Expired Salifert test kit

Jedi1199

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Are you setting up a new tank? Did you just introduce a whole lot more bio-load? Just curious why you would need to test ammonia. Since I have never had a test kit expire, nor tested ammonia at all, I am not the right person to say if it's good or not. If it was me, I'd go ahead and test it, see that I have 0 ammonia, and then throw it away and not replace it... lol
 
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canadianeh

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Are you setting up a new tank? Did you just introduce a whole lot more bio-load? Just curious why you would need to test ammonia. Since I have never had a test kit expire, nor tested ammonia at all, I am not the right person to say if it's good or not. If it was me, I'd go ahead and test it, see that I have 0 ammonia, and then throw it away and not replace it... lol
Setting up new tank using dry rock and bottled bacteria
 

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My ammonia Salifert test kit expired in April 2021. Can I still use it?
There is no reason why it wouldn't be okay.

Test it with appropriately diluted household ammonia.

Don't forget it measures total ammonia rather than free ammonia, so something like a seachem ammonia alert is better if you're worried about livestock.
 
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canadianeh

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Don't expext the bottled bac to cycle a tank any faster than 3-4 weeks, and definately do not add ammonium chloride to try speed it up
I used ammonia in bottle with dr tims in my first tank and all went okay. I waited for 1 month. Same with this time. I am using ammonia in bottle and brightwell microbacter xlm
 

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Hi,

Yes. I had kits in the end of 2020 date early 2019. I ordered a new set during holiday sale 2020. Out of curiosity I tested each, no difference.
 

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I used ammonia in bottle with dr tims in my first tank and all went okay. I waited for 1 month. Same with this time. I am using ammonia in bottle and brightwell microbacter xlm
The problem I experienced with dosing ammonium chloride with bottled bac, is that you end up with the cycling process being getting limited by excess NO2 nitrite.

If you follow Dr Tim's method your tank will be ready in whatever time frame stated. Add extra ammonia and you risk creating a situation where the process seems to get stalled.

Follow Dr Tim or Red Sea equivalent, but if you do you will IMO only slow the process if you add extra ammonia.

Make life easy, if you see algae on the glass and free ammonia testing close to zero, the tank has cycled so chuck in a snail. If the snail is still happy 24 hours later throw in a fish.

Hasn't failed me in 25 years
 
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canadianeh

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The problem I experienced with dosing ammonium chloride with bottled bac, is that you end up with the cycling process being getting limited by excess NO2 nitrite.

If you follow Dr Tim's method your tank will be ready in whatever time frame stated. Add extra ammonia and you risk creating a situation where the process seems to get stalled.

Follow Dr Tim or Red Sea equivalent, but if you do you will IMO only slow the process if you add extra ammonia.

Make life easy, if you see algae on the glass and free ammonia testing close to zero, the tank has cycled so chuck in a snail. If the snail is still happy 24 hours later throw in a fish.

Hasn't failed me in 25 years
Extra ammonia meaning more than what’s instructed by Dr Tim? The instruction itself tells you to add extra ammonia at middle of the stages. But no I don’t add extra ammonia than what’s the instruction tells you to.
 

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Extra ammonia meaning more than what’s instructed by Dr Tim? The instruction itself tells you to add extra ammonia at middle of the stages. But no I don’t add extra ammonia than what’s the instruction tells you to.
I'd suggest following the intruction given by Dr Tim.

Some folks add extra ammonia up to 2 ppm which I think creates a problem.

Regards
Graham.
 

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Your test kit only just expired and imo it be like a best before date on food.its just best before this date and i think most give a date slightly before it expires just to air on side of caution ( and possibly more sales who knows lol) i only ever bought one saltwater test kit but have bought a few freshwater test kits over last 9 years and using a kit that expired by a few years and a brand new test kit gave exactly same results ( but hobby grade test kits are not lab grade) so only give rough guide anyway is my opinion.
 

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Dr Tim instruction is to add ammonia to 2 ppm...
I've not used that product, but I thought it directs to add so many drops per gallon.

IDK if that works out at 2 ppm, but I would follow the instructions as there is obviously a lot at stake if it is wrong.

What I am suggesting is that adding additional external Ammonia in the hope of speeding up a tank cycle could be counter productive.

Been there, done that ...
 
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canadianeh

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I've not used that product, but I thought it directs to add so many drops per gallon.

IDK if that works out at 2 ppm, but I would follow the instructions as there is obviously a lot at stake if it is wrong.

What I am suggesting is that adding additional external Ammonia in the hope of speeding up a tank cycle could be counter productive.

Been there, done that ...
4 drops per gallons which should bring it to 2 ppm as per the instruction.

Yes I don’t see how adding more ammonia then it should will speed up the cycle if there is still ammonia present in tank.....
 

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