A Problem With The Jbl Test Kit

[Akasha72]

I recently changed to the JBL test kit from the API and I've discovered a major flaw with it tonight.
 
I found a dead fish this morning (old age, he was also blind so it was a blessing) and then tonight I found another (a casualty of the heat wave I suspect) and so this prompted me to do a water test. I had zero Ammonia, a slight trace of Nitrite and 40 Nitrate. My first thought was 'I'll do a water change in the morning and lower that Nitrate'. I then took a phone call for 5 minutes and then glanced at the test tubes again ... Nitrite had gone up massively. From a slight reading to 1ppm.... out came the buckets. I did 60 litres to begin with and re-tested - first of all it came out as zero then my phone rang again ... and over the 10 minutes I was on the phone I watched the test tube slowly go pinker ... and pinker (it's supposed to be creamy coloured) ... in the end I made my excuses on the phone and got the buckets back out and did another 60 litres. I re-tested again and got zero again .... this time I got the booklet out though and it said to read it after 3 minutes. I timed it exactly and it was a definite zero but I left it to sit for a further 3 minutes and over that time it slowly turned pink giving me a reading of 1ppm
 
 
There is no way it could possibly be 1ppm after 120 litres of clean water!!
 
 
I just wanted to warn other JBL test kit users to beware of these false readings. I will be going back to API as soon as this kit is used up
 
 
 
A side note: the deaths have nothing to do with bad practices. I have had most of my fish for around 4 to 5 years and now they are slowly dying of old age. The second death was a cory unable to cope with the high temps I've had due to a heat wave. Please can we not make an issue of it. Thank you

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hmm, I have a JBL kit somewhere, have not used it in ages as the readings were pretty much the same as the API kit, neglible differnece between the two imho. Also another diifference is JBL has more tests i.e phosphorous, calcium hence a little more pricey.
 
Might be an idea, tomorrow obviously as too late now, to take a sample to your LFS and ask them to test it with their kit, you may have to pay them now for that service, depends on LFS, then compare their test readings when you get back to your place and test again with your JBL.kit.
 
Then you have something for comparision. One step at a time.

 

[Akasha72]

my trusted lfs also use the JBL kit lol! This was the reason I thought I'd try it! I may call at p@h tomorrow and buy a single Nitrite test and see what that says. I have lost trust in the JBL kit a bit now

 

[NickAu]

Akasha72
I have the same problem with my API kit, For example, When I do a test, I sometimes do the same test twice at the same time 2 test tubes side by side, EG. PH I fill both test tubes from the same syringe, Add the reagent shake the tubes the same number of times and 1 tube will tell me my PH is 7.8 and the other 7.4 ( Thats with the Hi range bottle ). Yet when I use the low range bottle its 7.0 to 7.2.  Yesterday when I did it, my amonia result was 2.0 and .25ppm.  Yes I clean the testubes before use and all that. 

 

[Akasha72]

now you've got me worried about going back to API Nick! When you suspect a problem with our tanks you rely on the test kits to guide us to where the problem may be ... the last thing we need is flawed test kits!
 
I'm seriously annoyed. The reason I'm sat posting at 3.30am is I can't sleep for pain ... and that pain is caused by lugging 20 buckets of water ... 10 of which I seriously think I didn't need to. Yes, my tank was due it's weekly water change but I changed double the amount I usually change and it's done my back in 

 

[NickAu]

 
When you suspect a problem with our tanks you rely on the test kits to guide us

Not me, I have stopped trusting those to give me an accurate reading. Its more of a rough guide.
When I suspect an issue with my tanks I do not reach for the test kit, I reach for the bucket and do a water change. As you know good clean water and lots of it fixes most things.
 

 
I'm seriously annoyed. The reason I'm sat posting at 3.30am is I can't sleep for pain ... and that pain is caused by lugging 20 buckets of water ... 10 of which I seriously think I didn't need to. Yes, my tank was due it's weekly water change but I changed double the amount I usually change and it's done my back in

Ouch, Pain is never good.

 

[gmc1]

Get that syphon tube ordered akasha.half the work of your water changes.

 

[Akasha72]

yeah ... I think I'll ask Santa for a python water changer! I know I could make a diy one much cheaper but it's the messing about I can't be bothered with ... certainly not today anyway .... me a sleepy girl ... not to mention a bit grumpy

 

[betta fish]

From what I have learnt when using a liquid test kits is that results are no longer valid after a certain amount of time so if it advises to read after 3 minutes and your result is zero then this is the result so I really wouldn't worry, it just seems coincidental about the deaths occurring at the same time, I don't think there is an issue with your water.

 

[Akasha72]

thanks betta fish, I don't think there's a water issue either but from experience of this forum I've found someone will have to try and find an issue and I'm really not up for that.
 
I have maybe half a tank of elderly fish and half a tank of young fish. I have had quite a lot of deaths over the last 6 months but all the fish that have died have been the older stock. I havn't lost any young fish - that was until I found the dead cory yesterday. She was new and young ... BUT ... we've had a heat wave in the U.K and for 3 days running I couldn't get my tank below 27 degrees. Cories don't deal well with those kinds of temperatures and I was anxiously waiting for one of my panda cories to keel over, knowing they are the most delicate, instead it was one of their close relatives, the Melini cory that keeled over. I am upset about it but I'm trying to be philosophical about it. I could have lost my entire cory stock, instead I lost just one. It's just a shame it had to be one that's difficult to replace at they are rare in these parts