Api freshwater v salifert

[kenny_scotland]

APIs freshwater test kit can be used for saltwater BUT you must compare the results to the saltwater color chart found here: https://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Downloads.html. Best to print them out as each screen shows colors differently.

excellent link. Thank you

I am however even more confused.

salifert after 24 hours which is fine. Might take a few days. Still reading 1.5. In the shop today the guy measured 0.5 on his, same salifert test but different coloured reagent.


The API however. Using the freshwater and that chart above reads 8+ which coincides with the API saltwater kit a different shop
Used today

so the api reads majorly toxic whereas the salifert reads a lot less.

which one is correct?

 

[brandon429]

that looks right, we entered about 7 ppm into the system, that readers show pegged out. looks norm for api. in Jacks thread where we did the water change/begin his was pegged too, he'd dosed to about 8 ppm even more than we did.

his tester looked just like that before the changeout. the salifert kit, if valid, should also be totally pegged out. its reading just below the highest possible read, its trying to report the massive dose as best as possible.

 

[kenny_scotland]

Time will tell. I’ll keep testing with both over the next few days and see where it’s at. I’m in no rush at the moment anyway. Still got a couple of things to buy before something living goes in and Xmas is coming before £75 fish

thanks again for your excellent Info. Been most helpful

 

[brandon429]

the salifert reading above looks way darker than when we stopped dosing yesterday, to get a bare change. it seems the kit took 24 hours to even register the clear change for the second pic, that's a fascinating delay. wonder if that particular kit is off base??

 

[kenny_scotland]

Sorry, What do you mean by off base?

 

[brandon429]

meaning malfunctioning in some way, I hadnt seen that type of delay to indicating the initial free ammonia levels before, was surprised it wasnt that dark on the reading ten mins after that last dose yesterday. that particular kit seemed to show a bare change yesterday though 7 ppm the whole time, then delay till today to show that hard amber color spike above.

not sure if that means there's a lag in reporting the down phase too. i dont have any prior use using the freshwater api for marine reads, the whole time ive been watching the seneye and relating it back to prior seneye runs, usually was much more sensitive. reagent color difference you noted, who knows if that changes anything.

in the end the options are still easy on any nano vs large reef: wait for wastewater to clear or change it on the start date and start. no harm either way, even if this free ammonia lasts until the day you do want to start-change the water out and begin, the base biofilter will be under it our patterns linked above seem to show.

 

[kenny_scotland]

I’ll keep an eye for the next couple of days. I’m going to break that rock apart anyway so might change the water out then. I have 120 litres of ro water ready go.

todays tests show no change, still off the end of the scale

 

[brandon429]

yes that makes sense above for the huge amnt of ammonia in the system and the freshwater kit + the salifert. would be neat to see what the lfs shows on their salifert its our only comparison so far

 

[brandon429]

had you added a pinch of fish food that was a very helpful boost, for the bacteria to work in high ammonia conditions, Dr Reef's trick I read about.

 

[kenny_scotland]

I’m going for an almost full change tomorrow. Breaking my rock apart so may aswell.

Do you reckon there will be plenty bacteria left behind?

 

[brandon429]

the pinch of fish food from prior pages was to give breakdown time awaiting action, it was a key carbon component to sticking bacteria on surfaces beyond just AC, per Dr Reef's threads.

I can't wait to see that's for sure to know if those bacteria made it through the big dose we used to push movement in that test kit. I would place my chips on there being some, you do have nitrate as end proof

but truly in order to know we will need another kit to run the work, the differences noted on these from the norm + the delay times in up-reporting make them very guesstimate vs reliable

I would change out the water, fix the scape, then wait until 24 hours to take a reading to the lfs for the one-off read or the double reading after a dose of ammonia, depending on how you want to assess.

 

[kenny_scotland]

Thanks again for all your help.

Do you mean for me to dose more ammonia after the water has been changed out?

 

[kenny_scotland]

So I’ve done around 90% water change. This is the result.

The pics look a little darker than in real life but it bang on the 1ppm API ammonia. Salifert pretty much reads 0. Nitrite 0.25. Nitrate 10.

This looks good?

 

[brandon429]

yes thats a reset.

we have certainly tinkered with that ammonia and bac sufficiently, you've been mighty patient too nice one man

I would add a nice group of snails to that tank, they're perfect life gauges. toss in 1 or 2 pellets for them to feed on, we should watch that work a few days

you have created a known safe condition for them by changing out water, and new reef water is not poisonous I used to mix reef crystals instantly and then add it to my pico reef as a 100% water change, for years. zero waiting.

this above will have already calmed down overnite or more before adding them.

those snails and one or two sinking pellets they can get to is perfect. its safe, not overloading, and begins testing the biosystem. snails in an uncycled tank, say a bucket of dry bricks and saltwater, wont last two days they'll die and the water will go totally cloudy.

if by friday yours are kicking-water clean, we're off to a decent start.


*like Jack did its possible to re test your system with ammonia oxidation, but I sure would not lol. Id snail it up. if they die its my fault and i will go to cycle ump probation academy if applic

 

[kenny_scotland]

Yeah I’m happier today than I was yesterday that’s for sure lol

I don’t think I need to be adding any ammonia. I have a few days/a week before I’ll get to the fish shop so I’ll just keep an keen eye on the tests. I’m hopeful in the next few days it’ll drop to 0 or as close to that as possible.

 

[kenny_scotland]

Just going to keep updating so it can be tracked for anyone else too.

Definitely a good bit lighter today. More of a lime green colour now. Looking at the previous links to api charts it looks like it’s close to 0.5 now.

 

[brandon429]

that does look lighter than above agreed

 

[kenny_scotland]

Exact same reading today. Hmm

 

[brandon429]

add snails for sure a few days ago, tank will run. can't base your reefing start on freshwater api ammonia. i w let u take over from here

 

[kenny_scotland]

add snails for sure a few days ago, tank will run. can't base your reefing start on freshwater api ammonia. i w let u take over from here

I don’t think it’s based on freshwater tests though is it? API only sell one ammonia kit that I can find which comes with 2 colour charts, one for fresh and one for salt - unless you buy the specific master kits.

I assumed the salt v fresh were different but it seems they are not

I’m just cautious I guess.

You’ve been a tremendous help thank u