test kit

I just bought a test kit to check water can someone tell me please for what i am checking cause i am new to this hobby. ph kh gh no2 and no3

Most of the fish sold for freshwater aquariums can tolerate a fairly wide range of conditions, but they don't like quick changes of water parameters. Different species of fish, however, need different temperature ranges. Google can lead you to some good information about habitat requirements, compatibility, spawning and adult size. Mollies, for example, are not really compatible with platies. They can live in the same aquarium, but the conditions cannot be optimum for both. Your water test kit probably does not check ammonia (NH3), which should always be at zero. It and nitrite (NO2) are reactive compounds that are toxic to fish, so they need to be checked.

Is there any method to check ammonia levels ?

Yes. They sell a separate kit for testing ammonia. It costs less than ten bucks and will last for a long time. Once you get the ammonia to zero you don't need to test very often unless you over crowd or over feed. Ammonia is probably the most important thing to measure if you want a healthy aquarium.

Local fish stores are great, but you can get bargain prices from the on-line shops. They charge shipping but no tax.

what do you want to check for to see there is ammonia or not?

The ammonia test kit has a small test tube. You fill it to the mark with aquarium water, then add a few drops of one or two reagents (furnished with the kit) according to the instructions. Next, you shake the test tube and let it sit for five minutes. The test kit has a color chart, and you compare the color of the test tube water to the chart. If the water is clear, you have zero ammonia and the aquarium is OK. If the water is tinted yellow, the aquarium has an ammonia problem. Not all ammonia test kits are the same, but that's generally how they work. Just be sure to follow the instructions for the particular kit.

Right now, I'm using a single reagent kit sold by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. It checks for NH3 and NH4 and is good for over 100 tests.

please can you tell me no2 and no3 means in the test. thanks john

NO2 is nitrite, and it's toxic to fish but food for beneficial bacteria. This is a bit over simplified, but one good bacteria culture converts ammonia to nitrate and nitrite, and another one converts nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate (NO3, I think) is more stable than nitrite. A third bacteria digests the nitrate and turns it into plant food. Ammonia and nitrite are reactive, because they have too many or too few electrons; that makes them try to merge with other compounds. It's been quite a few decades since I attended chemistry classes, and this explanation should prove it.

so if the no2 and no3 are fine it means that the ammonia is fine too?

Probably but not necessarily.

so it can mean that if the no2 and no3 are fine the ammonia could be high ?

Since ammonia is usually the first thing produced by waste materials and even fish respiration, it could be in the aquarium before any nitrite appears. Aquarium shops will sometimes test your water for free, but they may also try to sell you stuff. That's what business is all about. If you don't like working with test tubes, you can buy an ammonia thingy that sits inside the aquarium and changes color when ammonia is present. Once your aquarium is cycled and well balanced it will not need frequent testing.