HappyLoner
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I dont know if I should laugh or cry here! Bwahahaha! 
Im currently in the process of setting up my very first large tank (270litres) and attempting a fishless cycle.
My ammonia test kit has been funny from the start. Not really showing results I expected, etc. I had to add a total of 250 drops of 85% ammonia to get the reading to 5ppm. Yes! Start laughing now!
I then waited a day, and it dropped to 3ppm. Added 50 drops again to get back to 5ppm. The same the next day and on the fourth day it only dropped to 4ppm! I then added 20 drops to get back to 5ppm. The day after that, it looks as if it was still on 5ppm, so I did not add anything. Same on 5 and 6! No drop in ammonia. This was last night and I started getting worried. I then started thinking logically for the first time. This is what I came up with.
If 5ppm is needed in 270 litres of water, that means that:
5 parts per million.
270 litres = 270,000ml
in other words, 1ml of PURE ammonia would be 3.7ppm in 270litres.
270,000 * 3.7 = 1,000,000
So I wouldve needed like only 1.5ml of pure ammonia to get the proper reading. 50 drops was measured at 5ml. And I added 370 drops in total so far, which is 37ml of 85% ammonia. WAAAAYYYY TOOO MUUUUCCCHH!!!
I then went to the Hagen website, to see what I was doing wrong with the testkit. When comparing colours on the chart, you should hold the Vial AGAINST the paper with the charts, as not to have any light inbetween. I did not do this. Following this news, I retested ammonia properly for the first time. The chart works in shades of orange. When I check now, the liquid is almost RED. Like 3 to 4 times more than the kit can measure! HAHAHA
Fortunately there is no fish in there, but for that matter, no bacteria as well, think I killed it all.
Gonna do a 80% water change tonight. Then test ammonia again and hope that was sufficient to get it to readable readings again.
Thought I would share this with you guys.
Im writing a diary of everyday, think this is going to be a comedy in the end, not a diary.
hL
Im currently in the process of setting up my very first large tank (270litres) and attempting a fishless cycle.
My ammonia test kit has been funny from the start. Not really showing results I expected, etc. I had to add a total of 250 drops of 85% ammonia to get the reading to 5ppm. Yes! Start laughing now!
I then waited a day, and it dropped to 3ppm. Added 50 drops again to get back to 5ppm. The same the next day and on the fourth day it only dropped to 4ppm! I then added 20 drops to get back to 5ppm. The day after that, it looks as if it was still on 5ppm, so I did not add anything. Same on 5 and 6! No drop in ammonia. This was last night and I started getting worried. I then started thinking logically for the first time. This is what I came up with.
If 5ppm is needed in 270 litres of water, that means that:
5 parts per million.
270 litres = 270,000ml
in other words, 1ml of PURE ammonia would be 3.7ppm in 270litres.
270,000 * 3.7 = 1,000,000
So I wouldve needed like only 1.5ml of pure ammonia to get the proper reading. 50 drops was measured at 5ml. And I added 370 drops in total so far, which is 37ml of 85% ammonia. WAAAAYYYY TOOO MUUUUCCCHH!!!
I then went to the Hagen website, to see what I was doing wrong with the testkit. When comparing colours on the chart, you should hold the Vial AGAINST the paper with the charts, as not to have any light inbetween. I did not do this. Following this news, I retested ammonia properly for the first time. The chart works in shades of orange. When I check now, the liquid is almost RED. Like 3 to 4 times more than the kit can measure! HAHAHA
Fortunately there is no fish in there, but for that matter, no bacteria as well, think I killed it all.
Gonna do a 80% water change tonight. Then test ammonia again and hope that was sufficient to get it to readable readings again.
Thought I would share this with you guys.
Im writing a diary of everyday, think this is going to be a comedy in the end, not a diary.
hL
