False positive? Ridiculous ammonia readings!

Jpappy....I meant NH3. API test kit is for 3 and 4. As far as testing correctly, I tested 3 times. I also tested my Betta tank and got good readings. I filled my containers last night and left them opened to allow for evaporation of toxins. I will treat the water when I get home today and do the water change. Fish still seam ok, so I'm hoping too much damage has not been done. Thank you all for your input. I will continue with updates.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
With a pH of 7.6 there is no NH4 in your tank. Any ammonia there is present as highly toxic ammonia.
 
SubRosa....yes, normally this is the case. But I find it hard to believe that my levels spiked from nothing to 8.0 in hours, literally. My fish are acting normal, and have been since this started 3 days ago. I think they would be feeling the effects by now. I am performing water changes anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
shloken38 said:
SubRosa....yes, normally this is the case. But I find it hard to believe that my levels spiked from nothing to 8.0 in hours, literally. My fish are acting normal, and have been since this started 3 days ago. I think they would be feeling the effects by now. I am performing water changes anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...
Hard to believe? At pH of 7.6 and having 8.0 ppm of ammonia present it's completely impossible to believe that any fish is alive in that tank. Therefore, obviously either your pH isn't 7.6, or your ammonia isn't 8.0 ppm. Sherlock Holmes should be required reading!
 
Is it not possible that your water supply company have recently added a lot of chloramine to the water? If the water conditioner you are using is like prime then it will remove chlorine from the chloramine, leaving ammonia which the water conditioner then binds to. This can give false readings, or the chemicals in the test kit can break the ammonia-WC complex and register the ammonia that is left which also gives a false reading.

Someone will probably come and say I'm completely wrong, but I thought I'd throw it out there. :)


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
This is what I'm trying to get to. My belief is something I am using is giving me this high reading. In my hour upon hours of research, I believe either ammo lock or safestart plus has thrown off my readings on the API kit. I am going to switch over to Prime and start using the Seachem test kit, since it distinguishes between total ammonia and "bad" ammonia.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
shloken38 said:
This is what I'm trying to get to. My belief is something I am using is giving me this high reading. In my hour upon hours of research, I believe either ammo lock or safestart plus has thrown off my readings on the API kit. I am going to switch over to Prime and start using the Seachem test kit, since it distinguishes between total ammonia and "bad" ammonia.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...

Good idea! At the end of the day, you can be quite sure that whatever the test kit is registering as ammonia is not posing a threat to your fish, as a reading of 8 is seriously deadly! Keep us posted.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Ok.....got the Prime today and used that for my new water. I used a double dose just in case. I'm going to order the Seachem test kit online since I can't find it anywhere. I'll keep you posted.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Doing another water change. My water is cloudy. I started digging into the gravel with the vacuum and there is a lot of debris coming up. Now I'm really flippin mad! I rinsed the heck out of that gravel!!!!!!! I opened the filter, and there's some light tan buildup in there, probably from the dang gravel. I rinsed everything out and BLAM, the stupid filter won't start back up! Ugh! I'm having some really hard luck right now, not sure what I should do. I hooked up a brand new Penguin I had waiting in the wings, one I wanted to save for a future tank. Used all the media from the other filter, so I should be ok. What should I do about this gravel? I also have this stone piece that I put in there, which was also heavily rinsed. I bought it at an aquarium place, so I thought it would be ok. I'm thinking I should have stuck with my lava rocks and driftwood. Any advise?


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom