Best ammonia test kit

reefwiser · Mar 3, 2018

I have used it with QT tanks it works great from my experience. Buying used units over time or work out a deal with seneye. Would be much easier to keep track on tanks where the med's suppress bacteria filtration.

Cjud7982 · Mar 5, 2018

I have always used red sea test kits. Always seem to read what I was expecting. Colors always seem to match close for me as well. Up until now, literally the last 3 hours of my life went to questioning at least the ammonia kit. 3 samples of the same source water yielded 3 different results. Tested on tap, rodi, newly mixed salt, display tank, and a non medicated hospital tank. All registered at least .2ppm, probably closer to .4 except my display which read near 0. The kit is expiring within the next month so I may chalk it up to that. May try something new based on this thread

thanks humblefish

Don Lidtke · Mar 5, 2018

Red Sea is the test kit I am using. I also have a pair of Seneye but I am trying to figure out how to calibrate them.

Swingline77 · Jul 18, 2018

Being new to the hobby, I'm not an expert by any means. My understanding is that ammonia levels should be kept as close to zero as possible, and that problems arise when concentrations exceed 0.02 PPM. If this is actually the case, it seems that the only requirement that an ammonia test must fulfill is that it must indicate the presence of ammonia when the concentrations are at or below 0.02.

I've attached a link to a review of test strips manufactured by Hach at the end of this posting. In the review, it's stated that when the concentration of ammonia is found to be 0.025, as determined by calorometry, the test strip gives a positive indication, though one that is artificially high. That the result of the test strip is high should be irrelevant, though. The test strip indicates when the threshold is exceeded.

It seems that this is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to measure ammonia. Other test strips might be just as good, but I haven't seen comparisons between their results and those of calorometric analysis.

Am I right on all this, or is my understanding flawed?

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/4/review

Jesterrace · Jul 18, 2018

Ammonia should be zero if the tank is properly cycled. As for the test strips? I have yet to hear of any that are reliable. As much as I hate API, I would go with them over any test strip.