Api test kit?

[whowantstoknow]

Hey guys I'm cycling a new tank and have Hanna testers on the way but there not here yet and keep getting delayed .

Anyway tank was started with rodi redsea blue bucket at 1.025 Dr Tim's one and only and fritz fishless fuel dosed 2ppm the first day according to API test kit.

Not much changed little bits of nitrite and nitrate after a few days ammonia not going down about day 5 ammonia dropped to 1ppm and .5ppm nitrite and about 20ppm nitrate and again stayed there for days so I dosed back up to 2ppm (added 1ppm) of ammonia

I'm on day ten now and all the sudden 0 ammonia nitrites off the chart and nitrate 0 did a 50% water change let it circulate for an hour and tested again still 0 off chart and 0 and for the nitrites the color dident change after the water change how is that possible.

Any suggestions is appreciated Ive heard the API kits were unreliable but this just doesn't seem right to me and it was all I could get my hands on after the hanna got delayed and now doesn't even show a delivery date so no idea when it's getting here?

 

[Fish Fan]

The API kits don't get a lot of love here on R2R, but personally I think they are fine to use, especially just for the initial nitrogen cycle. I have no explanation as to why you're seeing zero for nitrate. Nitrite at this time will show as nitrate, so usually you have an inflated number for nitrate. This has to be test error, either the way you're performing the test, interpreting the test, or maybe your nitrate reagent is defective in some way.

Can you bring a sample of water to a local store and ask them to test it for you?

I wouldn't re-dose the ammonia, I'd just let what you have fall back down close to zero, you should see *something* for nitrate, and then you could start to slowly add some hardy livestock.

Good luck!

 

[whowantstoknow]

The API kits don't get a lot of love here on R2R, but personally I think they are fine to use, especially just for the initial nitrogen cycle. I have no explanation as to why you're seeing zero for nitrate. Nitrite at this time will show as nitrate, so usually you have an inflated number for nitrate. This has to be test error, either the way you're performing the test, interpreting the test, or maybe your nitrate reagent is defective in some way.

Can you bring a sample of water to a local store and ask them to test it for you?

I wouldn't re-dose the ammonia, I'd just let what you have fall back down close to zero, you should see *something* for nitrate, and then you could start to slowly add some hardy livestock.

Good luck!

Its definitely not a testing error I've been keeping aquariums for over a decade fresh and salt don't these tests thousands of times. I also thought maybe a bad reagent as well but I just tested my other aquarium (freshwater) and came out spot on. I can take it for a test yes but not till I get off work (work from home).

 

[JTP424]

Agreed API are good for initial startup to ensure things are moving. Also agreed find a local shop to test with to confirm :)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I used API when I started my tank. I think they are fine for the initial cycle, but after that I would move to a different test kit brand

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I would not have done that water change, but instead let the nitrite fall naturally. What is the ammonia and nitrate level after the water change? I call it a cycled tank when ammonia is zero and nitrate at 15-20.

 

[whowantstoknow]

Personally I would not have done that water change, but instead let the nitrite fall naturally. What is the ammonia and nitrate level after the water change? I call it a cycled tank when ammonia is zero and nitrate at 15-20.

Ammonia is at zero nitrite is still off the chart even after the change and nitrate test is super weird first couple drops of the first reagent get crazy dark then the second just turns it back to yellow which is zero so honestly idk what the levels are truly at

 

[get-salty]

Oh man, he said the 3 letter word

 

[THE REEF WHISPER]

I have been useing API testing liquid for 4 years now I think there fine the only ones that are good are the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite and pH and the only one that are ok to use in the APi master reef test is the KH and phosphate the others I won't use

 

[Freenow54]

Hey guys I'm cycling a new tank and have Hanna testers on the way but there not here yet and keep getting delayed .

Anyway tank was started with rodi redsea blue bucket at 1.025 Dr Tim's one and only and fritz fishless fuel dosed 2ppm the first day according to API test kit.

Not much changed little bits of nitrite and nitrate after a few days ammonia not going down about day 5 ammonia dropped to 1ppm and .5ppm nitrite and about 20ppm nitrate and again stayed there for days so I dosed back up to 2ppm (added 1ppm) of ammonia

I'm on day ten now and all the sudden 0 ammonia nitrites off the chart and nitrate 0 did a 50% water change let it circulate for an hour and tested again still 0 off chart and 0 and for the nitrites the color dident change after the water change how is that possible.

Any suggestions is appreciated Ive heard the API kits were unreliable but this just doesn't seem right to me and it was all I could get my hands on after the hanna got delayed and now doesn't even show a delivery date so no idea when it's getting here?

I feel that they get a bad rap because to me the syringe rubber is hard to read then people will get weird readings. That is why I like Salifert. Theirs is flat. I was going to get Hanna back in the good old Covid days. Their stuff was back ordered so not a fan of them. Salifert is not cheap but always on the shelf or on Amazon which I really like since I don't have to drive anywhere