Confusing results!

[Aquariumfish123]

Oh, these results are without ANY prime in the tank.

 

[ArtistGardener]

I have to say that I think a lot of people mistake 0 ammonia for .25 ppm. The yellow never really looks like the sheet. Those results look like 0, 0, >5

 

[Aquariumfish123]

Oh that's great!! So that would mean I'm fully cycled!

 

[Andy Sager]

Still waiting on your Nitrate levels in tap water to give you better answer

 

[Rak9378]

I think it's difficult to tell from that picture. When you posted it did you think it was 0 or .25? How does it compare to the shade/color you have been seeing? When did you last dose Prime?

For what it's worth my ammonia test result is pure yellow...no hint of green. But I think everyone sees these things differently. That's the major flaw with these tests. I can't for the life of me see the difference between 5, 10, and 20 on the nitrate test. Obviously the ambient lighting has an impact too.

 

[captaincritical]

I think it's difficult to tell from that picture. When you posted it did you think it was 0 or .25? How does it compare to the shade/color you have been seeing? When did you last dose Prime?

For what it's worth my ammonia test result is pure yellow...no hint of green. But I think everyone sees these things differently. That's the major flaw with these tests. I can't for the life of me see the difference between 5, 10, and 20 on the nitrate test. Obviously the ambient lighting has an impact too.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has a hard time with the nitrate test! To me, 10 and 20 are almost identical. 20 is slightly less saturated I think, but next to the vial I really can't tell.

On the ammo test, I've never had that very bright, pure yellow. I imagine it has something to do with the chemicals used in different water systems. I've tried to study the charts they post on the website of additives and such in my area, but I can only make very little sense of them.

 

[Jmunroe]

Here's something that may help you read you results better. Halfway down the page you'll see the API test broke down into more colours than API provides
http://www.iorodeo.com/blog/colorimeter

 

[Jmunroe]

You have less than .25 ammonia but not 0. Nitrite is 0 and nitrate looks to be around 6 or 7.

 

[ArtistGardener]

I think it's difficult to tell from that picture. When you posted it did you think it was 0 or .25? How does it compare to the shade/color you have been seeing? When did you last dose Prime?

For what it's worth my ammonia test result is pure yellow...no hint of green. But I think everyone sees these things differently. That's the major flaw with these tests. I can't for the life of me see the difference between 5, 10, and 20 on the nitrate test. Obviously the ambient lighting has an impact too.

I am a professional artist and teach color theory and have tested 99.9% on complex color accuracy tests. On the API test, the yellow shown for ammonia (on the chart) shows it to be a warm/neutral yellow, but in actuality a 0 reading will always be a cool, lemon yellow. The problem with that is that many can't discern the difference between that slight tendency towards the green side of the spectrum (warm yellow tends toward the orange/cool towards green). The only way one will get a warm yellow is if their water has some reddish tint to it, which may not even be discernible to the eye. A little bit of iron or tannins will make that happen.

The nitrate color swatches are really confusing as everyone knows. Between 5 and 20 the color intensity shift is so subtle that I can't imagine anyone getting a truly good reading between 10 and 20.

Using the image on site mentioned, look at the yellow to green here for ammonia. O is cool lemon yellow, with a jump to a greenish cast at .25 and then beyond to various shades of yellow green to deep blue green.

 

[ArtistGardener]

Aquariumfish123, look at the color at the bottom of the tube as the light is refracted through the thicker glass in your image. Your colors show a pretty clear 0, 0, >5 in my opinion. I would say you are good to go! Waiting to test your tap water is certainly a smart option, but I do think you're set.

 

[Rak9378]

I am a professional artist and teach color theory and have tested 99.9% on complex color accuracy tests.

Now that is a handy skill for an aquarium hobbyist!! You're like a human colorimeter!!!

The only way one will get a warm yellow is if their water has some reddish tint to it, which may not even be discernible to the eye. A little bit of iron or tannins will make that happen.

Now that is interesting. My ammonia test results appear to match the warmer tone of the API chart. I happen to dose iron as part of a fertilizer regiment and I have a lot of driftwood in my tank. So perhaps this is why I see the warmer tone.

The nitrate color swatches are really confusing as everyone knows. Between 5 and 20 the color intensity shift is so subtle that I can't imagine anyone getting a truly good reading between 10 and 20.

I gave up trying to discern between 5, 10, and 20. To me it's either orange or red.

 

[ArtistGardener]

Now that is a handy skill for an aquarium hobbyist!! You're like a human colorimeter!!!

Yes, it is a handy skill for many things--gardening (I'm a part-time professional gardener, too (hence my "name."), decorating, clothes shopping, and now fishkeeping! Now if I could only make a real living!

 

[threnjen]

I got a 100% on this test
Color Test - Online Color Challenge | X-Rite

And I still can't read the nitrAte vials in the 10-40 zone...

 

[captaincritical]

I got a 100% on this test
Color Test - Online Color Challenge | X-Rite

And I still can't read the nitrAte vials in the 10-40 zone...

I've done that test before and got a 7. Took it again just now and got a 14. Time for new glasses or new lighting, do you think?

Edit: Maybe I should note to anyone who hasn't done it that the lower the score, the better the colour acuity.

 

[threnjen]

LOL. It has been a while since I took it so I did indeed think you were saying that you were super terrible at it until you clarified!

My hubby took it before me and got like a 97% and was gloating at me. But I put him in his proper place right quick.

 

[captaincritical]

I scored better than my boyfriend, who's a professional artist. There was much gloating, haha.

 

[threnjen]

I scored better than my boyfriend, who's a professional artist. There was much gloating, haha.

Bahahaah that's amazing

 

[jwh0818]

I got a 100% on this test
Color Test - Online Color Challenge | X-Rite

And I still can't read the nitrAte vials in the 10-40 zone...

I guess me getting a 964 is no good??? Seems like a good number!


Haha. I can't take it on my phone because I can't lock the movement!

 

[ArtistGardener]

You guys are all very entertaining!

 

[gilpi]

I have to agree with some here, yellow is fine, once you start seeing green, then I would worry.