Finally got a test kit!

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good for you for getting the test kit. I agree with what one poster said about feeling like a mad scientist. I did too when i first got mine. As has already been said, i would keep up with large water changes until the ammonia comes down. Even though you are cycling, in case there is lots of waste in the gravel decaying and causing the ammonia, i would do a good gravel vac as well. Most of the good bacteria is in the filter anyway. You are using the prime with every water change, correct? You can increase the amount of prime (i think it says how much on the bottle) to help with the ammonia.

Just keep it up. Good job so far.

yes i have been using prime with every water change. 2 drops per gallon as the bottle says.
 
it is possible that the test kit is bad, but more likely the high levels of ammonia and nitrite are probably just causing the kit to read all wacky.

Keep up with the water changes, try to get your ammonia level down below .5 and things should start reading better on your test kit.


the kit isnt reading wacky at all... Its actually reading consistently the same each time. That isnt wacky
 
The fact that it isn't changing readings is what's wacky. If you have a tank full of water that has 5ppm ammonia in it, if you change 50% of the water, the reading should fall to 2.5ppm near abouts. Thats why we keep saying something is wacky.

Another problem could be your source water. Try testing your tap water and posting what the results are for that.
 
You guys, I'm not an idiot. I know fully well how to do the math. I didnt have the money to purchase it back then. Now I did. I got it when I could ok???

I can totally understand that! I had no idea when I got involved in this how expensive it was. And sometimes you just have to put things off until you have the money and then you get it wherever and whenever you can. I know I've ended up spending more on something that I could have gotten cheaper elsewhere (or online) but I needed it NOW, so you get it when you can!
 
i'm sorry if i offended you, i don't think you're an idiot. i misread your post and thought you had been looking for one for two weeks, in which case if you had had the money two weeks ago for one, you would have had the cheaper one by now, but you didn't, and just needed one now. sorry about that.

try using the kit on water straight from the tap to see what the results are (as neilan suggested). it could be that your tap water has ammonia in it which would explain the same results after water changes. if everything reads zero out of the tap, then there is something in your tank causing the ammonia to shoot up. are testing immediately before and after water changes?
 
The fact that it isn't changing readings is what's wacky. If you have a tank full of water that has 5ppm ammonia in it, if you change 50% of the water, the reading should fall to 2.5ppm near abouts. Thats why we keep saying something is wacky.

Another problem could be your source water. Try testing your tap water and posting what the results are for that.

Yeah but think about it... regardless of what water I've put into the tank in the past, it has been treated multiple times and changed every day. Those factors mean the params of the water should be changing especially after doing such large water changes.
I've decided to let it go, and let it do its process. I never went through all this in the past, and when I let it do its thing it turned out fine. I think I'm probably putting my fish in so much more stress by changing things so drastically every day. They've already been through enough (new water, high ammonia, ich, new water again, re-cycle, etc...

They arent showing any signs or symptoms of being stressed at all. No red gills, no funny swimming, nothing with the exception to the black molly i just returned to the tank, but the reason he was swimming funny was because he was in a tighter space before. Now that he's back in with everyone else, hes doing better.

Anyway, thanks for the advice but I think I'm just going to let them rest.:zzz:
 
i'm sorry if i offended you, i don't think you're an idiot. i misread your post and thought you had been looking for one for two weeks, in which case if you had had the money two weeks ago for one, you would have had the cheaper one by now, but you didn't, and just needed one now. sorry about that.

try using the kit on water straight from the tap to see what the results are (as neilan suggested). it could be that your tap water has ammonia in it which would explain the same results after water changes. if everything reads zero out of the tap, then there is something in your tank causing the ammonia to shoot up. are testing immediately before and after water changes?

Yeah I've been testing a bunch, and every time its exactly the same...honestly you guys I'm starting to wonder if it isnt the test kit. The FS I got it from only had the one left, and I noticed upon opening it that it looked like it had been used before because there was mold in one of the tubes. I decided to rinse it out really well without soap but really hot water, but the upon opening one of the test bottles, the inside cap was missing! On top of that, one of the other bottles I could barely open, and when finally opening it, there was dry white stuff all over the inside (thus making it difficult to open)
I hate having to drive all the way back there to return it, but I think I may have to and order one at walmart. Cheaper anyway.

Anyhoo, I'm going to rest now. This is all getting way too stressful since nothing is going right. Well, ok, I cant say that, everyone looks happy and I havent had a death in a while, so thats good.

Thanks all :(
 
aww that really stinks. i'm sure it's the test kit. since your fish seem fine and you've done so many water changes i wouldn't worry about it. return the kit when you can and order a new one. until then, i would PWCs every other day or so, just in case. better safe than sorry :D
 
If they won't let you return it, try talking to a manager, then show them the non-working kit. After that, keep escalating if you can, and finally, if that doesn't work, I think API will replace your kit, but it might take awhile. If you used a credit card, you have the option of using the fraud prevention thing, and when you get your money back, just drop the kit off at the store if you want. It's likely they'll refund your money, or even more likely try to give you store credit/replace it
 
Yeah, now that you mention it, it definitely sounds like the test kit. I think there is an expiration date on them somewhere, like on the bottom or something? See if its expired. And also, test your tap water and for the heck of it, if you have any bottle drinking water test that too. You never know. I know I have .25 ammo out of my tap, but thankfully since my tanks are cycled, the Prime and bacteria bring it down.

I can sure feel your frustration! Nothing makes you feel like tearing your hair out than to keep doing something over and over and there is no improvement. I guess try to return that kit and get a newer one when you can. At least your fish are acting healthy. That's always a good sign. Good luck, saa!
 
In response to your question, each reagent bottle has a Lot # printed on
the bottle. The last four digits are the month and year of manufacture.
Example: Lot # 28A0102. This is a pH reagent manufactured in January of
2002. Pond Care Wide Range pH, Ammonia, High Range pH, Nitrate,
Phosphate, Copper, Calcium and GH all last for three years. Nitrite and
KH will last for four years. Freshwater pH(low range) and Pond Care Salt
Level will last for five years. I would not trust these kits after they
have expired.
..
 
I feed my fish when I remember (about every other day) and they do fine. Also, the ammo is a bit high. Bring it down to about .5ppm and you will be in the safe zone. Nitrates is okay all the way up to 100ppm but you want it to be below 30-50ppm.

Nitrites are just plain bad. Make it 0.
 
I think it's the thing you need to get your head around when owning fish. Firstly they don't need to eat 3 times a day like we do, nor even every day. Not only are they tiny compared with us, they are also cold blooded so require even less food!
 
I think it's the thing you need to get your head around when owning fish. Firstly they don't need to eat 3 times a day like we do, nor even every day. Not only are they tiny compared with us, they are also cold blooded so require even less food!

feed a little every day =P but you are right, they dont need to eat every day, i used to feed my betta 4 pellets every other day when he lived in a bowl and he was fine like that for over a year, you are dead on with this =]

heck, i sometimes forgot to feed him for over 4-5days because i was so busy with work and other personal stuff, but he still survived

if a betta is able to survive in a little cup before you even came, it can survive a couple days without food =]
 
I think it's the thing you need to get your head around when owning fish. Firstly they don't need to eat 3 times a day like we do, nor even every day. Not only are they tiny compared with us, they are also cold blooded so require even less food!

Thanks Mark, but youre a little behind on this considering in my original post I talked about how the owner of the LFS told me the same thing. Even though I never fed them three times a day, But thanks for your two cents. lol

As for them not returning it, they will. The place I got it from is owned by a married couple, it was that married couple who sold it to me. I'm sure if I tell them whats up theyll happily return it. Even if they dont want to return it on account of the bad results, theyll return it on account that one of the inside caps are completely missing (the nipple part that controls drip)...
 
Prime is known to give false positive on ammonia with Nessler based test kit. So if you're testing after every water change, you will keep getting whacky ammonia readings. Look at the box of the test kit and see if it's Nessler based. If it is, try testing 2-3 days after the water changes.

Seachem. Prime FAQ
 
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