Help! High Ammonia!

[Jjonesiii100]

I tested my tank for the first time in a long time, in like a month. Honestly, I only tested because I was tested phosphate after running a reactor for a week. I thought I would test everything else while I was at it. Nitrate is between 5 and 10, phosphate is between 0 and 0.25, definitely closer to 0. Nitrite is 0, and ammonia is between 1 and 2?! pH is 8.4-8.6 Is this too high? I just retested, and it shows 7.4? Something is wrong with the ph test kit...

I have had no recent casualties in the tank, and it has been established for roughly 1 year now. I have a 120 gallon (with 20 gallon sump) with the following livestock.

2 Percula Clowns (1 just introduced 2 weeks ago)
1 Yellow Tang
1 Flame Angel
3 Red Firefish
1 Mandarin Goby
1 Ignitus Anthias
1 Bubble Tip Anemone

None of my fish are showing signs of stress, and all my corals were healthy today, and still look healthy (the lights are out, so it is hard for me to tell).

I only feed live foods, and only about 1 cube of mysis, butterfly food, or 2 square centimeters of Rod's Food a day.

I did hand removed some hair algae as well as scrubbed some live rock. I hand removed as much with a net as I possibly could.

Does anyone know what could have caused this spike? Thank you for all responses!

I did test some RO water to see if there was a problem with the API test kit. The test results did come up 0.0.

 

[mtraylor]

try a new test kit.

 

[Jjonesiii100]

Yeah...I think that is the solution. I just retested ammonia and it is reading 0 now...Tested pH with the same tank water for a 3rd time, and it is coming up 8.4 again. It must be a garbage test kit.

 

[40B Knasty]

Most test kits are garbage. Try ELOS. It seems a little more technical, because it is the ONLY kit certified by NIST. I have a ELOS nitrate and phosphate kit coming in tomorrow. Finally 100% legit results! Thank God too. Just found out my API nitrate kit is garbage now. Once one drop comes out of the #2 bottle and every single grain of reagent wasn't completely shaken off the walls inside the bottle to mix in with the liquid. Every test following is now 100% inaccurate till the very last drop.

 

[prsnlty]

I use different tests for different things. Salifert for Alk, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Red Sea for CA & MG, Hannah for PO4 and I have Red Sea coral colors pro that I use 1x per month. BRS TV has the great YouTube video on test kits and how they work as well as which ones work best for what parameter.

 

[40B Knasty]

I use different tests for different things. Salifert for Alk, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. Red Sea for CA & MG, Hannah for PO4 and I have Red Sea coral colors pro that I use 1x per month. BRS TV has the great YouTube video on test kits and how they work as well as which ones work best for what parameter.

Seen them all. All inaccurate. Some were close when in certain range.