Ammonia Test Inconsistencies

[KeMiKiLL]

I've read a ton on this over the last few days. Some say API tests are trash, others say they are best for Ammonia but not much else.

My situation is that my Salifert test on a tank moved 5 days ago read anywhere from .25 to .50 ammonia, tested twice daily. When I test with API, the colour is so green that it looks like a spiraling shake. 4ppm for sure, probably approaching 8ppm. I got the same results yesterday when testing - .50 Salifert, 4ppm API.

The thing is that, aside from a few corals melting right after the move, everything looks fine. Hammer extends and the toadstool shows green spots periodically throughout throughout day. Zoas, GSP and Trumpet are still closed up tight but are alive. All CUC members are doing great too. Many different snails, a shrimp, and a couple of crabs. The shrimp moulted yesterday too, so I would say he's doing fine.
Shouldn't this stuff be dying if ammonia was that high?

I did change out the filter floss and chemipure bag yesterday night too. I was puzzled at the ammonia levels not seeing to change despite seeing no new death and doing 1 gallon water changes every other day. This is a 5 gallon pico, by the way.

I'm very careful to be sure all items used for the tests are rinsed in RO and excess water shaken out before testing. Instruction are followed to a T with digital timers and everything.

Is there something I'm missing? Are all tests just a shot in the dark? If so, is there a truly high end lab grade testing kit out there?

 

[TexanCanuck]

For Ammonia, the only device I rely on is the Seneye Reef

It's expensive, but you get 24/7 monitoring to three decimal places. I believe it is very reliable.

 

[KeMiKiLL]

For Ammonia, the only device I rely on is the Seneye Reef

It's expensive, but you get 24/7 monitoring to three decimal places. I believe it is very reliable.

Great! My LFS was out of stock but I did order one online.

 

[brandon429]

When you get it tuned, pls post its reading alongside your non seneye kit so we can see the miles-wide spread on the reads

tips in seneye tuning: they don’t work out of the box. Slide soaks for 48 hours, then precision trim tuning benchmarked on a known cycled reef.

once you get an nh3 reading of .002-.009 on a matured reef you’re set, and can test this reef in question.

if a seneye shows .001 in a matured reef that’s a misread, they must be in the range stated above *and the number cannot just hover or stay locked, it changes every minute or second / that fast, in between .002-.009 until you get this dynamic the seneye isn’t tuned


and when it is tuned, it causes the authors of reef cycle articles to have to write new material seneye is a game changer.

that was correct above: non seneye testing is as accurate as horse shoes and even seneye has to be wrangled into action they’re not simple initial setups.

using non seneye data, these posts go on for pages of debate. Using seneye, we shall soon see


when you first get it out of the box, if the reading is .001 that means time for tuning.

 

[brandon429]

And even before it’s unboxed it would be fun to test surface area science by making a production on file then check it after tuning.

Regardless of the status of your current reef, by the time you receive and tune a seneye this system here will run in the range stated above. It will specifically not run in the hundredths, and it’ll certainly not run in the tenths.

if you can prove the seneye reads within spec on a known- cycled reef, bring a water sample from one home if needed, then when you apply it to your new tank it will pretty closely match the known cycled reef- though they’re different in age.


wet active surface area is the great equalizer, not tank age, when it comes to nitrification efficiency. Quite a specific prediction has now been laid down fun test cant wait.

 

[KeMiKiLL]

When you get it tuned, pls post its reading alongside your non seneye kit so we can see the miles-wide spread on the reads

tips in seneye tuning: they don’t work out of the box. Slide soaks for 48 hours, then precision trim tuning benchmarked on a known cycled reef.

once you get an nh3 reading of .002-.009 on a matured reef you’re set, and can test this reef in question.

if a seneye shows .001 in a matured reef that’s a misread, they must be in the range stated above *and the number cannot just hover or stay locked, it changes every minute or second / that fast, in between .002-.009 until you get this dynamic the seneye isn’t tuned


and when it is tuned, it causes the authors of reef cycle articles to have to write new material seneye is a game changer.

that was correct above: non seneye testing is as accurate as horse shoes and even seneye has to be wrangled into action they’re not simple initial setups.

using non seneye data, these posts go on for pages of debate. Using seneye, we shall soon see


when you first get it out of the box, if the reading is .001 that means time for tuning.

Awesome! Thanks for the tips.

 

[KeMiKiLL]

And even before it’s unboxed it would be fun to test surface area science by making a production on file then check it after tuning.

Regardless of the status of your current reef, by the time you receive and tune a seneye this system here will run in the range stated above. It will specifically not run in the hundredths, and it’ll certainly not run in the tenths.

if you can prove the seneye reads within spec on a known- cycled reef, bring a water sample from one home if needed, then when you apply it to your new tank it will pretty closely match the known cycled reef- though they’re different in age.


wet active surface area is the great equalizer, not tank age, when it comes to nitrification efficiency. Quite a specific prediction has now been laid down fun test cant wait.

I can probably buy a gallon of water from the reef system at my LFS. It's been established for 12 years.