Api Nitrite Test - High Reading?

[Schmill]

Ok, before anyone freaks at the readings I am doing a fishless cycle at the moment!

What I want to clarify, is with the API NitrIte test kit, when you first put the drops into the testtube with the water, if you have low nitrIte levels, do the drops change colour at all? This is BEFORE you shake the tube or anything.

What I am getting is when I first put the drops in they go a deep purple in the bottom of the tube. Give it a little shake and all the liquid mixes and is a mild purple, wait for the 5 minutes, and it seems to turn an aqua blue, which is the 0 reading on the chart.

I ask because I seem to recall someone saying that if you have an 'off-the-scale' high reading of nitrItes with the kit, it does go full circle, and go back to greeny / blue.
So basically, if you have low nitrItes in your water, what do the API drops do when you first drip them into the test tube of water? Do they change colour at all?
I've either got lots of nitrItes, or almost none, and I want to make sure I know which - lol

Thanks!

 

[LionessN3cubs]

Ok, before anyone freaks at the readings I am doing a fishless cycle at the moment!

What I want to clarify, is with the API NitrIte test kit, when you first put the drops into the testtube with the water, if you have low nitrIte levels, do the drops change colour at all? This is BEFORE you shake the tube or anything.

What I am getting is when I first put the drops in they go a deep purple in the bottom of the tube. Give it a little shake and all the liquid mixes and is a mild purple, wait for the 5 minutes, and it seems to turn an aqua blue, which is the 0 reading on the chart.

I ask because I seem to recall someone saying that if you have an 'off-the-scale' high reading of nitrItes with the kit, it does go full circle, and go back to greeny / blue.
So basically, if you have low nitrItes in your water, what do the API drops do when you first drip them into the test tube of water? Do they change colour at all?
I've either got lots of nitrItes, or almost none, and I want to make sure I know which - lol

Thanks!

I use an api test and am also fishless cycling. NONE of my ammonia has processed so I have no nitrites. When I do test nitrites, the drops are dark blue (not even remotely purple) at all ever. I'd say the purpleness your seeing is your nitrite spike your waiting for...good job!

 

[pirate monkey]

Just to clarify...

NOTE FOR API TEST KIT USERS: When you add the drops, if they immediately turn purple in the bottom of the tube, your nitrites are off the chart high. You do not need to shake the tube and wait 5 minutes. If you do, the color will turn green as the nitrites are so high that there isn't a color to measure them with. Once the ammonia is dropping from around 4 ppm back to zero in 12 hours or less you have sufficient bacteria to handle the ammonia your fish load produces. Continue to add ammonia daily as you must feed the bacteria that have formed or they will begin to die off

Found this in RDD1952's fishless cycling sticky.

HTH!

 

[waterdrop]

Schmill,

You've asked the question without putting it in the context of where you are in your cycling, what else you've been observing as your test results. Do you expect to be getting a dropping of nitrites to zero? Have you had high nitrate readings, 4 or 5 or higher already or have you just been waiting to see nitrite go up high for the first time? Have you been testing at least daily or have you missed days where the high nitrite spike may have already occurred?

I use the API test too. When nitrates were spiked, the blue nitrite-testing reagent drops would go dark purple when they hit the test water and sometimes did look a weird, very dark, green-blue pooled in the bottom of the test tube, BUT, after the shake and the 5min timer went off, the reading would always look like it was a purple that matched 5.0 reading.

On the day my Nitrites finally dropped to zero, and since, the blue drops just turn darker aqua blue when they hit the test water and then dark aqua blue pooled in the bottom. After the shake and the 5min wait, the test tube looks a very pale, very clearish pale blue, just the shade of zero on the test chart.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Schmill]

Schmill,

You've asked the question without putting it in the context of where you are in your cycling, what else you've been observing as your test results. Do you expect to be getting a dropping of nitrites to zero? Have you had high nitrate readings, 4 or 5 or higher already or have you just been waiting to see nitrite go up high for the first time? Have you been testing at least daily or have you missed days where the high nitrite spike may have already occurred?

I use the API test too. When nitrates were spiked, the blue nitrite-testing reagent drops would go dark purple when they hit the test water and sometimes did look a weird, very dark, green-blue pooled in the bottom of the test tube, BUT, after the shake and the 5min timer went off, the reading would always look like it was a purple that matched 5.0 reading.

On the day my Nitrites finally dropped to zero, and since, the blue drops just turn darker aqua blue when they hit the test water and then dark aqua blue pooled in the bottom. After the shake and the 5min wait, the test tube looks a very pale, very clearish pale blue, just the shade of zero on the test chart.

~~waterdrop~~

Sorry, I am never sure how much information to put in, and how much would just be waffling
Ok, so I had my ammonia processing in about 24 hrs, and was getting purple nitrIte water after the 5 minute wait. Over the last few days the ammonia has come down to the point where it's remving 4 / 5 ppm in 10-12 hours , and it's now that when I put the nitrIte drops in the tube they immediately go a deep purple in the bottom of the tube. It is my suspicion that it is 'off the scale high', but I didn't want to sway anyone's feedback by giving my own thoughts before anyone had replied.
So I guess what I am looking for next then is that when I put the bllue drops into the test tube, they stay blue at the bottom of the tube, and then when I shake it and leave it 5 minutes it is still a nice pale blue to show 0?