API ammonia liquid test kit

[XimeD]

I have had a 20gal set up for 6 months now and I always get an ammonia reading with a greenish tinge (looks to be between 0 and 0.25ppm on the chart)

I also have a Mardel in tank liveNH3 metter which stays consistently at yellow (0 ammonia).

I tried running a control sample with DI water to see what color it come out and it came out with a greenish tinge again. I did use the same test tube I always use but I rinsed it out several times in DI water. Also, I am on my second ammonia kit now and both this one and the previous one gave me the same <0.25ppm readings.

I see the yellow color for maybe the first 3mins of the test, but then I see the greenish appear in both the DI water and my tank water.

So my questions are:

-What does your API ammonia liquid test kit 0ppm look like?

-I feel tempted to assume I am getting 0 readings despite of the greenish tinge,does seem reasonable?

On a side note: I test my water every day and my fish are looking great, so I am not worried about my fish but it has been nagging me that I don't get a "clear" 0ppm ammonia reading

Thanks for any help

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

My API kits always reads clear yellow with absolutely no green tinge at all (for FW). I find it very odd that your DI water shows any ammonia. Are you sure the kit is not expired?

 

[happygirl65]

Also you have to read it immediately...if it is yellow 1 minute after testing I would say it's fine...if it's turning green after that I would 1. Get a new test kit 2. try a different test tube...something has it contaminated or the liquid inside the test is past it's prime. good luck!

 

[Mark Hewitt]

My tank shows the same greenish tinge but only after about 3 minutes. However testing the tap water and my small tank it shows no green at all. Just to be sure I bought a new master test kit today. Same result.

Interesting about the length of time. I didn't think leaving it too long would be a problem, only too little?

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

What I have found is that it takes 5 minutes for it to develop fully for higher levels of ammonia. If it has not changed color after 1 minute, it usually doesn't have any ammonia at 5 minutes.

I am kind of perplexed by your results. You shouldn't be reading any ammonia at all. I wonder if there is something else that is throwing off the test. Some additives will give you a false positive.

Tell us everything that you add to the tank, either during water changes or in between, maybe that will help pinpoint it.

 

[XimeD]

What I have found is that it takes 5 minutes for it to develop fully for higher levels of ammonia. If it has not changed color after 1 minute, it usually doesn't have any ammonia at 5 minutes.

I am kind of perplexed by your results. You shouldn't be reading any ammonia at all. I wonder if there is something else that is throwing off the test. Some additives will give you a false positive.

Tell us everything that you add to the tank, either during water changes or in between, maybe that will help pinpoint it.

It definitely doesn't change color after one minute.

At this point pretty much the only explanations are:
1) I have trace ammonia in my tank (which my in tank mardel "strip" does not detect, I wouldnt be surprised)
2) There is something contaminating my test tube (I ordered a new kit and will test the brand new TT with DI water once it arrives)

Things I add regularly to my tank:
-Prime
-NutrafinCycle
-Excel
-API LeafZone

-Sometimes: Nite-Out II (microbelift)
-Once: Microbelift gravel cleaner (that was a couple of months ago, haven't needed to add any since)

I do a 50%PWC weekly and add 5mL Prime and 10mL Nutrafin Cycle.
A couple of days after PWC I add 2.5mL Excel + 10mL API LeafZone (I am still waiting for my dry fertz - ordered them 3 weeks ago)
Sometimes I add microbelift Nite-Out II (I'm gonna stick with nutrafun cycle once the nite-out runs out)

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

If I had to guess, I would say the Nutrafin Cycle is the culprit. It probably locks the ammonia into a compound that is not harmful to the fish, and since it's still showing up on the API test, it might be locking it up into a compound that cannot be broken down by the bacteria.

Prime locks the ammonia in a similar fashion but it is a weak bond and only lasts something like 24 hrs, but it is still usable by BB.

IMO, there is no reason to do add this Nutrafin product. It's just another chemical additive that bypasses the cycle and wastes money. If you're doing regular water changes, then you're keeping Nitrates under control, plus your plant like Nitrates, so why lock up the ammonia and nitrites anyways? They'll just turn into nitrate and get used by plants or reduced during PWC.

Your filter should do all the ammonia and nitrite removal. If it's not, then there's another problem.

 

[XimeD]

If I had to guess, I would say the Nutrafin Cycle is the culprit. It probably locks the ammonia into a compound that is not harmful to the fish, and since it's still showing up on the API test, it might be locking it up into a compound that cannot be broken down by the bacteria.

Prime locks the ammonia in a similar fashion but it is a weak bond and only lasts something like 24 hrs, but it is still usable by BB.

IMO, there is no reason to do add this Nutrafin product. It's just another chemical additive that bypasses the cycle and wastes money. If you're doing regular water changes, then you're keeping Nitrates under control, plus your plant like Nitrates, so why lock up the ammonia and nitrites anyways? They'll just turn into nitrate and get used by plants or reduced during PWC.

Your filter should do all the ammonia and nitrite removal. If it's not, then there's another problem.

Thanks I hadn't thought of that. My plants keep the nitrates <5ppm so no problem there (except too little nitrates for the plants). I will stop using nutrafin and see if that makes a difference. That still doesn't explain why my DI water gave a greenish tinge but I am hoping a brand new test tube will.

Thanks again for the help =)