PLANTS... BUT, you could search. BIOCENOSIS..

Back to measurements.. It is interesting that most folk rarely care about measurements, because they KNOW their system, and KNOW that it is coping..
Nitrates are (IMHO) not that important, and levels over 150 easily sustainable..

And as a parting thought... INSTRUMENTATION... it IS possible..
but I have come to think that such detail is for the realm of the nerds with lots of time on their hands. And it adds little to the AquaPonics function.
..

I would highly second a small syringe just for filling the test tubes. A simple thing, but really makes the process so much easier.
At this point for my system I pretty much only check pH regularly as my top up water always throws that reading off. Once cycled, Ammonia and Nitrite both pretty much went away for good, leaving sky high Nitrates, but no one seems to mind.