Test 1: pH 7.2
Monitor- Total ammonia
- 0.5 ppm
- pH
- 7.2
- Temperature
- 76°F
- Free ammonia
- 0.004 mg/L
Ammonia is detectable, but free ammonia calculates low
Free Pond Water Test Tool
Free from Play It Koi
Your pond water test, decoded. Free.
Type in the numbers from your test kit and what you've noticed at the pond. The Pond Water Test Decoder tells you what each reading means for your koi and fish, what matters most right now, and what to do next.
Free, with no sign-in needed. Sign in with your Play It Koi account and every test is saved to your Pond Tracker.
Overall status
Needs Attention
One or more findings deserve prompt attention. The Decoder has put the safe next steps first and may suggest a specialist review.
- pHLooks Good 8pH
- Total AmmoniaNeeds Attention 0.5ppm as entered
- Free Ammonia (NH3)Needs Attention 0.026mg/L calculated
- NitriteLooks Good 0ppm NO2 (your test)
What it found
Calculated free ammonia is above the chronic guidance line
Top next step
Consider a partial water change.
From test kit to next steps
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Pick your pond and your kit.
Name your pond, or pick one you've saved. Choose your test kit so your numbers are read the way that kit reports them.
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Enter your readings.
Type the numbers exactly as your kit shows them. Skip any you didn't test: a missing reading shows as Not tested, never as zero.
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Tell it what you see.
How the fish act around dawn, how much the surface moves, whether the aeration ran overnight, and any recent treatment or tap water top-up.
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Get your answer.
An overall rating, what each reading means and the next steps, most urgent first. Save it, download it or send it to us.
Same ammonia. A different answer.
A color chart reads one number at a time. The Decoder reads them together. Ammonia is far more harmful at a high pH and a warm temperature, so when you enter all three, it works out how much of your ammonia is in the toxic form, free ammonia.
Test 2: pH 8.0
Needs Attention- Total ammonia
- 0.5 ppm
- pH
- 8.0
- Temperature
- 76°F
- Free ammonia
- 0.026 mg/L
Calculated free ammonia is above the chronic guidance line
Two made-up tests on an API kit, both with nitrite 0, nitrate 10 and KH 120. The ratings and findings are what the Decoder gives for them.
Four ratings, so you know how fast to act
What a color chart can't tell you
Read the way your kit reports.
Kits report nitrite and nitrate in different ways, as nitrogen (NO2-N, NO3-N) or as the whole compound (NO2, NO3), so the same number can mean very different water. Pick API, NT Labs, test strips or another liquid kit and the Decoder handles it. It remembers each pond's kit for next time.
Stuck between two colors? Say so.
The Decoder grades the number you typed and suggests a retest in good light before any big change. On API and NT Labs ammonia charts, and API pH and nitrite, it also tells you if the riskier color would mean a higher rating.
Oxygen trouble counts too.
Low oxygen before dawn won't always show up in a test. Fish gasping at the surface, a glass-smooth surface or aeration that was off overnight all count, and fish gasping is Act Now on its own.
No risky quick fixes.
With ammonia in the water and a low pH or KH, it tells you not to raise pH or KH quickly, because a higher pH makes ammonia more harmful. It doesn't prescribe medications, salt, buffers, ammonia binders or algaecides. The only treatment it may suggest is a dechlorinator for tap water.
Every test on one timeline.
Signed in, each test is saved to your Pond Tracker on any device, and Pond Trends charts your readings over time. Test in the morning and again in the evening, and it flags a big daily pH swing.
A person when you want one.
Copy a short summary of your result to send us, or call, text or WhatsApp Play It Koi at (206) 350-7580.
Don't guess at the color chart.
A number on its own doesn't say much. The Decoder puts it next to your other readings and what you see at the pond, then gives you the next steps, most urgent first. Test as often as you like. It's free every time.
Decode my water testMore free help for your pond
Questions
Is it free? Do I need an account?
It's free, and you can use it without signing in. Sign in with your Play It Koi account to save each test. We send a 6-digit code to your email, so there's no password to remember.
Which test kits does it work with?
API liquid kits such as the Pond Master, NT Labs PondLab kits, test strips and other liquid kits. Pick your kit and the Decoder reads your numbers the way that kit reports them.
Where are my results saved?
When you're signed in, each test is saved to your account and shows up in your Pond Tracker, on any device. Without signing in, tests stay in the browser you used. You can also download a copy of any result, or copy a short summary to send us.
What do Looks Good, Monitor, Needs Attention and Act Now mean?
They are the Decoder's overall rating for a test. Act Now means something in the test or at the pond may need action right away. Follow the safe steps it gives first, then call, text or WhatsApp Play It Koi at (206) 350-7580.
My readings look fine, but my fish aren't. Why?
A test kit measures a few things in the water. Low oxygen before dawn, a recent treatment or a sudden change in temperature won't always show up in a test, which is why the Decoder also asks what you see at the pond. If your fish are gasping at the surface or acting differently, call us.
I planned my pond in the Pond Planner. Can I use it here?
Yes. Sign in with the same Play It Koi account and your Pond Planner ponds are in the Decoder's pond list. Pick one and its gallons are filled in for you.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes, on a phone, tablet or computer, so you can enter your results at the pond.
Does it replace a vet or a water lab?
No. It explains your results and suggests safe next steps. It doesn't diagnose disease, and it doesn't prescribe medications or chemical treatments.
Your next water test, explained
Test your water, type in the numbers and know what to do next.
Decode my water test