Large variation in ammonia tests

[Dilby]

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum and also to the hobby.

In the process of starting a saltwater nano aquarium and about a week into the cycling process, but seeing some really odd measurements.

I started the process by adding 2ppm ammodium chloride soloution to the tank along with ATM Colony starter bacteria. I've follwed the steps as guided by the Dr Tims fish-less cycle, but am seeing some really odd ammonia reading, so purchased other test kits to make sense of it. Please see picture below:

I'm really struggling to see what my ammonia is based on the four different results i'm seeing. Note, the API test (green liquid) seems to be the biggest outlier and i cannot make sense what color the Seachem alert is showing me,

I have been following the Dr Tims guide by adding more Amomonium Chloride on the days it suggests, as the Salifert test I have been using (2nd test in the image) has been showing < 0.5ppm of ammonia or so I thought until I purchased the API kit.

My Nitrites have remained pretty flat close to 0.1ppm the whole time and my Nitrates have increased a bit to 1ppm.

Any help will be appriciated.

 

[marky]

I'm cycling my new tank now and I used Brightwell instead of Dr. Tim's but I struggled to read that Salifert test. I switched to the Red Sea test and the color is much easier to read.
I have that Seachem alert badge as well, it's measuring free ammonia instead of total ammonia. So .02 free ammonia equals 0.25 total ammonia.
I haven't used the API test, but if you've got a new tank and have dosed the ammonia according to their directions I doubt you'd be at 8 ppm. That one looks like the outlier to me, fwiw.