Differences in parameter values between different tests and sources

[MysterioMask]

Okay. So this may be a long post. Anyway. I have a question. I have noticed that different testing kits have different values, as well as different save level values so do different sources such as aquarimate app and online sources including those on the forums here when referring to safe levels.

My question is. Why isn't there a standard and what makes any sense. I'm fairly new to all this and have just finished a long cycle on my aquarium and have started adding some cleanup crew. My levels were all fine mostly for a good while then suddenly I had a huge copepod bloom and my water is cloudy. Now my levels seem to be all over the place but the snails and crab and shrimp all seem to be doing fine. But the green star polyp I got doesn't seem to want to open. So that's the current story.

Now onto the parameters.
I am very confused because I have 2 different test types. A bunch of liquid type primarily API tests, some tetra easy strips, and a seachem ammonia alert plate. All of them seem to vary wildly.

Here is some examples.

Nitrate: API - 0-160 ppm (they don't give a safe range. Only say as low as possible)
Tetra - 0-200 ppm (safe range is 0-40)
Aquarimate app ( safe range is 0.0-0.2 ppm)
Online resource - (as low as possible but 30-40 ppm can be tolerated by most fish and corals may like it for the extra nutrients)

Ammonia: API - 0-8 ppm (safe level 0)
Seachem - 0.00-0.5 ppm (safe level 0.00-0.02)
Aquarimate - safe level 0-0.1 ppm)
online sources - (safe level 0)
(This one is strange because the safe levels seem to be close to 0 except for aquarimate. But it's stranger because my API test reads around .2-.25 range. But the seachem thing which is always in the tank says I am doing fine and in the safe zone.

Alkalinity KH: API & Online sources say the safe range is 8-12 dkh (140-200 ppm)
Aquarimate - safe range is 7-11 dkh
Tetra says safe range is 180-300 ppm)

Also my PH seems to be fine but one day it read at about 7 .4 in the API test but the tetra came in at about 8 Then a few days later the API and tetra tests came in at about 8.3 could that have just been a fluke?

So I guess my question is what is with the differences and what should I use or rely on.
I only have inverts and a coral at the moment but everything seems to be okay except the coral isn't opening.

 

[brandon429]

you would be wise to not rely on testing at this stage, given your options. it w continue to give you headaches

Web searches will show a history of API misreads, they're good kits but the simple search returns show the ranges you post among samples. they must be filled correctly, cleaned vials, shaken reagents, white lighting for viewing, making sure the cards for the FW/SW are correct, and ten more requirements to get an accurate read.

cycling however follows known timelines based on boosts you used, or didn't use, and we never need a test kit to cycle a tank.

how long did you cycle the tank, was curious as to submersion time and if you used bottle bac/ammonia during the process.

 

[MysterioMask]

I have a 29 gallon tank with a 50 gallon sump tank usually filled to about 25-30 gallons.

If I remember correctly without looking at what I actually purchased. I believe I got about 30-40 lbs dry base rock and 13lbs live rock. I would say about 10 lbs of live rock went into the tank the rest in the sump.

I got the live rock in on June 30th. So that's when I started the cycle. I did not use any live sand. I just used sand.

I added my first invert an emerald crab on August 5th. The rest of what I have were added August 16th.

I did not use any boosting products to speed up bacteria growth. I did use some Kent stuff for corals to help the coral out. I also added calcium because it was low a little while ago.

 

[brandon429]

nice nice details

this is a really neat thread then, you've done a purely unassisted mixed substrate cycle

where the live rock component brings in both bacteria and their feed, and then submersion time commutes the nitrifiers to the other noncycled surfaces in about 60 days. we're there

this timeframe is universal it wont vary tank to tank amazingly.
Taken from our big cycling thread, you will find relief to know that we only need to know what ammonia does in a cycle.

not nitrite, ever

not nitrate, as that's not required to know in a cycle. its required to know for algae tuning.

 

[brandon429]

as long as your tank is reading zero ammonia in the presence of the bioloading, its acceptable. it takes quite a bit of overstocking to make a cycled tank be unable to keep up with raw ammonia production, so zero is the acceptable free ammonia range for cycled and matured tanks. nitrate and po4 vary tank to tank, hard to get a consistent baseline for them.

you don't have to test for nitrite at all, that eliminates one concern and cost.

 

[Velcro]

That Aquarimate nitrate range is just wrong.

 

[cmcoker]

API ammonia test reads total ammonia, ammonia badge reads free ammonia. Free ammonia is the toxic form.
I wouldn't worry about pH too much its gonna fluctuate based on lighting cycle and would use a pH meter to get an accurate reading before trying to mess with it, but the bestt advice is "don't chase pH"

Here is a good article that I go by for water parameters. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php The table in the picture is from that article.

Nitrate is the exception so long as I am below 10-15, I'm happy. My favorite lfs runs his beautiful SPS tank with a goal of under 25 on nitrate..

 

[MysterioMask]

Thanks Brandon for the in depth reply. My dry rock is Florida reef rock. Was white in color. The website didn't state anything about curing. Once I got it I hosed it off with fresh water to get all the dust and stuff off it. It shouldn't have had any hitchhikers or anything.

I had a diatom outbreak for a while but once the copepods bloomed they seemed to make the diatoms go away fast for the most part.

As foe what is in my tank I have now an emerald crab, a peppermint shrimp, 2 money cowries, 2 nerite snails, 1 glowing margarita snail, 2 cerith snails, 2 nassarius vibex snails, and a green star polyp frag that isn't opening. Hitchhikers I have from live rock is plenty of micro feather dusters red and white, micro brittle star fish, what I think was a pineapple sponge but I believe that died, and I think I have a bristle worm somewhere but I have only seen it once. I also now have plenty of copepods and amphipods.

My concern is if I did a 100% water change wouldn't that be bad for the creatures I can't wrangle up? Also wouldn't that eliminate most of the copepods? I had read that lots of copepods are good for coral because it provides lots of protein.

I suppose a this got slightly off topic though. Are you saying that I shouldn't be testing my parameters much? Or that I'm testing too early? Or that my tank given the size shouldn't need tested.

Still though I am curious why the tests and sources seem to vary to such a degree. I would have figured it would be more standardized .