Ammonia Alert Device

[Jason McKenzie]

Has anyone see or used this?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...mp;pCatId=4387


Looks cool

J

[david]

I have one in my tank it's never changed from safe but, * I don't want it to change either! Really! It sounds good but I put mine in after the tank cycled. And my ammonia has never gone up enough to make it change. I'm hoping it will tell me if it should "knock on wood" start to! Hope this helps
* * * * * * * * *D.

[karlas]

never used it but looks like an interesting device

[Yikes]

I installed one in my reef, it never changed either. I removed it for aesthetic reasons. I did hear 2 things on the grapevine about these, i don't know if either are true.....1. they are only for freshwater... 2. the amount of ammonia needed to register a change would be equal to the amount needed to kill your fish. I have such a low bio-load and 1lb per gallon live rock setup that i doubt i will ever see ammonia register on any hobbyist test kit.

They work great on FW tanks

[Boomer]

They work fine in SW. Spike a sample with ammonia and you will see

Ammonia Alert™ is an innovative color device for continuously detecting and monitoring toxic free ammonia. A sensor changes reversibly from yellow to green to blue, relative to the ammonia concentration. No test kits, chemicals, or procedures are needed. The device detects less than 0.05 mg/L (ppm) free ammonia and alerts you to the #1 killer before any sign of stress. It lasts over a year and replacement sensors are available. Marine or freshwater use.

In the absence of free ammonia the unit will assume a yellow or faint yellow-green color. It is normal for the dry sensor to have a greenish hue. It may take up to a few days for a dry sensor to equilibrate with the water. No sampling of water, chemicals, or test procedures are required. The presence of the free ammonia is detectable continuously with a response time of about 15 minutes. Response to decreasing ammonia is slower, requiring about 4 hours to go from TOXIC to SAFE on removal of ammonia.

INTERPRETATION: As little as 0.02 mg/L of free ammonia will produce a greenish hue on the detector surface. This corresponds to a total ammonia (both ionized and free ammonia) of 0.25 mg/L in marine water at pH 8.3. In freshwater at pH 7.0, this corresponds to 3.6 mg/L total ammonia. Free ammonia is much more toxic than ionized ammonia. As free ammonia, the ALERT color corresponds to about 0.05 mg/L, ALARM to about 0.2 mg/L, and TOXIC to about 0.5 mg/L. The ALERT concentration is tolerated for several days, ALARM for a few days, and TOXIC is rapidly harmful. This product is not recommended for use at acid pH.

CARE: No care is required beyond removing algae with a clean, soft material. Avoid touching the sensor with fingers, since skin oils can damage it. Do not use bleach, soap, detergents or hard objects to clean the sensor. Some dye medications may discolor the sensor. Sensitivity improves with age, provided the unit is not allowed to dry out, however, drying does not permanently impair the unit. For maximum sensitivity, the unit should be read under natural daylight or daylight simulating light. Red enhancing light minimizes green and blue hues, decreasing the apparent sensitivity of the unit. The response of the unit may be checked by holding it briefly over the mouth of an ammonia bottle: color should develop rapidly.

[omard]

Have "alert" placed in both my fresh and marine tanks...

However have read in a review that they are not reliable after 3-4 months use. (and should be replaced)

Anyone else seen like?

OmarD

[mikemangue]

Got one in my tank and tested it against another ammonia test kit to see if it worked. It seems to work fine. The Ammonia alert works up to 1 year saltwater and freshwater. The PH alert works up to 3-6 weeks freshwater or saltwater.

Originally Posted by omard

Have "alert" placed in both my fresh and marine tanks...

However have read in a review that they are not reliable after 3-4 months use. (and should be replaced)

Anyone else seen like?

OmarD