Ammonia question

[Lars Olsson]

Good afternoon, I have a fairly new tank (~3 mths) which I have been testing regularly for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Ph. It's a 65g FOWLR tank with two clowns, two pajama cardinals, two bangaii cardinals, an orange butterfly, and a coral beauty angel. I have about 45lbs of live rock in the aquarium and another 15lbs in my ~20g sump.

Over the last 4-5 weeks I have watched the ammonia number go from what appeared to be 0, to approximately 0.125ppm per my API master test kit. It has stayed there now for several weeks. Yesterday I obtained a Seachem ammonia test and ran the test today. The free ammonia is 0, and total ammonia measured around 0.02. I am trying to understand what this means. It appears to me that the API kit is not so good and I am looking for a Salifert to do a third check.

The fact that the number hasn't moved in weeks, and that I haven't lost any fish, reduces my concern, but there is still a fear factor associated to an ammonia number that isn't 0! Also, my Ph has been falling slowing, from 8.4 to 8.0 today.

Salinity: 1.024
Ph: 8.0 (dropping slowing, ~1mth from 8.4)
Nitrate: 10.0
Nitrite: 0.0
Ammonia: 0.125 or 0.02 or 0.0 depending on test described above...

Other than the second ammonia test, all the above are from API and my saline refractometer.

Any help/explanation would be appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My expectation is that the ammonia is not a concern and the API is just inaccurately reporting substantial ammonia.

 

[GoVols]

Any help

Just some help but (lol) it's JMO...

API Cal and Alk are decent and also good for cross checking.

These are the kits that I like:
Cal - Red Sea Pro
Alk - Red Sea Pro or Hanna Alk Checker
Mag - Salifert / Do not get the Red Sea Pro

Phos. - Hanna Phos. or ULR Checkers. (Must keep vials squeaky clean)
Nitrates - Salifert Nitrate kit.

Regards, GoVols