AMMONIA level Unchanged right After PWC???

[mentalpaws]

hi all

newbie here, well i was on here before, but had to re-register :[

my question is if i did a PWC and the ammonia levels tests the same a few minutes after the change, does that mean I should do another PWC right away?

55G single fantail goldie freshwater thank, this morning ammo read .5 to 1.0

i had a tank crash and a mini cycle- whatever thats called - about a month ago -so i think a spike here is normal.....

then just now, immediately after a 25% change, it was the same color, very light green maybe a trace lighter, should i wait a while and re-test this evening?
Should I do another PWC? How much? When?

THIS MORNING READINGS WERE:
pH was 6.6
nitrite was 0
nitrate was 5.0
ammo was 1.0

thank you!

 

[jen54]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago. Then I read on a forum (not sure if it was this one or not 'cos I was looking everywhere) that the API test kits are notoriously unreliable. I had done huge water changes every day and still had the same readings that you have. All my fish are fine so I think that this is ok.

 

[mentalpaws]

hmmmm really- thats crazy wierd!! i am using what everyone tells me to, the API Master Tester, vials and liquid drops kit.....its hard to REALLY tell the exact reading on those charts, the color changes are so subtle, never seeming to match up color-wise exactly, it depends on the lighting, your eyes, blah bla bla....

but good to hear yours was the same. Do you have goldfish too?

all i know is a month ago my ammo was DARK green, 8.0 !!!
i recently upgraded my tank to 55G, water changes every day for weeks, and now its in the yellow range.

 

[Thumper828]

A lot of times some water conditioners will give you a false positive on some of your test. Best to wait at least an hour or better to test.

 

[Rivercats]

Test "strips" are the ones that are not always reliable. API master test kits are the way to go. How often are you doing WC's and how much? Do you know the ph of your tap water? In order to test it put some tap water in a cup and let it sit 24 hours, stirring occasionally, then test it. This time allows the water to gass off and gives you the true ph. I kept large fancy goldies for many years. Your ph is dropping too low so if your tap water is higher in the 7's your not doing enough WC's. See what your tap water reads then go from there. You need to do a 50% WC weekly with goldies.

 

[Old Scales]

Have you tested your tap water for ammo. Some water supplies have that much to start with. If you haven't yet, do all your API tests on your tap water and write down the results. This is your baseline. OS.

 

[mentalpaws]

yep tested tap water, but NOT 24 hours after letting sit. Right away.

0 on everything except pH and that was 6.8 - 7.0

next one i will let sit 24 hours as suggested. THANK YOU

 

[ashleynicole]

25 percent water change would reduce an ammonia reading from 1.0 ppm to .8 ppm.
... essentially the same reading. To see a difference on a liquid test you would need to change 50 percent of the water at leAst twice. The first 50percent change would get you down to .5 ppm and the next 50percent would get you down to .25ppm.

 

[Rivercats]

Something tells me you have a low ph tap water so after you test it you will probably want to get some crushed coral, put some in your filter or in a media bag hung under your filter outflow. Start with maybe a cup and go from there. The CC will slowly leach buffers into the water raising Kh and Ph which is what you want with goldies. GF produce a lot of ammonia and tend to make the water acid quite quickly. You also "might" have to use about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda weekly dissolved into your WC water.