Api .25 False Ammonia Test?

I have not seen the posts on API false .25 ammonia test but there may be some truth to it. I have 0 ammonia in my tap, my 75 gallon tank has been cycled for about 5 months. While fishless cycling I dosed pure ammonia after about a week nitrites showed up and ammonia would drop to about 1.0 ppm after about 3 weeks I dosed to 4 ppm ammonia and 24 hours later my ammonia was at .25 nitrites 0 nitrates 30 ppm did 50% water change and stocked with fish. Now 4 months later I still get .25 ammonia on my apI rest 0 nitrites and 20ppm nitrates. I do a 25% water change and vacuum substrate religiously once a week. My API amo test has never been yellow starts our yellow but before 5 minutes up it reads .25. I bought a seachem combo alert for ammonia and stuck inside the tank. It has never reached .25 ammonia reading. So again may be some truth regarding API AMO test giving false reading.

I do believe in having about 4 times the filtration/water flow than required. On my 75 I run two fluval aquaclear 110 hob and two old school aquaclear adjustable power heads with sponge filters attached on each end of the tank.

 

If your testing your tap and getting zero than testing tank and getting .25 I would have to say that’s a legit reading. Are you using prime or another water conditioner? They detoxify the ammonia but it’s still there and you will get a reading. People getting the false .25 are also reading it out of there tap.

 

If your testing your tap and getting zero than testing tank and getting .25 I would have to say that’s a legit reading. Are you using prime or another water conditioner? They detoxify the ammonia but it’s still there and you will get a reading. People getting the false .25 are also reading it out of there tap.

Interesting I will retest my tap water.

First from tap second pic from tank

First from tap second pic from tank

And yes I use prime for water changes.

If your testing your tap and getting zero than testing tank and getting .25 I would have to say that’s a legit reading. Are you using prime or another water conditioner? They detoxify the ammonia but it’s still there and you will get a reading. People getting the false .25 are also reading it out of there tap.

Here is my test tap then tank and then pic seachem ammonia alert in tank

 

I like the seachem alert. API just ain’t doing it. For the apI try a bottled water see what that reads. Shouldn’t be any ammonia in that

 

I like the seachem alert. API just ain’t doing it. For the apI try a bottled water see what that reads. Shouldn’t be any ammonia in that

This is apI test from freshly opened bottle of Crystal Geyser spring water. So besides the seachem in tank ammonia monitor is there another company besides apI that has ammonia tests?

 

Lol that looks green!!! Wish everybody could view thread.
I’ve started a thread on the apI test too. I’m looking to see what answers I get.

 

I like the seachem alert. API just ain’t doing it. For the apI try a bottled water see what that reads. Shouldn’t be any ammonia in that

This is apI test from freshly opened bottle of Crystal Geyser spring water. So besides the seachem in tank ammonia monitor is there another company besides apI that has ammonia tests?

 

There are a few others but I don’t know there names. Maybe check some of the other threads on apI tests.

 

There are a few others but I don’t know there names. Maybe check some of the other threads on apI tests.

Thanks I will do that. I’ve read quite a few articles since our discussions. Some on fishlore and others on the web. Some make more sense than others. For example with a fully stocked aquarium even with well established biological filtration there will still be trace amounts of amonia. Fish poop pee all the time. Also if there is absolutely 0 ammonia in your tank you would have nothing for nitrifying bacteria to eat, and therefore no nitrogen cycle. So I guess from that perspective it makes sense that apI shows those lower amounts of amonia. I still believe having the seachem in tank ammonia monitor is a good back up to the apI test to give us a piece of mind.

I think my concern is for new aquarist who don’t have info regarding apI ammonia test readings causing them to hit the panick button with the sight of green tint in their apI ammonia test and start doing massive water changes, which can effect the chemistry of their tanks, and stress out their fish more than that trace amount of ammonia showing up on apI test.

 

Lol that looks green!!! Wish everybody could view thread.
I’ve started a thread on the apI test too. I’m looking to see what answers I get.

Thank you for this thread!!!! I was making myself go crazy in thinking I had ammonia in my tank when API tests for it are just false.
So if it reads .25 then it’s really 0?

 

This is apI test from freshly opened bottle of Crystal Geyser spring water. So besides the seachem in tank ammonia monitor is there another company besides apI that has ammonia tests?

Seachem has an ammonia test. I tried it and the ammonia alert and stopped using them after awhile.

By the time I found an ammonia test I was happy with, I'd spent around $1000.

 

To save us some money what was your final result? What are you using?

 

This is apI test from freshly opened bottle of Crystal Geyser spring water. So besides the seachem in tank ammonia monitor is there another company besides apI that has ammonia tests?