Help reading api test kit

[Dave80854]

So I tested my water today as a normal saturday routine. I have some plants and betta in a 10gallon. The fish aren't showing any signs of stress or anything. Anyways, I did the test and cant figure out if I have ammonia or not. "Api master test kit" . It kind of looks between 0ppm - .50ppm.
Water parameters
Ph: 7.6 min
High range: 8.0
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 5-20ppm


The tank has been fishless but planted for a month. I also used media from my oscar tank to cycle the 10gallon.

 

[kbalaz]

definitely ammonia showing up. If you had no ammonia source in the tank when you set up as you said, fishless for a month, their was nothing for the beneficial bacteria to feed on for an entire month and it could very well have died off. Use something like Seachem Prime to detoxify the ammonia, and get ready to do waterchanges every other day if that is the case.

 

[fishwonder]

Prime does nothing to remove any ammonia, its only a dechlorinator. You will need to start some water changes to reduce ammonia.

 

[kbalaz]

Prime does nothing to remove any ammonia, its only a dechlorinator. You will need to start some water changes to reduce ammonia.

I never suggested that Prime removes ammonia, what it does do is detoxify it for 24-48 hours but still leaves it available as a food source for the beneficial bacteria but makes it safe for fish. I also mentioned to start doing water changes every other day.

 

[fishwonder]

I never suggested that Prime removes ammonia, what it does do is detoxify it for 24-48 hours but still leaves it available as a food source for the beneficial bacteria but makes it safe for fish. I also mentioned to start doing water changes every other day.

Well, no it doesn't do that either. It's impossible. Only way to get rid of ammonia is through oxidation. Prime is a reducer of chlorine only. Seachem even says this. If you have ammonia tested in the water, you have ammonia, period. Simple chemistry 101.

 

[kbalaz]

Well, no it doesn't do that either. It's impossible. Only way to get rid of ammonia is through oxidation. Prime is a reducer of chlorine only. Seachem even says this. If you have ammonia tested in the water, you have ammonia, period. Simple chemistry 101.

right from Seachems website. "Prime® may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. It contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them." this is common knowledge.

 

[fishwonder]

right from Seachems website. "Prime® may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. It contains a binder which renders ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate non-toxic, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them." this is common knowledge.

That's because you use Prime when you change water. Ammonia is always reduced when you change water. All dechlorinators do the same thing. Prime does not have and invisible shield like you think. It has no binder at all. Since the Aquarium Industry is unregulated, they lie to you all the time for sales. Need to see the independent test report. Ask Seachem for verified proof and any test report that it does what it says it does. They don't have any.

[FONT=&quot]5.5.3.2. Prime and Safe [/FONT]

 

[lowsmith]

also from the seachem website:

Prime converts ammonia into a complexed iminium salt. This salt is a nitrogenous compound that can still be utilized by aerobic bacteria. In the same way they consume ammonia, these bacteria consume the iminium salt and release nitrite as a byproduct

edited to add this link.

this is a really information heavy discussion on this topic. at the end I still personally don't have the answer either pro or con for how (if) the process works.

https://www.fishforums.net/threads/calling-any-chemists-how-do-ammonia-deoxifiers-work.425626/

 

[kbalaz]

That's because you use Prime when you change water. Ammonia is always reduced when you change water. All dechlorinators do the same thing. Prime does not have and invisible shield like you think. It has no binder at all. Since the Aquarium Industry is unregulated, they lie to you all the time for sales. Need to see the independent test report. Ask Seachem for verified proof and any test report that it does what it says it does. They don't have any.

[FONT=&quot]5.5.3.2. Prime and Safe [/FONT]

Well that was a very long and interesting read. There are definitely some questions that arise from that article. Is Seachem lying? The author definitely has a bug up his butt about the company. The author seems to twist words to verify his story as well as Seachem. With the vast majority of everyone in the hobby using this product for as many years as they have, I have a hard time understanding why no one else has made these claims? Why has only one person challenged Seachem on this claim? The use of 50ppm ammonia in his test and saying that the majority of tap water has a ph of 8.0 as well leads away from the validity of his testing. So as the authors statement about Seachem response in true Seachem way, and his claim that Seachem is the only firm that his 'friend' has ever heard of with an in house lawyer and we are just supposed to by his 'facts' because the author says so without proof is no different than what the author claims Seachem is doing. Seachem says what the author is claiming against the company as a whole is libellous, but author says you can't claim libel against a product, they didn't. I love the deflection on the authors part saying those that use Prime are basically called sheep and will blindly follow what Seachem and dismiss anything against the company as a way of justifying that his opinion is correct and no else's can. In a nutshell, again, a very interesting read by one persons thoughts, why isn't there more? Its like anti-vaxxers saying the chemicals in flu shot cause autism, anyone can sell a point a hard enough if they want to, but one study does not mean it is always right. Will repeat that I am not saying this is right or wrong, but brings up some further questions and motives. But thats just how my brain works. Be interesting to hear what some other really long time hobbyists have to think about this as well.

 

[fishwonder]

No problem. Just post proof that Seachem has done any testing on their own and post the pages and pages of documents to show the results like the link above shows. You can do this your self. Just fill a bucket of water, add ammonia for about 4ppm. Add Prime and now test for ammonia. You will have 4 ppm as it does nothing to remove/detoxify/get rid of any ammonia. If Prime did what it says, ammonia would be gone. Prime is a reducer and not an oxidation product.

 

[kbalaz]

Ive had a test tube with tank water in it that tested for about1ppm ammonia. put a couple of drops of prime into it and test read 0ppm within seconds. What does my testing prove? Just saying, anybody can post anything, doesn't mean its accurate does it.

 

[fishwonder]

Ive had a test tube with tank water in it that tested for about1ppm ammonia. put a couple of drops of prime into it and test read 0ppm within seconds. What does my testing prove? Just saying, anybody can post anything, doesn't mean its accurate does it.

And everyone knows that's impossible. Chemistry 101 again.