Dozey

I know you all suggest the API liquid test kit and that is what I purchased. But wow I am having a hard with it. My nitrite reading is a definite zero, and my nitrate reading is a definite 10. But darn it’s tough to decide what my ammonia reading is.

It seems I can change my decision by reading it at different angles, under different lighting conditions and even at different distances from my eyes. And I’m not alone, my wife and I compare, she thinks it’s green and I think it’s yellow, I think it’s green and she thinks it’s yellow.

We have both been recently tested for colour blindness and we both passed with passing colours. No pun intended.

My question is… Is there another test product for ammonia that better distinguishes between 0 and 0.25? I would use it in conjunction with my API tester.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Red1313

hmmm... don't know any off the top of my head.
I don't have an api kit so some of the following questions may sound sort of idiot-ish:
are you reading the color against a white background?
do you have the light coming at it from behind you?

Sometimes when i can't tell for sure with my kit I simply write it down as the range I think it's in and test again next week (I test before water changes and try to do them once a week so usually everything works out)

Hope someone comes along to give you a better hand.

Dozey

Yep... white background. Lighting is a bit of the problem. Change the light and the reading seems to change. Change the angle at which I look at it and again the reading is questionable.

Yellow for zero and purple for 0.25 would be really great.

Peterpiper

Hey you could always spend $1000 on a meter.... yer thats why I dont have one.
Are you looking from the top straight down against a white background?

Dozey

No I'm placing the tube against the card as per the instuctions.

soldieroffortune1974

UMMMMMMMMMM..........they don't cost that much,you can get a pinpoint electronic probe for about $250 or less.

Shawnie

I put mine up against a white wall or lay it on the table on a white piece of paper..that way theres no other lighting or interfearances...the card doesnt do it for me either..gotta be that age thing?

capekate

I also have the API test kit. I lay all the tubes down on the card next to the color chart where it is all white. I understand what you are saying tho. Wishful thinking I can always hold it up to the light lol... where it is appears to be lighter than laying down on the card.
Bright yellow with no tinge of green will be a zero reading.

jdhef

Think about how much of a struggle it is for me, since I am (red/green) color blind! My other pet peeve is the way they put the big green stripe on the thermometer. It is really difficult to see the red on the green background.

Dozey

You are not alone on that. I have to take my thermometer out of the tank and hold it under a light to read it.

outlaw

If i have a hard time distinguishing between to colors while its on a white surface, I put the bottle over the colors to see which one disappears.

Minnow

Whenever I have trouble reading the ammonia test, I do two tests at once: one for my cycled tank, and one for the tank that recently cycled. The cycled tank always gives me a clear yellow, while before the other tank was cycled, I would get a slightly greeny-yellow. If you have a tank where you know the readings are 0, you can use that as a reference for deciding what color the other one is.

I always check the color in the same place, directly under the same light, that way it will be consistent.

Peterpiper

The one I was told about tests for ammonia/ammonium, nitrite , nitrate, pH, phosphates, KH etc. Used by the seahorse breeders over here.
And the way our Aust$ is going $250us is $350au.
Once I was told the price... I asked no more Qs.
But can find out the specs and maker

EdnJean

I have the same problem. I also recently tested my tap water and got a reading of around 0.25 for ammonia, which was a surprise!

Minnow

Yes, I have the same problem. My tap's got 1ppm of ammonia in it.

Dozey

I also tested my tap water thinking that would show me the true zero reading colour. Nope still couldn't tell if it was zero or 0.25.

Minnow

If you think it looks greenish, I would say you do have some ammonia. When it's 0, it's a definite yellow.

Dozey

It often just depends on the angle that I look at it. It’s a definite yellow, the change how the light hits it and I’m not so sure. It a well establish tank, (has been running for years) and my other reading are spot on. 0 nitrites and 10 nitrates. It really appears that I’m not alone with this problem.

Maybe I’ll get some bottled water and test that.

Minnow

That's a good idea. Also, if you have any friends with an established tank, you can test their water and compare the two.

Good luck!

Plecolover12

Well, I would go google what you want and maybe see if the pet store has it. Hope this helps!

-plecolover12

CHoffman

I have this problem too. It's not just with Ammonia..Since I've been cycling all these tanks and they are all in different stages the higher levels of Nitrites are hard to read..and the higher level of Nitrate too...I need a tiny person to be packed up with the kit to tell me what it is!!!

Dozey

Hmmm… My local hardware store claims to be able to match paint colour to anything you bring in, a sponge, a brush handle, a cloth… Anything!!! OK, so I’m thinking maybe take my test tube in.

“Excuse me, what colour is this?”

“Sir, that is definitely canary yellow.”

“Thank you that’s all I need to know.”

Lucy

Members have taken pics of their results and asked members to help.
You could do that.

Dozey

Too funny.

I wonder what a used spectrometer goes for these days?

Dozey

Just to add to my experience regarding my thread. I was originally holding my tubes directly under bright lights and having a really hard time reading them. I have recently found that checking my reading in a bright room but not under direct light has been far easier for me.

Hope this helps other colour challenged fish keepers out there. And please do let me know if this helps you or not.

EdnJean

Hi,

I took an Ammonia reading last night and got about 0.5ppm. This morning, the colour is a definite yellow, suggesting zero.

Which is the true reading?

Mike19

Its hard to determined whether its a clear yellow or slight green.

Shawnie

dozey, you need to change your username ....one im thinking of is "my threads never stay on topic " aka offtopicman!

thank god you joined to lighten the place up now and then!

Dozey

I’ve never tried to interject humor into any thread… It just happens

Shawnie

life is way to darn short to not have "humor" as much as the oxygen we need to live!