Can't Tell Results With Test Kit

[freshwaterfishlover]

Anyone have the same problem? With API test kit it's hard to tell with ammonia when it's at a reading of 0 or .25

 

[fluttermoth]

Lots of people have this problem with the API ammonia test.

The best advice I can give is;

make sure you read the results under daylight, if at all possible; and certainly not under energy saving bulbs

look down through the test tube, with the lid off

hold the test tube a cm or two away from the card, not up against it

be aware that the zero result is a slightly greener yellow than it appears on the card

 

[freshwaterfishlover]

Lots

be aware that the zero result is a slightly greener yellow than it appears on the card

That's the problem. I see it slightly greener and think it's maybe .25 then I think I'm imagining it.

 

[fluttermoth]

It might be worth getting a bit of water that you know is ammonia free (a sample of RO from your LFS, perhaps, or some bottled spring water) so you know what zero looks like.

 

[techen]

I have same problem, the way I test is use two test tubes. One for your tap and one for your tank, compare.

 

[Tuxyu3]

I have same problem, the way I test is use two test tubes. One for your tap and one for your tank, compare.

Tap water often has ammonia in it........

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; even tap water that doesn't normally have any might, at odd times, have a trace in it. That's why I suggested bottled or RO water as a comparison

 

[MBOU]

API rep told me the test will always react slightly to amonium as well as ammonia so if you use tapwater, the test will normally have a slight reaction, especially if you have recently done a water change.

 

[daizeUK]

look down through the test tube, with the lid off

Erk...

I've been taking the readings with the test tube flat against the card

I was reading it as around 2ppm ammonia, if I look down through the test tube then it reads as 8ppm

Now I'm worried I've overdosed my tank with too much ammonia and it won't cycle. Are you sure I'm supposed to hold the tube upright? The instructions don't make it clear

 

[fluttermoth]

No, that's only to get a better idea of the colour if you're not sure if it's 0 or 0.25ppm.

If you know there's ammonia there you can read it normally, it's just on the two very lowest colours that it gets harder to read.

 

[ColR1948]

I've had this with the API, sometimes it looks green straight away in certain light conditions, I get worried take it to another room and it is yellow. I also have Nutrafin so I like that one best plus it is only one bottle not two.

 

[Dazzer87]

If the test tube isnt cleaned out properly it will show slightly green I found this out with mine. the colour will change a lot depending what light your using, best hold it near sunlight and it should be a bright yellow.

 

[Primous]

I started out with api and found that low readings were pretty hard to read. The solution is to buy a nutrafin test kit? The reason for this is that 0ppm in nutrafin is clear/the color of water. So if the results are 0.1 or 0.2 it'll register as opposed to those test kits which require you to change from one colour to the next and sometimes a third color to get a reading.

 

[ColR1948]

Funny this came up, my Nutrafin kit came in the post this morning off Ebay.

 

[DreamertK]

I find that covering one eye while holding the tube up to the white part of the card (while having a small portion covering the colored portion of the card to compare) makes it easy to identify the closest matching color. I've had a lot of practice while I was cycling.