Is Test Kit Off?

[theshadowinc]

Okay running into an issue and thinking my Ammonia test kit is off but not totally sure,

I am cycling a 5gal breeder tank actually a holding tank for some of my breeding pairs of bettas
Its gone through the cycle so I think, maybe my ammonia test kit is off
Here is what is going on
Test resaults from tank 5 Gal
.25ppm Ammonia Colour seems just shy of this Lower side
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 10ppm

Test my resaults from an established breeding tank a 20gal
.25ppm Ammonia Colour seems just shy of this lower side
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrate 10-15ppm

Tap Water measures the same
.25ppm Ammonia Colour seems just shy of this lower side
Nitrate 0
Nitrate never tested it

When I cycled the tank I did notice over the course of a month its been really High on ammonia when doing it testing 4ppm-6ppm, and then I seen it go into Nitrites with readings really high, I would say off the chart, but now its reading 0ppm of nitrite so I am assuming the cycle is complete with the nitrate coming back at 10 and before it use to be like 30ppm when the nitrite was high. (I used a pest snail to help cycle the tank and #41#### they leave alot of ammonia at times)

Am I safe saying that this tank is cycled now I only used the ammonia test kit on these 3 test resaults. All of the test resaults came back the same, I guess the chart is wrong? or the solution isn't that good another words I might need to do a calibration?

Way I am reading it is taking the cap off and looking through to see the colour on the test chart, if I hold it up to the light it looks kinda yellow. This makes for a confusing cycling job

 

[OldMan47]

Hold the tube with a bright light over your shoulder, I use sunlight from a window when I can. The tube should be against the white part of the card and you compare the hue, not the darkness, against the color on the card. A zero on the API card is a pure yellow when viewed that way, there is no hint of green to it.

 

[theshadowinc]

Hold the tube with a bright light over your shoulder, I use sunlight from a window when I can. The tube should be against the white part of the card and you compare the hue, not the darkness, against the color on the card. A zero on the API card is a pure yellow when viewed that way, there is no hint of green to it.

Seems to give me a yellow looking colour this way you explained , maybe the light has something to do with it.