Water testing question

sm100378

Registered User
Sep 20, 2007
115
0
0
Minneapolis, MN
Hello,

I have a weird situation. I started with the fishless cycling and using Ammonia. As expected, my ammonia shot up and dropped, my nitrite went up and dropped, and now my API tests are showing 10 for nitrates.

I went to the LFS today (two of them actually) with two samples of water hoping to get fish. I used a regular sandwich bag (never used) and both places tested my water and said my nitrites are off the charts, and nitrates are very high.

I explained what I am doing with the fishless cycle (one place never heard of it and the other has but never tried it, as they believe using fish is best), the readings went up and down and my test two hours before I went to the LFS were amm-0, nitrite-0, and nitrate-10. The friendlier second LFS was very confused, along with myself. They even used new tubes and tested my water twice and same result.

The only thing the 2nd place could think of is if I was taking water off the top but I said I am getting it right from the discharge from the bio-wheel and also gave me one of their bags that they put fish in to go with people and bring it back if it is the bag. I put water in a baggie when I got home, wanting to know if it was the bag but I get the same results. One employee said I might have an expired test kit, but the one that was doing the tests used to work at Dr Foster and Smith and said I would be lucky if I got a kit that was 4 days old due to the turnover of merchandise.


Any thoughts as to why my tests are normal and my zebra danio's are alive and they said if I had these fish, they would be dead, but they are very healthy....


:help::help::help:
 
What are the exactreadings you get with your API test kit.
 
Before I went to the LFS and the last couple days, my readings are

Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-10

The zebra's I got from Petco two nights ago and the LFS said they would be dead if the water was actually the water I brought into the LFS. They are very healthy, chasing each other, and nothing is wrong with them at all....very normal.:wall:
 
I would expect the sandwich bag giving your water false readings. If your readings are fine at home, but water brought in to an LFS in the sandwich bag reads bad....
 
I understand, but I did the sandwich bag test at home.
 
take your test kit to the more friendly store and ask them to let you test their water using your test kits and then have them test the same water with their test kits and see if you guys get conflicting readings. It may be the different brand of test kits or if it is the same kind of test kit, there may be a change in the formula between both kits when manufactured.
 
Hi again,

Just wondering if I can get more input on the reason for the intense difference of these two tests....

I was using the API freshwater and they were using one were they add the water (and maybe one solution), and then when they made drops for determination, it turned red instantly, but again nothing at my place....followed directions to the dot.


Thanks,


:help:
 
Out of date chemicals....

Difference in performing the tests....

Contamination of the test tubes...
 
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