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Ammonia always showing ammonia on API test kit

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Ryan231211

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Hello... I'm wondering if somebody could help me please.. so I'm new to keeping fish.. had my tank up and running for 6 months now... I've had a constant problem with ammonia from the start.. sometimes it's high.. sometimes it's low.. think a big part of my problem was I over stocked my tank.. but I did not know at the time as I was told my tank could hold a lot of fish.. but that was wrong advice... but now I know.. so now I have 4 small fish in a 117ltr tank.. 3 days ago my ammonia was at 4ppm... I have been doing 90% water changes every day... my API kit is still showing 0.25ppm ammonia... and I have never ever got it below that reading in the 6 months I've had the tank... I have just read someone's thread on here.. they have had the same problem as me.. never getting it below 0.25ppm.. and someone replied saying that this is a known problem with the API ammonia test kit.. I was just wondering if anyone could confirm this for me.. as I'm constantly doing water changes to get it to 0ppm.. but nothing ever works... it just don't go to 0ppm... would much appreciate some advice on this if any one can help.. thanks in advance
 
You're not new to fish keeping, you've had fishies for 6 months :)

Buy a bottle of distilled water from a hardware or supermarket. Test that for ammonia. If the test says 0.25 then the test kit is reading 0 ammonia and 0.25.

Distilled water is pure water and should have no ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, GH or KH. It should have a pH of 7.0 and nothing else.
 
Sorry I thought 6 months was still quite new haha I've still not got the hang of things yet. I'm still learning stuff everyday... .. I tested my tap water.. it is showing similar readings to my tank... maybe not bang on.. but very very close..
 
Pick up a bottle of distilled water the next time you are at the supermarket and test that.
 
Right I will do that.. I'll try pop to shop and get one tonight and I'll let you know the results.. thanks for the advice was a very good idea to find out
 

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