Tested water for water change...not good results

[wyattroa]

Tested out the water before putting it in the tank...I use distilled water

No nitrates
No nitrites
calcium 260ppm
ammonia .25ppm...Can this just be picking up trace elements from the last tests? the bucket I use to make water is only for water changes and thats it

Can I raise the calcium in the bucket before the water change? The bucket has 5 gallons in it. I have been chasing a ammonia problem and can't get below .25 and wonder if it is from the test tube not being pristine.

Suggestions on what to do...Oh, sorry, this is a 24 gallon nano cube. Last water change 5 days ago.

Robert

[HighlandReefer]

wyattroa,

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To Reef Central

I take it that you are using distilled water with a salt mix & when mixed you get 0.25 ppm ammonia, which is high for a salt mix. Could be testing error. You do want to use clean apparatus for the testing procedure. ;)

You could try testing the distilled water for ammonia.

Test kits do go bad with age and if caps are allowed to stay off for longer periods of time.

What salinity are you mixing your salt mix to and how do you measure it. Calcium at 260 ppm is very low if mixed to the proper salinity. :)

[SushiGirl]

Also how soon after mixing did you test? I've read of some salts testing positive for ammonia just after mixing.

[wyattroa]

wyattroa,

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To Reef Central

I take it that you are using distilled water with a salt mix & when mixed you get 0.25 ppm ammonia, which is high for a salt mix. Could be testing error. You do want to use clean apparatus for the testing procedure. ;)

You could try testing the distilled water for ammonia.

Test kits do go bad with age and if caps are allowed to stay off for longer periods of time.

What salinity are you mixing your salt mix to and how do you measure it. Calcium at 260 ppm is very low if mixed to the proper salinity. :)
I will make a thourough cleaning of the equipment again and check and also check the distilled water. Did not know I could just check that. I will do that after I clean everything. I know the instructions say to just rinse everything out, but should it be cleaned better, meaning the tubes? What should I used to clean them? When I mix the salt, I mix it to a salinity of 1.025 which I get from a refractometer. Is the cap supposed to stay on the ammonia tube when the tube is in storage as well?

Also how soon after mixing did you test? I've read of some salts testing positive for ammonia just after mixing.

I waited 24 hours to test and until the water was to the same temp as the tank would be.

[bertoni]

If you want, you can rinse the tubes with tap water, and then with RO/DI. For an ammonia kit, that's all I would do. For a calcium kit, a bath in the some vinegar might be useful from time to time.

A level of 0.25 ammonia in fresh saltwater is fairly normal. It can be ignored. Ammonia is a common contaminant of salt mixes. The calcium level at 260 ppm is an issue, but it might be a kit problem. I'd get a second opinion on that.

[fdonophan]

What brand of test are you using? I purchased an API ammonia test and it registered 1.0ppt ammonia in pure distilled water, which obviously is ridiculous. So, whatever it reads now I subtract 1ppt until I can replace the test.

[wyattroa]

Thank you for the responses.. I just have been reading you need to get the ammonia to 0ppm and my tank currently was reading .25 or there abouts.. and if I was going to be putting in water that has .25 ammonia again..it seems I would be getting nowhere with that. I will clean the test tubes and recheck everything.

Robert

[wyattroa]

What brand of test are you using? I purchased an API ammonia test and it registered 1.0ppt ammonia in pure distilled water, which obviously is ridiculous. So, whatever it reads now I subtract 1ppt until I can replace the test.

API is the test I was using... I just ordered a salifert ammonia test kit along with others.

[pete33]

IMO API is garbage. I purchased the kit and it always reads 0.25 ammonia. But it's been close enough for me. I wouldn't worry about it until you see something like 0.50, then maybe you have some levels of it. I'm using Elos for cal/alc/mag/Nitrate and I'm buying an ammonia and nitrite next time.

[bertoni]

We see problems reported with all of the brands of kits. API gets generally decent reviews, although I haven't used them personally. All of the ammonia kits are liable to expire after some fairly small number of years, from what I can tell.

[pete33]

My API kit is 4 months old. I guess you get what you pay for.

[bertoni]

It might have sat on the shelf or in a distribution warehouse for a long time before you bought it. We've seen kits that were many years old coming up for sale.

[DSpate]

I'm tagging along in this thread, I'm having the same issue. I'm pretty certain my test kits weren't outdated.. But I have no idea anymore.

I tested my tap water which I use to fill and mix for my tank, and my tap water reads .35 ammonia. My 160g is reading .25.

I tried using Aquavitro Alpha on my tap water, let it cycle for a day without salt, it read .25.

Then I added salt, waited a day and it read .25.

Will an RO unit solve this problem? If it is my test kit.. Which I don't think it is.. I should be reading 0, or close to it.... if it's off by that much.

[bertoni]

The alpha might neutralize the ammonia, but leave it in a form that many test kits will detect. I'm not particularly familiar with that product, but most of the ammonia neutralizers have this behavior.

[DSpate]

I'm under the impression that it does.. But now I'm just waiting to get an order for either BRS for an RO unit, or one thats canadian made.