Hello; I misspoke here the underlined should have been nitrites. Ammonia is converted to nitrites
Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite readings
- Thread starter jmf
- Start date
This is getting strange. I tested the water using API and Sera, the Sera test twice came back as ammonia being crazy high like over 5ppm and the API came back as 0ppm. I have 2 sets of Sera ammonia kits and both read the same.
So I decided to purchase a 3rd test kit. I got the seachem kit. Not sure if anyone has used this kit but it's totally different. It comes with 2 tests, free and total ammonia.
I'm running a second series of test using the seachem kit, just to be on the safe side because it showed 0ppm of free ammonia and a tiny bit of total ammonia (less then 0.05) in the first test.
Has anyone seen something like this? It really has got me confused on the way forward from here.
So I decided to purchase a 3rd test kit. I got the seachem kit. Not sure if anyone has used this kit but it's totally different. It comes with 2 tests, free and total ammonia.
I'm running a second series of test using the seachem kit, just to be on the safe side because it showed 0ppm of free ammonia and a tiny bit of total ammonia (less then 0.05) in the first test.
Has anyone seen something like this? It really has got me confused on the way forward from here.
I only use api, so I have not seen that before. Did you try cleaning the test tubes from the other test kits with the distilled water before testing?
Sorry if I missed it, but what is the nitrite reading you are getting?
Really weird that all that seeded media didn't provide an instant cycle for you.
I'm sure the API master test kit isn't the most accurate thing around, but I wouldn't consider it crap. It's suited most of us well in the hobby just find for decades.
If your water supply used chloramine as opposed to chlorine as a disinfectant, this will show up as a small amount of ammonia, which will convert to nitrates quickly in as established aquarium.
Really weird that all that seeded media didn't provide an instant cycle for you.
I'm sure the API master test kit isn't the most accurate thing around, but I wouldn't consider it crap. It's suited most of us well in the hobby just find for decades.
If your water supply used chloramine as opposed to chlorine as a disinfectant, this will show up as a small amount of ammonia, which will convert to nitrates quickly in as established aquarium.
