Ammonia Issue with API Test Results

grant778 · 07/29/2014, 06:35 PM

I have had my 10 gallon quarantine tank cycling for about a month and a half and today I was doing some major work in the display tank and it clouded up a lot. I decided to move my two ocellaris clownfish to the quarantine tank until tomorrow. As I am preparing the qt tank for a new fish, I decided to test the qt tank as well to verify that it was ready for the fish's arrival. Here were my results, and I was somewhat worried about my ammonia result. I don't know if you can tell easily in the picture, but the ammonia test tube color is in between 0 and .25 ppm. It is hard for me to believe that after doing a 30-40 percent water change on the qt tank before the fish were added, as well as having had the tank cycling for 1 and a half months, that there is any ammonia at all. I am curious as to if this color I see in my ammonia test tube is the actual color that indicates 0 ppm of ammonia, rather than the one they picture on the card.

oakengineer · 07/29/2014, 06:54 PM

I have the same test kit, and it is regularly, as you say, between 0 and .25. Keep in mind that if you do a 40% water change, you still have 60% of the ammonia you started with. Water changes won't eliminate ammonia, but it will make the levels less toxic.

grant778 · 07/29/2014, 06:59 PM

I stopped ghost feeding the tank like two weeks ago, And I do a 5 gallon water change on the qt tank, once every week. including todays water change that means 90-120 percent of the water has been changed with no source for ammonia to mount. I test the tank once every week and for the past couple weeks the test has read this same level. I also have a seachem ammonia alert badge in the tank and it says everything is safe. This is why I think maybe that the reading between 0 and .25 ppm I am getting is really representative of 0 ammonia.

santanzchild · 07/30/2014, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grant778

I have had my 10 gallon quarantine tank cycling for about a month and a half and today I was doing some major work in the display tank and it clouded up a lot. I decided to move my two ocellaris clownfish to the quarantine tank until tomorrow. As I am preparing the qt tank for a new fish, I decided to test the qt tank as well to verify that it was ready for the fish's arrival. Here were my results, and I was somewhat worried about my ammonia result. I don't know if you can tell easily in the picture, but the ammonia test tube color is in between 0 and .25 ppm. It is hard for me to believe that after doing a 30-40 percent water change on the qt tank before the fish were added, as well as having had the tank cycling for 1 and a half months, that there is any ammonia at all. I am curious as to if this color I see in my ammonia test tube is the actual color that indicates 0 ppm of ammonia, rather than the one they picture on the card.

That is the color mine always is. I can use another brand kit and get a 0 but will still get some green on the API

MrTuskfish · 07/30/2014, 09:17 AM

Any ammonia is too much, IMO. When in doubt; add an ammonia neutralizer; like Prime, Amquel, etc. Very safe & reliable. Many ammonia test kits don't work with these additives, though.

jrozzi · 07/30/2014, 09:54 AM

you don't have ammonia its the test kit.

oh207 · 07/30/2014, 02:57 PM

You could still see an ammonia spike especially since its been some time since you ghost fed the tank. Adding the two clowns increased the bioload and the existing bacteria was not sufficient to handle the newly added bioload. Best to do a water change and or add prime. Also, you can see a false positive if you have any copper in the water.

tc2007 · 07/30/2014, 03:45 PM

I get the same color always on the API kit. Been running the tests since 2 months. No problems at all.

07/29/2014, 06:35 PM	#1
grant778 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 145	Ammonia Issue with API Test Results I have had my 10 gallon quarantine tank cycling for about a month and a half and today I was doing some major work in the display tank and it clouded up a lot. I decided to move my two ocellaris clownfish to the quarantine tank until tomorrow. As I am preparing the qt tank for a new fish, I decided to test the qt tank as well to verify that it was ready for the fish's arrival. Here were my results, and I was somewhat worried about my ammonia result. I don't know if you can tell easily in the picture, but the ammonia test tube color is in between 0 and .25 ppm. It is hard for me to believe that after doing a 30-40 percent water change on the qt tank before the fish were added, as well as having had the tank cycling for 1 and a half months, that there is any ammonia at all. I am curious as to if this color I see in my ammonia test tube is the actual color that indicates 0 ppm of ammonia, rather than the one they picture on the card. Last edited by grant778; 07/29/2014 at 06:50 PM.

07/29/2014, 06:59 PM	#3
grant778 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 145	I stopped ghost feeding the tank like two weeks ago, And I do a 5 gallon water change on the qt tank, once every week. including todays water change that means 90-120 percent of the water has been changed with no source for ammonia to mount. I test the tank once every week and for the past couple weeks the test has read this same level. I also have a seachem ammonia alert badge in the tank and it says everything is safe. This is why I think maybe that the reading between 0 and .25 ppm I am getting is really representative of 0 ammonia. Last edited by grant778; 07/29/2014 at 07:08 PM.

07/30/2014, 09:17 AM	#5
MrTuskfish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Wild Blue Yonder Posts: 8,887	Any ammonia is too much, IMO. When in doubt; add an ammonia neutralizer; like Prime, Amquel, etc. Very safe & reliable. Many ammonia test kits don't work with these additives, though. __________________ If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat. Steve Current Tank Info: 180, 2-240 FOWLRs, 240 reef

07/30/2014, 02:57 PM	#7
oh207 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Amityville, NY Posts: 762	You could still see an ammonia spike especially since its been some time since you ghost fed the tank. Adding the two clowns increased the bioload and the existing bacteria was not sufficient to handle the newly added bioload. Best to do a water change and or add prime. Also, you can see a false positive if you have any copper in the water. __________________ -oh207 Current Tank Info: DB 65g RR Tank, 30g Sump w sock & fuge, EHEIM 3000 Rtn. Pump, Araganite 40lbs, 40lbs base rock, 60lbs LR, EHEIM 150W Jager Heater, Ecotech MP40wES & MP10wES Vortech Propeller Pump, Ecotech Radion XR30w LED, Seaside Aquatics Protein Skimmer (CS7-150g)

07/29/2014, 06:54 PM	#2
oakengineer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 234	I have the same test kit, and it is regularly, as you say, between 0 and .25. Keep in mind that if you do a 40% water change, you still have 60% of the ammonia you started with. Water changes won't eliminate ammonia, but it will make the levels less toxic.

07/30/2014, 09:54 AM	#6
jrozzi Moved On Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 580	you don't have ammonia its the test kit.

07/30/2014, 03:45 PM	#8
tc2007 Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Midwest Posts: 867	I get the same color always on the API kit. Been running the tests since 2 months. No problems at all.