Cycling with Dr. Tims One and Only plus Ammonia HELP

[katsreef]

I feel like I am going crazy with these salifert ammonia test kits. The colours look so off depending on the lighting.

I am using Dr Tim's One and Only plus his ammonium chloride. I have been reading all salifert tests from the side of the vial so I am dividing nitrite and nitrate results by 10 according to the instructions. It is day 7 of the cycle and the last time I dosed ammonia was day 3. I was supposed to dose yesterday but ammonia was over 1ppm. Here are my results so far plus a picture of the exact same test in two different lightings. Is it 0.5 or 1.5?? It is making me not want to dose just in case it is over 1ppm.

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Day 1: Added one and only plus ammonia

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Day 2: NH3= 0.5 NO2= approx 0 NO3= 1-2.5

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Day 3: NH3= 0.5 NO2= approx 0 NO3= 1 ADDED AMMONIA AGAIN

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Day 4: NH3= 1-1.5 NO2= 0.05 NO3= 2.5

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Day 5: NH3= 1-1.5 NO2= 0.05-0.1 NO3= 2.5

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Day 6: NH3= 1.5 NO2= 0.1 NO3= 2.5 DID NOT ADD AMMONIA BECAUSE AMMONIA AT 1.5

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Day 7: NH3= 1.5 NO2= .1 NO3= 5

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First question: Are these normal test results? (I have DRY caribsea liferock and expired live sand that I rinsed so probably dry as well)
Second Question: Is this ammonia test 0.5 or 1.5? What lighting should I use to read these because it is different everywhere.

 

[Dan_P]

I feel like I am going crazy with these salifert ammonia test kits. The colours look so off depending on the lighting.

I am using Dr Tim's One and Only plus his ammonium chloride. I have been reading all salifert tests from the side of the vial so I am dividing nitrite and nitrate results by 10 according to the instructions. It is day 7 of the cycle and the last time I dosed ammonia was day 3. I was supposed to dose yesterday but ammonia was over 1ppm. Here are my results so far plus a picture of the exact same test in two different lightings. Is it 0.5 or 1.5?? It is making me not want to dose just in case it is over 1ppm.

---

Day 1: Added one and only plus ammonia

---

Day 2: NH3= 0.5 NO2= approx 0 NO3= 1-2.5

---

Day 3: NH3= 0.5 NO2= approx 0 NO3= 1 ADDED AMMONIA AGAIN

---

Day 4: NH3= 1-1.5 NO2= 0.05 NO3= 2.5

---

Day 5: NH3= 1-1.5 NO2= 0.05-0.1 NO3= 2.5

---

Day 6: NH3= 1.5 NO2= 0.1 NO3= 2.5 DID NOT ADD AMMONIA BECAUSE AMMONIA AT 1.5

---

Day 7: NH3= 1.5 NO2= .1 NO3= 5

---

First question: Are these normal test results? (I have DRY caribsea liferock and expired live sand that I rinsed so probably dry as well)
Second Question: Is this ammonia test 0.5 or 1.5? What lighting should I use to read these because it is different everywhere.

Send a picture of the test results with northern window daylight. That is the best. You can then look at the color under cool (5000 K) LED or fluorescent light and see what you lighting is doing to the test color.

Dr. Tim’s can be slow to get going. Biospira and Fritz Turbo Start are incredibly fast at getting rid of ammonia.

 

[katsreef]

Send a picture of the test results with northern window daylight. That is the best. You can then look at the color under cool (5000 K) LED or fluorescent light and see what you lighting is doing to the test color.

Dr. Tim’s can be slow to get going. Biospira and Fritz Turbo Start are incredibly fast at getting rid of ammonia.

It seems that it is 1.5 unfortunately. Can I add Biospira even after using Tim's? Also if I don't end up doing that, are these results fairly normal for the beginning of a cycle? I just don't want to mess it up haha

 

[Dan_P]

It seems that it is 1.5 unfortunately. Can I add Biospira even after using Tim's? Also if I don't end up doing that, are these results fairly normal for the beginning of a cycle? I just don't want to mess it up haha

I don’t know the reason, but there seems to be more queries about slow cycling with Dr. Tim’s. It is also possible to buy a bottle of inactive bacteria. Experienced it myself.

I would buy another product if after two weeks the ammonia concentration has not declined. You could be old fashion and wait for the right bacteria to fall into the aquarium from the air. That is likely a 1-2 month ordeal.