API test...anyone else find them hard to read?

[librarygirl]

I have a heck of a time trying to differentiate between some of the shades on the API chart vs what's in the vials, particularly the ammonia test. I've tried looking at the vial in sunlight, under a lamp, next to a lamp, in ambient light, and sometimes it looks yellow and other times it looks slightly greenish. If I hold it next to the card it ALWAYS looks 0.25 even if it might not be. (I just started a fish less cycle but I'm doing some test on tap water) .

Anyone have tips on how to tell the difference between some of the shades, especially ammonia? Or even some pics of results so I can see what 0.25 is really supposed to look like?

Thanks!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have a heck of a time trying to differentiate between some of the shades on the API chart vs what's in the vials, particularly the ammonia test. I've tried looking at the vial in sunlight, under a lamp, next to a lamp, in ambient light, and sometimes it looks yellow and other times it looks slightly greenish. If I hold it next to the card it ALWAYS looks 0.25 even if it might not be. (I just started a fish less cycle but I'm doing some test on tap water) .

Anyone have tips on how to tell the difference between some of the shades, especially ammonia? Or even some pics of results so I can see what 0.25 is really supposed to look like?

Thanks!

When checking test results, always hold the vial up with the white strip of the card behind it (API instructions) and the color chart right next to it.

The color of the test results (vial) can be yellowish/green if your ammo is somewhere between 0<.25ppm so you do have to kind of read between the lines as it were. Myself, if it looks kinda yellow I call it yellow. I get stuck on the browns of the no3 test, they all look the same unless it shoot up into the red lol.

 

[JoeDaniels]

Completely agree with everything limpet said especially the no3 problem haha an also a quick hold over the colours for a short amount of time can help

 

[i3k]

yup the ammonia one is a bit off. I liked the old api ammonia test...if the results are clear = no ammonia...if the results are yellow = ammonia is present.

 

[Flossie]

I definitely do... Well get the hang of it though

 

[thuffman03]

I never seemed to have an issue. Though I see color shade differences pretty well.

 

[HUKIT]

I have three API master test kits and every card is a different color. The worst seems to be the nitrate, the original kits came with single cards and the new ones have them all on one. The new all in one card is worthless, I've had countless people look at it and can't make heads or tails. But in all honesty I never check my water parameters anymore, they're been up so long and unless I start a new one or change stock I just change alot of water.

 

[pantherspawn]

When doing a fishkess cycle its hard to get a reading on nitrites IMO, the 2 and 5 look identical. Theey should make the colors more contrasted when going between such drastic numbers

 

[pantherspawn]

Though I did read that as far as the nitrites go, if the colors turns purplish immedirtly then they are on the higher end, and if it stays blue for a few before turning purple, its the low end.

 

[librarygirl]

Though I did read that as far as the nitrites go, if the colors turns purplish immedirtly then they are on the higher end, and if it stays blue for a few before turning purple, its the low end.

Thanks, I haven't had any nitrite or nitrate readings yet ( getting rather sick of seeing blue and yellow lol) so I can't speak to those yet. I find the ammonia the most problematic, that coloring between 0 and 0.25 is killer for me, I'm never sure and there's a huge difference in those readings. I wish there was a way to be sure. If I do a nitrAte test and it's yellow and I compare it to the ammo tube and if they look identical in the light I figure ammo is zero, but if I dont do a nitrate test I can never be sure (and really not even then, I'm just making an educated guess) .

 

[Flossie]

Ammo was hard for me. I posted a pic and had help determining it... Try turning it upside down. Idk why but it makes a difference to me then against the card then in the light... I try to get a 2nd opinion whenever I can

 

[pantherspawn]

Thanks, I haven't had any nitrite or nitrate readings yet ( getting rather sick of seeing blue and yellow lol) so I can't speak to those yet. I find the ammonia the most problematic, that coloring between 0 and 0.25 is killer for me, I'm never sure and there's a huge difference in those readings. I wish there was a way to be sure. If I do a nitrAte test and it's yellow and I compare it to the ammo tube and if they look identical in the light I figure ammo is zero, but if I dont do a nitrate test I can never be sure (and really not even then, I'm just making an educated guess) .

I wouldn't worry about ammonia being at or around .25, in most cases your tap water will have ammonia in it by way of chloramine itself and when you condition the water, its going to break down into ammonia, but a non harmful version of it, only problem is that it still tests as being positive for a short period of time. My tap water tests a .50 for ammonia after treating it with prime. but once the tank starts its cycle it will break down within a short period of time. The only numbers you really have to worry about is when it gets to 1ppm or up, that means its time to do a water change.

 

[librarygirl]

Thanks! I'm testing my tap water now (with Prime and without) to get some numbers to see where I'm starting from. Looks like without Prime all levels are zero. With Prime it looks like it's around 0.25 but again it's hard to tell, still looks a bit greenish. Is this because of the ammonium the Prime breaks ammonia into that is causing a false reading? If so, is there a way to know for sure? I'm worried once I get fish in there and test and I see it a bit greenish I won't know if it's from the Prime or if there's really ammonia in there (although by then the tank should be fully cycled, so....)? Is there another dechlorinator as good as Prime that wouldn't cause these false readings, if that's what they are?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks! I'm testing my tap water now (with Prime and without) to get some numbers to see where I'm starting from. Looks like without Prime all levels are zero. With Prime it looks like it's around 0.25 but again it's hard to tell, still looks a bit greenish. Is this because of the ammonium the Prime breaks ammonia into that is causing a false reading? If so, is there a way to know for sure? I'm worried once I get fish in there and test and I see it a bit greenish I won't know if it's from the Prime or if there's really ammonia in there (although by then the tank should be fully cycled, so....)? Is there another dechlorinator as good as Prime that wouldn't cause these false readings, if that's what they are?

I think you're correct. It turns the Chlorine and chloramine into ammo (something like that), since the first 2 are deadly to fish and the ammo isn't. I did that same testing on my tap water and didn't see any ammo after using Prime, but water can't have chloramine (or ammo) in it (by law) in my county, since so much of it drains straight to the bay and rivers around here.

Hopefully one of the scientists here will answer, so we both know for sure lol.

 

[BldrArch]

I also have a bugger of a time. But mostly with the oranges on the nitrates.

A little OT, but now that I have fish, how often do I need to check my parameters?

 

[sirensong]

I find it interesting that on the master test kit color card, where all the colors are columnized on a single card, the 10ppm nitrate and 20 ppm nitrate look identical. Yet, on the small (freshwater) card that comes with the single nitrate test, where nitrate alone is tested, there's a distinct difference in shade between 10ppm and 20ppm. The 10 is more orange, and the 20 is redder.

I also have trouble with the ammonia test. Sometimes the shade is more yellow and less green, but not true yellow nor the green shade for 0.25. It's in between. I have learned to allow for in between measurements. Occasionally, I do get a dull, true yellow, and it's no doubt that's zero.

Do you shake up your reagents before using them? API has admitted that the reagents can glop up at the bottom of the bottle, and if you don't shake them thoroughly so they mix thoroughly, you can get a false reading.

The pamphlet says to shake #2 nitrate reagent for 30 seconds before counting out the drops, and then when combined in the test-tube with #1 reagent, to shake the tube for a full minute, then wait five minutes for the color to develop.

But, the directions say nothing about shaking the other reagents. In truth, you need to do it with all of them, especially ammonia #1, because that is thicker, anyway.

Try shaking the reagents thoroughly before using them, and see if the color shades aren't a little clearer.

-- sirensong

 

[sirensong]

I also like to get a comparison reading by using the Hagen (Nutrafin) test kit after using the API, so I can check for consistency. On the Hagen kit, zero ammonia is colorless. If there's any color at all, ammonia is present. It's like getting a second opinion from a different doctor -- pays to compare to get a better idea of what's really going on in your tank.

-- siren

 

[librarygirl]

I also like to get a comparison reading by using the Hagen (Nutrafin) test kit after using the API, so I can check for consistency. On the Hagen kit, zero ammonia is colorless. If there's any color at all, ammonia is present. It's like getting a second opinion from a different doctor -- pays to compare to get a better idea of what's really going on in your tank.

-- siren

That's a great idea, I'll look into that test kit too thanks!

 

[librarygirl]

I find it interesting that on the master test kit color card, where all the colors are columnized on a single card, the 10ppm nitrate and 20 ppm nitrate look identical. Yet, on the small (freshwater) card that comes with the single nitrate test, where nitrate alone is tested, there's a distinct difference in shade between 10ppm and 20ppm. The 10 is more orange, and the 20 is redder.

I also have trouble with the ammonia test. Sometimes the shade is more yellow and less green, but not true yellow nor the green shade for 0.25. It's in between. I have learned to allow for in between measurements. Occasionally, I do get a dull, true yellow, and it's no doubt that's zero.

Do you shake up your reagents before using them? API has admitted that the reagents can glop up at the bottom of the bottle, and if you don't shake them thoroughly so they mix thoroughly, you can get a false reading.

The pamphlet says to shake #2 nitrate reagent for 30 seconds before counting out the drops, and then when combined in the test-tube with #1 reagent, to shake the tube for a full minute, then wait five minutes for the color to develop.

But, the directions say nothing about shaking the other reagents. In truth, you need to do it with all of them, especially ammonia #1, because that is thicker, anyway.

Try shaking the reagents thoroughly before using them, and see if the color shades aren't a little clearer.

-- sirensong

Yes I do shake them all for about five seconds and the nitrate test I follow the instructions and shake bottle #2 for 30 sec and the completed vial for sixty. I haven't had to read those yet though b/c day 6 of a fishless cycle I still have no nitrite or nitrate readings. Hmph. I was hoping the cycle would go a bit faster since I did have fish in there for almost a month and I'm using the same filter, but I guess not. I guess I'll learn patience if nothing else lol

 

[librarygirl]

I also have a bugger of a time. But mostly with the oranges on the nitrates.

A little OT, but now that I have fish, how often do I need to check my parameters?

Is your cycle complete or are you cycling with fish? If you're still cycling, then you should test at least 1x daily if not more to keep your levels low enough to be safe for the fish. If you have completed cycling then my guess would be once per week or less but since I haven't gotten that far yet maybe someone else with a cycled tank can help you. Good luck!