Can water test kits go bad?

[SilviaGTO]

I have a freshwater test kit (drops not strips), and ive had it for maybe a year, little longer.

When I do my nitrites, pH and so forth, it all comes out fine and gives what im assuming are somewhat accurate results.

When I do the ammonia test however, everytime its been turning a dark brown. its not even a yellow color to the scale.

I dont think my ammonia is that far off the scale because all my fish are happy and healthy and not stressed right now.

So.. can these tests go bad after a while?

 

[Menagerie]

There was a thread in which someone mentioned how to interpret the dates on the tests. I forget how it was done, but all chemicals have a shelf life. The other thing that may have happened to the ammonia test is some sort of contaminate got in there.

 

[An t-iasg]

I agree -- the chemicals do have a shelf life. If they are a year old, I would buy a new kit. I just replaced my kits after having them for a little over a year too. The kits with the dropper bottles are good. I use the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand. I did have the test strips once -- they always seemed to register the same result all the time.

 

[ChileRelleno]

ammonia test kit

Is this test a nessler or salicylate reagent based test? The nessler test can give false or weird readings when testing water that has been treated with ammonia products i.e Amquel or Ammo-lok. Have you used any of these or other chemicals in your tank lately? I bought a nessler based kit and got brown test results after using Amquel.
The salicylate based kits will not have these problems .
If your test kit uses one bottle of solution to test it is nessler, two bottles of solution is salicylate.

 

[SilviaGTO]

Well I do have amquel and I used it.

How do I see what kind of chemical based test I have?

I have the aquarium pharmaceuticals master freshwater kit.

 

[dralarms]

If your test kit uses one bottle of solution to test it is nessler, two bottles of solution is salicylate.

Well that's info I didn't have. 8O Thanks, Now I know that my AP test kit is nessler type. Lucky for me I don't use ammo-lock or Ammquel.

 

[ChileRelleno]

My pleasure to share in any way I can, and learn so much from y'all too.

 

[noteworthy]

I had this topic going around a while back.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=19652

It shows the 'Aquarium Pharmaceuticals' dates for their drop tests.

 

[Menagerie]

I had this topic going around a while back.

I was looking for that!!

 

[ChileRelleno]

Exp dates

Thats some good info I didn't know that I had wondered about. With timeframes like those unless your LFS or their wholesaler has had it in stock for a year or two then your good to go. A test kit last me little less than a year on average.
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