Bizarre Nitrite test???

[Glenstorm]

Hey All,

Here's one for all you chemistry gurus. . .

I am in the middle of a fishless cycle and my nitrite has peaked and is the process of coming down. The tests just got weird though. . . I am using the Aquarium Pharmacueticals Master Test kit. Directions say to add five drops to 5mL water sample. Initially the sample turns blue, but gradually changes to some hue of purple or magenta. After five minutes it is supposed to be stable.

The weird thing is that my sample seems to to change to a color indicating around 1ppm and then changes back to the inital blue color indicating 0 ppm.

Any ideas what is happening?

[NJ Devils Fan]

OMG, the same exact thing happened to me and I asked about it thinking the test was bad. It did that for over a week. When it stays blue, then your water is fine. It gets annoying though because you think like they are at 0, but then you look at it in a few minutes and its light purple and you like. "what the heck just happened". I guess that happens to everyone when they are cycling and using this test kit. Don't worry, it's ok. You'll just have to wait it out until it stays blue.

[thom336]

could it be that you have to wait for the test solution to settle before taking the reading from it?

[NJ Devils Fan]

you have to wait 5 minutes. when you have no nitrites though, you will know.

[thom336]

indeed, as the reactant would have nothing to react with, so you wouldnt get the varying results.

[Glenstorm]

Originally posted by NJ Devils Fan
you have to wait 5 minutes. when you have no nitrites though, you will know.

Right, I wait for 5 min and it is the magenta color but at 10 min it is the light blue color. . .

[thom336]

check sell by date on your test kit, its a common problem.

[valerie]

I had this same problem with my nitrite test when i was doing my fishless cycle(in jan.).It would go dark purple then turn a blueish grey(like the 0ppm reading but different) I wrote the AP people and they said to dilute the test by using 1 tsp tank water to 4 tsp disstiled water. Then take your results and multiply by 5. This will give you the real results.

I was having my problem because the nitrites are too high for the test kits to read.

[thom336]

just goes to show that the companies arent just in it for the money, you can always turn to them for help, and that they will happily help you.

[Glenstorm]

Originally posted by valerie
I had this same problem with my nitrite test when i was doing my fishless cycle(in jan.).It would go dark purple then turn a blueish grey(like the 0ppm reading but different) I wrote the AP people and they said to dilute the test by using 1 tsp tank water to 4 tsp disstiled water. Then take your results and multiply by 5. This will give you the real results.

I was having my problem because the nitrites are too high for the test kits to read.

Valerie,

Thanks, this sounds like my situation. . . I didn't notice the grey tint but I checked and it had that kind of tint. . . I'll try the dillution.

BTW I never realized 1tsp = 1mL

Dan

[NJ Devils Fan]

Valerie, is that for all of the AP tests?

[valerie]

I would assume you can dilute all the AP test kits if you want to get a better reading. I have done it with my nitrite and nitrate(even with my hagen nitrate kit).

[Glenstorm]

I am hesitant to believe that you can use the same multiple and dilution across the board with all their tests. I am thinking that there are very different reactions involved in each test and generalizing these adjustments across these different reactions would not yield accurate results.

[valerie]

Wellt he only tests i have asked them about are the nitrite and nitrate tests. they are the ones that told me to dilute them. I haven't tried it with my ammonia but i don't see why it would be any different.

i remember some people on different boards recommending diluting test too so I guess it works. if you aren't sure email AP.

[wetmanNY]

Glenstorm, you can dilute any test with distilled water, and as long as you don't contaminate your test solution, get an accurate-- but diluted-- reading.

If you added water that had a solute that reacted with your test sample you'd be in trouble though.

The general moral is: you have to follow all the directions to the letter. Shake reagents if required. Shake test samples if required. Wait for reactions if required.

[BluEyes]

Originally posted by wetmanNY
Glenstorm, you can dilute any test with distilled water, and as long as you don't contaminate your test solution, get an accurate-- but diluted-- reading.

yup. In other words, mixing the tank sample with distilled water (distilled water having nothing but pure water) will dilute the nitrite (or anything else) levels in what you're testing. The test still works the same, it just reads lower levels - which can help if the level in the tank is off the scale...

The only test I can see this NOT working for would be pH. You could probably work some math and figure pH from a diluted sample, but it wouldn't be as simple as dividing by 5 as with nitrite and other tests...

[wetmanNY]

Originally posted by BluEyes



The only test I can see this NOT working for would be pH. You could probably work some math and figure pH from a diluted sample, but it wouldn't be as simple as dividing by 5 as with nitrite and other tests...

On the mark here! Good point. The pH is the inverse exponent of Hydrogen ions, and you're adding more of them in the distilled water-- which is usually about pH 5.7 when it's in equilibrium with CO2 in the atmosphere, i've been told...

But you can dilute the CaCO3 with distilled water, if your alkalinity were "off the chart." Or any solute.

The pH isn't a solute, after all.

[Luca Brazzi]

AHA!!!!

Me thinks my friend that you are experiencing the same thing I did... I believe that when the Nitrites are WAY off the scale, the Nitrite tests give freaky results (this happened to me too)... HOWEVER... if you have High 100+ ppm Nitrates... you can use the patented Luca Brazzi Fishless Cycling Shortcut... simply do 100% changes to your water until you read 0 ppm Nitrites, wait a day, do another 100% change, then... add your hardiest fish! You may get barely detectable Nitrites for a day (if you do, then do another waterchange), then it will go to 0 permanently!

By reducing the ammo/day to the output of just a few fish, you will reduce the output of Nitrite to what your current Nitrite oxidizers can consume.

Oh yeah... stop adding ammonia before you do the changes!

Mollies make good fish for doing this.

It works... trust me.

[ChilDawg]

Huh...I didn't see that coming, Luca! :) I take it that your tank is doing well...?

[Luca Brazzi]

My tank is doing absolutely fabulous!

Im up to 12 Africans. I think Im going to get at least 2 more. I want to get them before the others get too big.

Water is perfectamundo. Crystal clear with no signs of anything harmful. I would like to get an auto top off mechanism though. I lose quite a bit of water due to evaporation. Maybe Ill build one.

I got a Mini Aquaclear today for the 15 gal that I put the Mollies in. Im tired of changing the water every 3 days.

[ChilDawg]

Well, then, congratulations! :) Please keep us posted in a few months with your progress, and let us know when a lot of tanks have gone through your process. We would all be interested to know if it all works well for you.

[wdhdoc]

Was reviewing these threads and oted your post regarding conversion of teaspoon to milliliters (ml) . A standars teasppooon is 5 ml (equal to 55 cc) , not 1 ml.!
Regards

[wdhdoc]

Oops. Never could type woth a darn. To repeat:
1 teaspooon=5 ml.=5cc.

[NJ Devils Fan]

Originally posted by wdhdoc
Oops. Never could type woth a darn. To repeat:
1 teaspooon=5 ml.=5cc.

woth a darn?

teaspooon?

;)