Test kit errors

[otrguy]

I have a new 29 gallon tank thats been cycling for a week. I have an API freshwater kit and a Hagen master kit. The API says Amonnia is 0 and the Hagen says 6 ppm. I ran them both twice with the same results. Both kits are about 2 years old.
Is there an expiration on these? None of them say so.
Has anyone else run into this problem?
I don't know which one to trust. I am going to do PWC just in case.
Thanks for any input.

 

[logansmomma1228]

Is the Hagen kit a paper test strip kit? I have heard that those are pretty innacurate. Are you cycling with or without fish? If withoug, have you added any ammonia into your tank? I would hold off on the water change since that can take some ammonia out aI nd you want it to be there so the bacteria can turn it into nitrites. It takes a while to cycle a tank, longer with fish supposedly. I don't know if they can expire but I would imagine it is possible. IMO you should go get a new liquid one just to be on the safe side. Good luck!

 

[otrguy]

The Hagen is more involved. It's all liquid involving 2 to 3 chemicals. I have 2 goldfish in the tank. Sorry I am old school, didn't know about fishless until recently. Thanks for responding. Everthing in the tank is from an old one about 2 years ago. I did clean everything before I started it again.
Thanks again.

 

[otrguy]

I think I posted this in the wrong forum. How do I move it to the freshwater brackish forum.
Thanks.

 

[mgamer20o0]

Welcome to AA.

 

[harmy4993]

yes they have an experation date. the api one will have a date on the box some where. thats the born on date. it expires xx amount of years after that date. i want to say 3 but i could be wrong.

the other one i dont know.you would know thou if you had 6ppm of ammonia in the tank as the fish would be actign weird/diffrent. they would likely be staying at the surface breathing air out of the tank. and they would be dying kinda quickly

 

[meegosh]

Moved to Freshwater - General Discussion.

 

[otrguy]

Sorry forgot the decimal, it's .6 ppm. The fish are acting fine, nobody's jumping or scraping, they seem quite happy. I can't find anything that says exp. or sell by date. Thanks for responding.