No ammonia registering after more than 48 hours?

[ElizaRome]

I think I might have a no-ammonia ammonia problem

Started fishless cycling 125 litre (c.29 gallon) tank on Sunday with 2.7 Fluval canister filter.

Added 5 1/2 ml of Dr. Tim's ammonia solution along with Tetra Safe Start nitrifying bacteria (and treating the water with Seachem Prime). Using API Master test kit, and the tank still shows no ammonia (no nitrites or nitrates either). I added a further 5ml yesterday, still no ammonia registering this afternoon so I poured 5ml of the ammonia solution straight into a test tube and tested that - and no ammonia!

Have I potentially got dud ammonia bottles (ordered two and have tried them both, both still had their seals intact) or do I just need to give it some more days?

Thanks for any and all advice!

ElizaRome x

 

[FishHobby99]

I think I might have a no-ammonia ammonia problem

Started fishless cycling 125 litre (c.29 gallon) tank on Sunday with 2.7 Fluval canister filter.

Added 5 1/2 ml of Dr. Tim's ammonia solution along with Tetra Safe Start nitrifying bacteria (and treating the water with Seachem Prime). Using API Master test kit, and the tank still shows no ammonia (no nitrites or nitrates either). I added a further 5ml yesterday, still no ammonia registering this afternoon so I poured 5ml of the ammonia solution straight into a test tube and tested that - and no ammonia!

Have I potentially got dud ammonia bottles (ordered two and have tried them both, both still had their seals intact) or do I just need to give it some more days?

Thanks for any and all advice!

ElizaRome x

I cycled a new tank using Dr. Tim’s ammonia & the ammonia tested a scary Kelly Green. I followed the directions in this chart, but did not use all of the products shown in this pic.

Sure you used enough ammonia for your tank size?

 

[NannaLou]

I think I might have a no-ammonia ammonia problem

Started fishless cycling 125 litre (c.29 gallon) tank on Sunday with 2.7 Fluval canister filter.

Added 5 1/2 ml of Dr. Tim's ammonia solution along with Tetra Safe Start nitrifying bacteria (and treating the water with Seachem Prime). Using API Master test kit, and the tank still shows no ammonia (no nitrites or nitrates either). I added a further 5ml yesterday, still no ammonia registering this afternoon so I poured 5ml of the ammonia solution straight into a test tube and tested that - and no ammonia!

Have I potentially got dud ammonia bottles (ordered two and have tried them both, both still had their seals intact) or do I just need to give it some more days?

Thanks for any and all advice!

ElizaRome x

Is your test kit in date..? Are you shaking bottles/counting drops properly etc..?

I would think there are possible two causes for this:
1. The ammonia is duff
2. The kit is duff

Good luck investigating that one

 

[Essjay]

You are using both ammonia bottles in the test kit?
Zero nitrate is unusual as well as most places have some in tap water.


You could try taking some tank water to a fish store and asking them to test ammonia. If it's the tester that's the problem and you have actually added a lot of ammonia, be prepared for the reaction of the person who tests the water

 

[ElizaRome]

Thanks all so much for your replies! I've tried both ammonia test solutions in the API kit, and neither is detecting any ammonia (even in an ammonia-only tube!).

The API test kit seems to be working at least in part, as it picked up the pH in our tap water as well as detecting a different pH in our aquarium water (think that must either be due to the outside tap/hose we used to get the water in, or carbon dioxide evaporating). No nitrates in our water as far as it's telling us, though...

I've purchased another bottle of ammonia (different brand this time) so will see how that works - if still no ammonia being detected, I guess it must be the API test solution that's not working.

Thanks again for your feedback - I just wasn't sure whether I needed to wait longer to see the ammonia register

 

[Colin_T]

Do you have any live plants in the tank?
If yes, they might be using the ammonia.

Add some ammonia to the tank, wait 30 minutes and test it. Take a sample of water to the local pet shop and get them to test it too. If their test shows ammonia then you have a faulty test kit.

The ammonia doesn't normally go off so it should be fine.

-----
Do an ammonia test and add a couple of drops of ammonia to the test phial. See if it changes colour when pure ammonia is added to the test phial.

 

[Essjay]

I've tried both ammonia test solutions in the API kit, and neither is detecting any ammonia (even in an ammonia-only tube!).

I am confused
Do you mean you have added bottle #1 to a tube and got zero and added bottle #2 to a different tube and still got zero?


If that is what you've done, you need to add drops from both bottles to the same test tube at the same time. Same with nitrate - and with nitrate you need to shake bottle #2 and the tube like they say. Nitrite and pH have only one bottle each.

 

[ElizaRome]

Ohhhhhhhh........
........hhhhhhhhhh



I thought API was just being generous and giving me two bottles!

 

[ElizaRome]

So my ammonia is 2ppm

And I am a total plonker

I only read the instructions for the pH - just assumed the process would be the same for all solutions and that they supply two ammonia and two nitrate because that's something you are likely to be checking more frequently....

No nitrite (at least I was checking for that correctly) so looks like the cycle hasn't started yet - will add a second bottle of bacteria if still nothing by the end of the week. I may possibly also need to invest in some anti-plonker solution before going anywhere near any fish!

 

[FishHobby99]

i had to watch YouTube vids to get down the API test instructions, beats theirs. I have a pH meter & don’t use their drops. Tested reliability & got same numbers

 

[NannaLou]

So my ammonia is 2ppm

And I am a total plonker

I only read the instructions for the pH - just assumed the process would be the same for all solutions and that they supply two ammonia and two nitrate because that's something you are likely to be checking more frequently....

No nitrite (at least I was checking for that correctly) so looks like the cycle hasn't started yet - will add a second bottle of bacteria if still nothing by the end of the week. I may possibly also need to invest in some anti-plonker solution before going anywhere near any fish!

Not a total plonker - you’ve worked it out now

 

[FishHobby99]

i had to watch YouTube vids to get down the API test instructions, beats theirs. I have a pH meter & don’t use their drops. Tested reliability & got same numbers

What’s a plonker? Love hearing these Brit expression!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

What’s a plonker? Love hearing these Brit expression!

Numpty*...plank**...eejit***

*Of Scottish origin, derived from numbskull.
**As in 'as thick as two short planks'.
***Idiot, but delivered with a cod Irish accent, which apparently makes it more appealing.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Also see Muppet...from the late, great Jim Henson's creations.

 

[FishHobby99]

thanks, love it!