Water test kits? How to?

[AlmonyMatt]

I have a pro test kit. I am having trouble reading it. The ammonia level is good when I first shake it at 0ppm but I let it stand and as it does for a minute or two it just gets darker green and just keeps getting darker. When is the appropriate time to make the reading. I keep doing water changes constantly of 30% every other day and it doesn't ever change.

 

[foster53]

Most ammonia test kits recommend a 5 min. wait time to get a correct reading.
Do you have fish in the tank? If so you need to increase the amount your changing to at least 50%. 75 would be even better to reduce the amm. level.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

Ok. Thanks. Yea. It's always getting darker by 5 min it's reading high levels. My fish seem fine though. I have 2 electric yellow mbunas and they seem to have some black marks on the side though. And one other seemed sick the other day cause he was sitting close to the top of the tank hiding

 

[tnfinfan]

That doesn't sound like the fish are fine to me. Increase the water changes.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Try 50% pwc, test 1 hour later. If ammonia is above 0.25, do another 50% pwc. Repeat until you get below 0.25. Next day, re-test to see how much it has risen. If it is above 0.25, your tank is either uncycled, or overstocked. Do another 50% pwc and test again in 24 hours.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

Just did 50% water change and added Nite-Out. Enough for the entire tank. 55G and then added new fresh same temp water. Since then which has been about an hour all my fish are gasping for air and looking unhealthy as well as one dying?

 

[AlmonyMatt]

One hour after testing. My PH is low at 6.4. Was higher before water change.
Ammonia- 4.0 which didn't change after water change.
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate-0

 

[mistersprinkles]

One hour after testing. My PH is low at 6.4. Was higher before water change.
Ammonia- 4.0 which didn't change after water change.
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate-0

Have you tested your tap water? What is the pH of the tap water straight out of the tap, and what is the pH of the tap water, dechlorinated, after sitting in a bucket for 24 hours?

6.4 is ridiculously low for yellow labs. Much too low.

4ppm of ammonia is also ridiculously high. Very dangerous.

Did you learn about the nitrogen cycle, and cycle this aquarium before adding any fish?

What brand is your test kit?

 

[AlmonyMatt]

I cycled the tank for a month before adding fish. I did add fish quickly, (many at once) should have been slower.

I tested the tap water once I got it into the bucket. I tested it using the high and low PH test kit, and both were bright yellow. Which reads as 6.0 on the low PH but not even on the high range.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

How can I raise the PH safely and as fast as possible that's still safe

 

[mistersprinkles]

Your tap water has a pH of 6? That's too low for Africans.

I would switch to things that appreciate a lower pH. Angels can tolerate your aquarium's pH of 6.5ish very happily. Apistogramma would be another good choice, or blue rams. And maybe some tetras like cardinals.

To raise your pH the safest thing would be to use a buffer in a jar that's properly measured and stable. You can use seachem's Malawi/Victoria buffer. Easily available online. Mix it in a bucket until you get the desired pH and hardness and then add it to the aquarium. Don't change the pH all at once. Change 5 or so % of the water at a time and add in this buffered water.

You have bigger problems than your low pH though. The ammonia, being that high, is totally lethal to your fish. You should get something like seachem prime or Ammo-Lock and try to detoxify the ammonia you've got. Honestly, I'd remove the fish and take them back to the store if I were in your position, get your tank under control, and then add fish back slowly.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

Thanks. I can do just that.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

I will try to get the water correct then if I have to I will take the fish back

 

[Cactuspixie]

One hour after testing. My PH is low at 6.4. Was higher before water change.
Ammonia- 4.0 which didn't change after water change.
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate-0

That tank is at the beginning of a cycle. You are going to need to do many back to back pwc to get the ammonia down quickly or you will lose all your fish to ammonia poisoning. I don't know what nite-out is, but if you are using a quality dechlorinator like prime, I wouldn't add it. Just double the dose of prime for the whole tank with each 50% pwc.

 

[mistersprinkles]

That tank is at the beginning of a cycle. You are going to need to do many back to back pwc to get the ammonia down quickly or you will lose all your fish to ammonia poisoning. I don't know what nite-out is, but if you are using a quality dechlorinator like prime, I wouldn't add it. Just double the dose of prime for the whole tank with each 50% pwc.

I didn't catch that.

Clearly this person did not learn about the nitrogen cycle and cycle the tank properly. What he/she probably did was let the tank run, empty, with no added ammonia for 30 days.

He/she should, IMO, now take all fish back, buy a bottle of pure ammonia, and dose it to maintain 4ppm to cycle the tank over the next month or so.

 

[AlmonyMatt]

I let the tank cycle with minnows for 4 weeks. And everything was fine for several weeks then a ammonia is getting worse. I'm new to this. I got a bottle of 8.2 Proper by API to get the PH up and also continue with 50% water changes every hour till no ammonia is present. Can I use the PH buffer and prime at the sane time? When adding new water

 

[AlmonyMatt]

Did another 50% WC when I got home. Just checked levels. I added some API 8.2 PH buffer and then also extra amounts of Prime.
PH-7.6
Ammonia- down to 1. Another 50% WC. Updates tomorrow

 

[mistersprinkles]

Did another 50% WC when I got home. Just checked levels. I added some API 8.2 PH buffer and then also extra amounts of Prime.
PH-7.6
Ammonia- down to 1. Another 50% WC. Updates tomorrow

You jacked your pH in your tank from 6.4 to 7.6 in this short an amount of time? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is to your fish?

 

[AlmonyMatt]

It's weird. I check the levels daily and they are always different. But today I checked it using the regular PH kit. I did the same yesterday. Like I said before I might not be reading it correctly. But the fish seem to be doing a lot better. After the water change today a few still came up and were gasping for air but they seem to be better now

 

[mistersprinkles]

It's weird. I check the levels daily and they are always different. But today I checked it using the regular PH kit. I did the same yesterday. Like I said before I might not be reading it correctly. But the fish seem to be doing a lot better. After the water change today a few still came up and were gasping for air but they seem to be better now

I asked already but I'll ask again, what brand of test kit are you using? Are you sure they are not expired? To read the test, stand under the whitest light possible (or sunlight) and hold the test tube against the white backed card that came with the test kit that has the colors on it.

What exactly does it say on the test kit you're using (ie, API High range pH test kit, etc)

Take a picture of your completed test next to the color chart and post it. Might help.

The test kit(s) came with instructions. Have you read them? (ie, you have to shake bottle 2 of the nitrate kit for 30 seconds, then shake the test tube for 60 seconds, etc)