Aquarium Emergency Calculator

Is your ammonia toxic? How big a water change? Exact conditioner & salt dose. Instant. Shows the math. No sign-up.

Enter tank dimensions, or type a known volume below. Every calculator uses this number.
Tip: measure the inside dimensions to the water line. Substrate & rock mean real water volume is ~10–15% less than the tank's rated size — the #1 cause of medication overdose.

Is my ammonia level safe?

The same ammonia test reading is harmless at low pH and lethal at high pH. This works out the toxic part (un-ionized NH₃) from your pH and temperature.

How big a water change do I need?

Dilution to a target level. Enter your current reading (ammonia, nitrite or nitrate) and the level you want to reach.

How much water conditioner do I add?

Dose for your actual water volume. Pick your product or enter its label rate.

How much aquarium salt for treatment?

Freshwater salt treatment dose for your volume. Pick a strength.

How these numbers are worked out (and why to trust them)

Un-ionized ammonia (NH₃)

Toxic ammonia is the un-ionized fraction. We use the standard Emerson (1975) relation: pKa = 0.09018 + 2729.92 / T(K), fraction = 1 / (1 + 10^(pKa − pH)), then NH₃ = total ammonia × fraction. Freshwater, salinity ≈ 0. Every step is shown above so you can check it.

Water change size

A water change dilutes by the fraction of water you swap: new level = current × (1 − fraction). To reach a target, fraction = 1 − (target ÷ current). If that is above ~50%, we split it into several safer changes.

Doses

Conditioner and salt are simple proportions of your actual water volume — which is why entering the real volume (not the tank's rated size) matters.