I have decided to test my API test kit for its accuracy for Ammonia testing. My reason for this is that although I am not getting overly high reading I am curious to what the results may be.
Theory
I boil tap water and collect the steam droplets to give me distilled water; I use this process 3 times to get good quality water.
I then test with my Api test kit for Ammonia. I boil tap water and collect the steam droplets to give me distilled water; I use this process 3 times to get good quality water.
Method
Test 1. (no water treatment added at all prior to boiling the water)Test 2. (aquasafe water treatment added before boiling the water)
Boil water in a Steamer with a collecting bowl in the steam chamber
put water collected into test tub and Test.
Results
Test 1. Ammonia reading 0.25
Test 2. Ammonia reading 0.25
Test 1. Ammonia reading 0.25
Test 2. Ammonia reading 0.25
Can anyone make sense of theses reading. I am no scientist and may have missed something totally obvious, but my Ammonia should have read 0ppm or at most just above 0
Am going to test different water treatments to see if things change and post my results. I already have access to 4 different products.
Tetra aquasafe
Seachem primeInterpet tapesafe
Nutrafin aqua plus
The information above is from a post I put up before
Using the same technique to collect distilled water I did the Ammonia test on other water conditioning product to determine if this was my problem and used 2 different test Kits
API freshwater Test Kit (lot 83A1110)
If my understanding is correct? The solution was made in November 2010
May I also add, I have borrowed other test kits and tested ph, nitrite, and nitrate from my tank and have found API to be consistent with
Result readings. I only have issues with the Ammonia test
If my understanding is correct? The solution was made in November 2010
May I also add, I have borrowed other test kits and tested ph, nitrite, and nitrate from my tank and have found API to be consistent with
Result readings. I only have issues with the Ammonia test
Tetra Aquasafe
API Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0.25
Tetra Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0
API Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0.25
Tetra Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0
Seachem Prime
API Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0.25Tetra Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0
Interpet Tapsafe
API Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0.25Tetra Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0
Nutrafin Aquaplus
API Test Solution 1 & 2 Ammonia 0.25Tetra Test Solution 1 Ammonia 0.15 slight green tinge?
Tetra Test Solution 2 Ammonia 0
Tetra Test Solution 2 Ammonia 0
Conclusion
The API test kit I own is inaccurate at reading ammonia readings below 0.25. I have also tested my tank water with both API and Tetra Kit and got a consistent reading of 0.50ppm on both kits (60 % water change done). So my API I kit is only accurate at 0.25 and above.
The API test kit I own is inaccurate at reading ammonia readings below 0.25. I have also tested my tank water with both API and Tetra Kit and got a consistent reading of 0.50ppm on both kits (60 % water change done). So my API I kit is only accurate at 0.25 and above.
You may ask why I have done this test.
Well if I can't read Ammonia below 0.25, how am I going to know if my tank has fully cycled and no longer need daily water changes or if I have Ammonia issues with my tank.
Well if I can't read Ammonia below 0.25, how am I going to know if my tank has fully cycled and no longer need daily water changes or if I have Ammonia issues with my tank.
If you have done similar test and got different results I would be interested to hear from you or if you have any comments on what I did, and why.
I will let you draw your own conclusion on my results
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