Different Ammonia Results

[newsalt]

My 15 gallon aquarium has be cycling for 23 days. I have been using Aquarium Pharmeceutical's Ammonia Test Kit. For the past 7 days, that kit was reading 0.5 ppm and the Nitrites have been 0 ppm (also using Aquarium Pharmeceutical kit). Out of curiosity, I took a water sample to my LFS for an ammonia reading. He got 0.25 ppm using Mardel test strips. Is that difference possible? Has anyone used Mardel strips?

Thanks

 

[reefrunner69]

He got 0.25 ppm using Mardel test strips. Is that difference possible? Has anyone used Mardel strips?

1) As these are not lab grade kits we're using there is alays a possibility of varience.

2) Test strips are highly unreliable, IMO

3) Have you ever had any nitrites?

4) What are you using to cycle your tank?

 

[newsalt]

I'm using LR to cycle. I had a few 0.25 ppm readings of nitrite only a few days after the cycle started.

 

[reefrunner69]

More than likely the cycle is complete. Test your kit, make up some new SW with RO/DI water and test it, if it shows the same level of ammonia as the tank, you can figure it will always show that. You might also find someone with a higher end kit to test for you as well.

 

[tkos]

There are also 2 other things it could be.

1. Your water supply has chloramines in it and your dechlorinator is splitting it up into chlorine and ammonia. So there is a tiny amount of ammonia.

2. Your test kit is actually picking up ammonium as well as ammonia. Some cheaper test kits do this. Ammonium isn't harmful to fish while ammonia is.

Did you use uncured LR or cured? If you used Cured in such a small tank then it is pretty much instantly cycled.

 

[jks1]

good call tkos