Hello everyone.
Must share a quick tale that certainly taught me a lesson! I've set up a new set up using aqua gro soil, which leaches ammonia for a while so I'm doing a sort of fishless cycle with some mature media in box filters. Apparently the ammonia is leeched for 2-3 weeks, been set up a week so time for a test I thought. Bought tetra test strips for ammonia, as a friend in my lfs said they were ideal for my needs. Tested and not surprised to see 1.0 mg/l. Happy days. Now, separate issue. Bought some rams 12 days ago, lost 2 after 3 days and gradually saw a down turn in my discus well being. Eventually black with white dusting on Sunday, velvet diagnosed. Started treatment Monday after large water change. Just out of curiosity dipped the discus tank with the ammonia strips......1.0mg/l! Well, panic stations. Started pulling tank apart looking for any losses, patch cleaned substrates to check I hadn't allowed a build up of mulm. Checked filters, surface skimmer and racking my brains to think if anything I'd done could have damaged filter colony. Nothing found. The only change to normal regime was the rams going in.
After an hour, and a couple of coffees' lol, I had a moment of clarity.....tested some fresh r/o water with a strip as knew something wasn't adding up. Low and behold, a positive reading of 1.0 mg/l. Now, I'm not saying don't trust dip strips, but this much of a false reading, and for something as serious as ammonia (I know they also read for ammonium which is less toxic)is definitely not good. As I said, a lesson learnt. The other lesson I've learnt is its definitely time to start quarantining any new fish!!
Must share a quick tale that certainly taught me a lesson! I've set up a new set up using aqua gro soil, which leaches ammonia for a while so I'm doing a sort of fishless cycle with some mature media in box filters. Apparently the ammonia is leeched for 2-3 weeks, been set up a week so time for a test I thought. Bought tetra test strips for ammonia, as a friend in my lfs said they were ideal for my needs. Tested and not surprised to see 1.0 mg/l. Happy days. Now, separate issue. Bought some rams 12 days ago, lost 2 after 3 days and gradually saw a down turn in my discus well being. Eventually black with white dusting on Sunday, velvet diagnosed. Started treatment Monday after large water change. Just out of curiosity dipped the discus tank with the ammonia strips......1.0mg/l! Well, panic stations. Started pulling tank apart looking for any losses, patch cleaned substrates to check I hadn't allowed a build up of mulm. Checked filters, surface skimmer and racking my brains to think if anything I'd done could have damaged filter colony. Nothing found. The only change to normal regime was the rams going in.
After an hour, and a couple of coffees' lol, I had a moment of clarity.....tested some fresh r/o water with a strip as knew something wasn't adding up. Low and behold, a positive reading of 1.0 mg/l. Now, I'm not saying don't trust dip strips, but this much of a false reading, and for something as serious as ammonia (I know they also read for ammonium which is less toxic)is definitely not good. As I said, a lesson learnt. The other lesson I've learnt is its definitely time to start quarantining any new fish!!
We do try our best but sometimes being blunt is the best policy!
/www.hach.com/ammonia-nitrogen-test-strips-0-6-0-mg-l/product-details?id=7640211610&callback=qsr
