I’m Having Trouble Reading The Ammonia Alert By Sea Chem.

[jrodriguez260]

I have used The API master test kit to test all of my water parameters in my fish tanks but I kept getting .5ppm for ammonia with the liquid apI test and 0 with test strips when I tested my water in the pet store. So I got the ammonia alert by seachem and I’m having trouble reading it. So when I flash the light on it, it reads “alert” BUT when I rely on the natural lighting it reads “safe.” I did contact the sea hem support staff and they said to rely solely on the natural lighting because flashing a flashlight in it can change the color of the reading in itself...

 

[Momgoose56]

API Test kit sometimes has a low positive reading of .25 to .5. The ammonia alert on your tank looks 'safe' to me. And if your test strips are reading 0 ppm, then you can probably recalibrate your brain to read the API .5 ppm as 'zero' lol! In other words, if the API is reading .5 or lower, you can consider that a new normal negative reading.

 

[Ronniethewitch]

I used one of these in my first 6 months, just go by the natural lighting. It is a fantastic little thing! Use it like you would a warning light in your car. Once it warns you it is time critical you fix the issue.

 

[jrodriguez260]

Yes I’m just really paranoid I guess and I just overthink a lot when it comes to my fish.

 

[Ronniethewitch]

Yes I’m just really paranoid I guess and I just overthink a lot when it comes to my fish.

I get that! but they do work - supposed to work for a year but really its about 7 months. I would still use the test kit though because ammonia and ph are very important but nitrites and nitrates are equally important to watch. welcome! Hope you love it as much as I have grown to.

 

[jrodriguez260]

I get that! but they do work - supposed to work for a year but really its about 7 months. I would still use the test kit though because ammonia and ph are very important but nitrites and nitrates are equally important to watch. welcome! Hope you love it as much as I have grown to.

So if the ammonia alert is reading safe with just the fish tank light producing that reading. That is the real and accurate reading?

 

[Ronniethewitch]

So if the ammonia alert is reading safe with just the fish tank light producing that reading. That is the real and accurate reading?

Mine did. I used to panic because from my seat across the livingroom it sometimes looked like it was on alert but from straight on it would be safe...like totally yellow/almost white safe. Then the first time I had an ammonia spike to take it to alert - there was no question how much different the colour was. It was VERY obvious. But I also advocate that if you are worried just do a water change anyway - not like fresh water is going to hurt your fish is it?. Peace of mind is so worth the effort.

 

[bigdreams]

Mine did. I used to panic because from my seat across the livingroom it sometimes looked like it was on alert but from straight on it would be safe...like totally yellow/almost white safe. Then the first time I had an ammonia spike to take it to alert - there was no question how much different the colour was. It was VERY obvious. But I also advocate that if you are worried just do a water change anyway - not like fresh water is going to hurt your fish is it?. Peace of mind is so worth the effort.

I bought these once but could never read and therefore could never trust the ammonia alert. I never bought it again.
If you want to see if it"works" just open a bottle of ammonia and hover the Alert above it.. I read somewhere that the vapors are enough to change the color on the Alert but I never tried that myself.

 

[Ronniethewitch]

I bought these once but could never read and therefore could never trust the ammonia alert. I never bought it again.
If you want to see if it"works" just open a bottle of ammonia and hover the Alert above it.. I read somewhere that the vapors are enough to change the color on the Alert but I never tried that myself.

you're not supposed to take it out of the water once its in - especially the ph one. When I asked about mine on this site, I was told by a few people that they wouldn't trust it, so I bought my water test kit anyway. But I left it in as a back up and I do have to say - it did what it said on the box -when I had an ammonia spike after changing my filter. But it takes a half an hour to change up or down - so it really is like the warning light on your car - its time critical for you to act on the warning.

 

[ETNsilverstar]

I'd say it looks safe. I have the ammonia alert and it has done well for me so far. The pH alert on the other hand...the color never matches any on the wheel.

 

[Fanatic]

I don't see that to be reading ammonia, but I personally don't use these as my prime reassurance, testing the water would be a quick thing to do to ensure the water is safe.