Prime Altering Test Results?

[Amber818]

So I just performed my api water test and my ammonia was at 2.0! Super weird. Just did a water change on Sunday. I’ve never had a 2.0 show since I was done cycling my tank. So I added prime and I just retested and it’s yellow. -.- will prime alter test results or did I just mess up somehow on the first test?

 

[Donthemon]

I think you messed up on the first one. You will still get readings with Prime. It just converts the ammonia to ammonium. Which is less toxic but still shows on the test results.

 

[Shambhalaubie]

Definitely not, Prime will not alter the test in anyway. Are you using test strips or the Master Testing Kit? In my experience, the strips are notorious for inaccurate readings, I always go for the test tube ones instead.

 

[jtjgg]

Prime won't alter the tests. But I don't think that's the way Prime works to detox ammonia for up to 48hrs, since converting ammonia to ammonium has to do with temp and pH.

 

[Amber818]

This doesn’t make sense. I just tested again and ammonia is 0.25. I tested twice. What is going on????
The only thing I can think of that has changed was that I put 2 algae wafers in 2 days ago and just today they were finished with it. I’m not going to put 2 in again. That’s the only thing I can think of. Normally I put one in and it takes about a day however I put 2 in because my shrimp fight over it

This doesn’t make sense. I just tested again and ammonia is 0.25. I tested twice. What is going on????
The only thing I can think of that has changed was that I put 2 algae wafers in 2 days ago and just today they were finished with it. I’m not going to put 2 in again. That’s the only thing I can think of. Normally I put one in and it takes about a day however I put 2 in because my shrimp fight over it

But why would I get a 0 reading yesterday after adding prime?

 

[jtjgg]

what's your pH? low pH can sometimes have ammonium.

2 days is too long for food to sit in a tank. next time try breaking it into smaller pieces and only giving them 2 small pieces.

 

[Amber818]

My ph has always been 7.2. And yeah I will Forsure. The only reason why I didn’t take it out is because they were still munching on it

 

[jtjgg]

yep, the food had started to decompose, that's the reason for the ammonia spike.


according to this chart with 7.2 pH with 24'C/75'F temp you can safely have up to 2.4ppm ammonia, b/c it would be the non toxic form ammonium. with the addition of Prime, its like a safety net.

http://www.aztic.org/wp-content/upl...re-on-Ammonia-pH-Water-Temperature-v-2017.pdf