View Full Version : AP nitrite test reading?
Anaxus
03-30-2003, 9:34 PM
When using the american pharmaseutical nitrite test, I get a greyish green reading. My nitrites have been going down, and yesterday they were .5ppm. I remember someone posting that they had the same problem, but I couldn't find the post. I thought I remember they said that the greyish-green color meant 0 nitrite. I just wanted to make sure of this before I go out and get fish.
NJ Devils Fan
03-31-2003, 4:01 PM
I had that problem. It is only ok to put wish in when it is 100% sky blue, the 0 ppm measure on the test. The color means that there are nitrites. I had it for a very long time until one day there were none. Took awhile in my fishless cycle.
Anaxus
03-31-2003, 4:03 PM
OK, thats what I figured.
NJ Devils Fan
03-31-2003, 4:07 PM
Are you doing a fishless cycle?
Anaxus
03-31-2003, 4:10 PM
Yes I am. My nitrites went up to about 5ppm and have since droped. It took almost 10 days so far from the first time I recorded nitrite to its current state. Ammonia drops from 5ppm to 0ppm in 24hrs. So it seems like I am just waiting on nitrite to reach 0, hopefully this weekend I can add fish.
NJ Devils Fan
03-31-2003, 4:16 PM
In my fishless cycle, the nitrites took the longest, about a good two-two 1/2 weeks.
valerie
04-02-2003, 12:12 AM
http://64.191.28.50/forums/showthread.php?threadid=7192
Here is that thread you were looking for. I also had this problem and wrote to AP to see what was wrong. Turns out my nitrite reading was too high to read. Try diluting you test to get a better reading.
Anaxus
04-02-2003, 12:24 AM
Thanks valirie, and here I was thinking they were actually somewhere between 0 and .25. I guess I had been miss reading my test. Any clue if snails die from high nitrites? I think the ones I accedently got just kicked the bucket.
Is distilled water the same as water you get from those britta water purifiers?
valerie
04-02-2003, 3:49 PM
I dont' think brita water is distilled. I think all a brita system is is some activated carbon?someone?. I have used regualr tap water to dlute my test is i didn't have distilled(Reverse osmosis is what i used). Jsut make sure your water doesn't contain anything(ammonia,nitrites or nitrates) before you dilute. I'm not too sure is using tap water instead of distilled will make a difference though, I have only tried it once.