I have a API master test kit and when i test my tank it is at the max just as dark green as it can be and when i test may tap it only showes at most .25 my tank has been runing for over a year and i have a magnum 350 and a c360 and an inch of graval i have not added a fish in 6 weeks and untill now it has always been 0 amonia 0 nitrite and around 5 nitrate and it just started showing that crazy amount of ammonia 2 weeks ago but all my fish seem fine they eat fine and every thing is ther something besides amonia that will give false readings?
? about my my test kit
- Thread starter scallywag14
- Start date
The api test kit picks up total ammonia. That is it shows ammonia Nh3 and ammonium NH4. Ammonium NH4 is non toxic to your fish. That is what is most likely going on.
if you want to test for ammonia only I would suggest a test kit like one from seachem which can detect for NH3 only.
To have high levels of ammonium usually means your water conditioner has converted the toxic ammonia into ammonium which your the bb bacteria feed on.
It appears in your situation that your bb are not working properly because your bio media has recently been disturbed through cleaning / not enough not efficient / become clogged. Never rely on gravel as a bio media !
I would replace 1/2 the media on your setup and fill all the trays of your c360 with high efficiency bio media with some mechanical filtration in the top tray to keep the bio media from getting clogged, leave the magnum to do the main mechanical cleaning with the pleated micron filter.
Essentially I would treat the tank as having a mini cycle and prepare the tank by adding bb products such as seachem stability until your water parameters are back on track. After X period of time when everything has settled then I would replace the other half of the old media.
if you want to test for ammonia only I would suggest a test kit like one from seachem which can detect for NH3 only.
To have high levels of ammonium usually means your water conditioner has converted the toxic ammonia into ammonium which your the bb bacteria feed on.
It appears in your situation that your bb are not working properly because your bio media has recently been disturbed through cleaning / not enough not efficient / become clogged. Never rely on gravel as a bio media !
I would replace 1/2 the media on your setup and fill all the trays of your c360 with high efficiency bio media with some mechanical filtration in the top tray to keep the bio media from getting clogged, leave the magnum to do the main mechanical cleaning with the pleated micron filter.
Essentially I would treat the tank as having a mini cycle and prepare the tank by adding bb products such as seachem stability until your water parameters are back on track. After X period of time when everything has settled then I would replace the other half of the old media.
Thanks i will try that today will the BB take care of the ammonium becaus even with 2 50% water changes in one day it still read high not as high but high and i have well water and dont use water treatments.
scallywag14;4547532; said:
If your not using water conditioner, and your having a reading of .25ppm from the tap water then, I would start treating that tap water ! That reading is most likely NH3 (ammonia).
Once enough bb have colonized your bio media, then yes they will take care of the ammonium, but then you have to watch your nitrites rise and then lower and finally into nitrates.
Slow down with the big water changes, treat the situation as a mini cycle, patience is your friend.
Thanks man i will post updates on the mater and is matrix by seachem any good i baught a liter and added it to my 360 and i pre soaked it in some stability for like 5min dont know if it helped but i did it and i added the stability to the tank as well i hope it works