test results

[bandit1994]

I just did a water test to see how the cycle was coming on my tank I got a reading of 0.25 ppm for ammonia 0ppm for nitrite and in between 5-10ppm for nitrate how close am I to being able to put fish in my tank

 

[twilliard]

You need to show 0 on the amonia

 

[bandit1994]

besides that is everything ok

 

[twilliard]

Your on the right track!

 

[bandit1994]

with .25ppm ammonia in a tank with live rock that is cured and live sand is it to soon to add anything or could I start my cleaning crew now I have blhc witch is blue leg hermit crabs in there right now and I have been watching the test results and I never had ammonia over 0.5ppm I really want to start my cleaning crew but I wont if its to soon

 

[Dr. Phil]

I just did a water test to see how the cycle was coming on my tank I got a reading of 0.25 ppm for ammonia 0ppm for nitrite and in between 5-10ppm for nitrate how close am I to being able to put fish in my tank

What brand of test kit are you using?

 

[bandit1994]

api master salt water test kit

 

[Dr. Phil]

I would get a better brand of test kit, like Red Sea. Api test kits are pretty well known for giving bogus readings.

 

[bandit1994]

is that a fact or is it something u read my lfs uses api and have not had a false reading yet all my buddies that have salt water tanks use it to and they trust it more then the others

 

[Dr. Phil]

If you search the forum there are many people who say that Api kits have a low range error. I had the same problem using api kits.

 

[bandit1994]

what do u mean low range error I am not trying to fight as I still need to learn sorry if I sound mean I am confused as to what mean

 

[Dr. Phil]

what do u mean low range error

Api test kits are bad to show that you have a small amount of ammonia when the level is actually at zero.

 

[bandit1994]

so if I have tested it and have 0ppm nitrite an 5-10ppm of nitrate but still have 0.25ppm of ammonia I may already be at 0ppm of ammonia

 

[Dr. Phil]

so if I have tested it and have 0ppm nitrite an 5-10ppm of nitrate but still have 0.25ppm of ammonia I may already be at 0ppm of ammonia

Yes

 

[bandit1994]

so the nitrite and nitrate in the api kits can be trusted but not the ammonia when I tested it today I got 0ppm of nitrite 5-10ppm of nitrate and 0.25ppm of ammonia is this tank cycled if I have the api master test kit

 

[PatW]

Well maybe. The problem with the API ammonia test is that .25 ppm might be zero, but it could be .25 ppm. If you have a dropping trend like 2 ppm, 1 ppm then .25 ppm followed by .25 ppm you are probably ok. what the heck Red Sea ammonia, I figure I can detect about .1 ppm. API tests are fine as long as you are aware of their limitations. I think the Red Sea nitrate test is better at the lower end of the range while API has about a 5 ppm detection limit. I use API tests with other tests as a confirm. But all of the home tests have limits.

 

[bandit1994]

what I don't get is that I get 0ppm of nitrite and 0.25ppm of ammonia and I thought that when u hit 0ppm of nitrite with 5-10ppm of nitrate that ammonia would be 0ppm as will