FunkyRes

Hello,
I'm writing an article on the nitrogen cycle and will be demonstrating the cycle using feeder goldfish as cycle fish and a fishless cycle.

I will be including graphs of the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels with measurements taken every 24 hours.

I am looking for test kits that are precise to 0.2 PPM for ammonia and nitrite - they don't have to that precise for nitrate, but precise to 1 ppm would be desirable.

The data will be fed into a gnuplot to make pretty graphs for inclusion in the article.

Anyway, I have been having trouble finding test kits that are that precise, I'm beginning to wonder if I need to seek the help of a chemist in finding the kits, as it seems there isn't much on the consumer market that is even close to that accurate. Accuracy really helps in the plotting of graphs over time, it really does as the bell curves become very apparent.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore...

most use API liquid master test kit and I swear by it.its very accurate and have yet to have it fail .....

only thing I worry about is the goldies...I hope they wont be exposed to high doses of ammonia and nitrites for the test and daily water changes will be peformed? cycleing with fish isnt something most of us agree with...goodluck with your testing !

FunkyRes

I don't agree with cycling with fish either, but the purpose is to show the nitrogen cycle when fish are used as well as when done fishless.

I know it will stress the feeder fish, but so does the garter snake or oscar they are typically purchased for ...

I'm hoping that by demonstrating both, the reader will come to the conclusion that fishless cycle really is better.

The article is for my local pet store. None of them know about fishless cycle, I tried explaining it to them and got blank stares, the owner asked me to write something up (we have a good relation - they sell the snakes I breed). Being somewhat of a LaTeX guru (typesetting software) I decided might as well go the distance and make it look professional, with real data, and put the PDF out there for any pet store to print and distribute.

The hardest thing for people will be finding suitable ammonia - the place I use to get it (dollar store) now sells something they call "pure ammonia" but clearly has stuff in it as it foams quite a bit when shaken (and the foam stays) - which means the "pure ammonia" label can't be trusted.

I think Ace has it though.