Seachem Ammonia Alert (1 Year)

Response to rising ammonia takes about 15 minutes. Coming back down is slower – roughly four hours from Toxic to Safe once the ammonia has actually gone.

At 0.02 mg/L free ammonia – the top of the Safe band – the equivalent total ammonia reading is roughly 0.25 mg/L in marine water at pH 8.3, or 3.6 mg/L in freshwater at pH 7.0.

Those two numbers differ that much because pH decides how much of the total sits in the free, dangerous form. It is the single most useful thing to understand about ammonia in an aquarium.

Liquid test kits usually measure total ammonia – both the free (NH3) and ionised (NH4+) forms. Ammonia Alert responds only to free ammonia, which is the form that actually harms fish.

Below pH 7.0 virtually all ammonia exists as harmless ammonium, so the sensor can correctly stay yellow while a total-ammonia kit shows a reading. It also will not react to ammonia already detoxified by a conditioner such as Prime or AmGuard, because bound ammonia is no longer dangerous. That is the sensor working, not failing.

• A dry sensor can look greenish out of the packet and may take a few days to equilibrate once submerged
• Wipe algae off with a clean soft cloth only – never bleach, soap, detergent or anything abrasive
• Do not touch the sensor surface; skin oils clog it. Some dye-based medications may discolour it
• Sensitivity improves with age as long as it is kept wet – store it in a little RO water between uses rather than dry
• Read it under natural or daylight-spectrum lighting; strongly blue or pink tank lighting will fight you
• Quick function check: hold the card over an open bottle of ammonia-based household cleaner and it should turn blue rapidly

Suitable for: freshwater and marine display tanks · tanks part way through cycling · quarantine and hospital tanks · anyone who will not test daily but wants to know when something has gone wrong · a second opinion when a liquid kit reads high after dosing a conditioner.

Not suitable for: acidic tanks, where Seachem does not recommend it · measuring total ammonia, which it does not do · producing an exact figure when a number is what you need – Seachem MultiTest: Ammonia is that tool · substituting for cycling a new tank properly.

• Seachem AmGuard – the emergency response when the sensor reads Alarm or Toxic, with a dosing table written around these exact bands
• Seachem pH Alert – the same idea for pH, and pH is what decides how much of your ammonia is in the dangerous form
• Seachem Alerts Combo Pack – the ammonia and pH sensors together
• Seachem MultiTest: Ammonia – for when you need a figure rather than a band
• Seachem Prime – the routine conditioner that detoxifies ammonia at water changes
• Seachem Stability – builds the biofilter that stops the sensor changing colour at all
• The full Seachem range – water care, media and test kits

Rated by Seachem for over a year of continuous use; there is no separate warranty term published for a consumable sensor. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless and cannot be excluded. Ships as a standard parcel.

How long does Seachem Ammonia Alert last?

Over a year of continuous use in the tank. Sensitivity actually improves with age provided the sensor stays wet, so store it in a little RO water rather than dry if it ever comes out.

Why is my Ammonia Alert yellow when my test kit shows ammonia?

Liquid kits usually measure total ammonia – free NH3 plus ionised NH4+. Ammonia Alert responds only to free ammonia, the form that harms fish. Below pH 7.0 almost all ammonia is the harmless ionised form, so both readings can be correct at the same time.

Does it still work after dosing Prime or AmGuard?

Yes, and this is where it earns its place. It will not react to ammonia that has already been bound and made non-toxic, so it shows the state the fish are actually in rather than the false positive a liquid kit gives.

Can I use it in a saltwater tank?

Yes, in marine and freshwater both. The equivalent total-ammonia figure differs between the two because marine tanks run at a higher pH.

How do I check the sensor still works?

Hold the card over the open bottle of an ammonia-based household cleaner. It should turn blue quickly, then return to its previous colour once it is back in the tank.

Can I clean algae off it?

Wipe it with a clean soft cloth only. No bleach, no soap, no detergent, nothing abrasive, and keep bare fingers off the sensor pad – skin oils clog it permanently.