Yet another learning experience...turkey basters can be evillll

[ReefNo0ob]

Hey everyone just wanted to share a little learning lesson i just experienced. So when I test i usually get a small container and use a turkey baster to fill the vials instead of dunking the vials in my tank 7 times it makes it alot easier...well the turkey baster I use for testing is also the same baster I use for supplementing reef roids and frozen foods. (Im sure you can see where this is going) a couple days ago i tested my perams and everything was at 0 except for ammonia and phosphates. Ammonia was at 1ppm and phosphates
.25ppms which is weird because for months everything has been maintained at 0. So i just thought hmm ill just do a 10% water change and think nothing of it. Today i did another test on both just to see if things leveled out again....ammonia read 8ppm!!!! So instantly i freaked out and looked at my corals and fish and all looked very healthy as usual. I look at my turkey baster and squeezed the bulb....it reaked like s*@t!!! I instantly knew there were food particles in there giving me false readings. So I scooped 2 vials directly out of my tank to see what the *** was going on. Phosphates and ammonia both read 0!!! So im buying a second baster purely for testing and the other one purely for feeding!! Haha was definitely a head slapper and was common sense but a learning experience.

Just thought id share my ReefNo0ob moment for anyone who uses turkey basters!

 

[smoke]

Nice! We've all done something like that before

 

[Bronc]

I have 2 small plastic cups - one for feeding and the other for testing and keep them separate.

 

[tutmatt3]

hahaha amazing! Luckily you retreated to logic instead of conducting 90% wc! hahaha

 

[ReefNo0ob]

hahaha amazing! Luckily you retreated to logic instead of conducting 90% wc! hahaha

....i was VEERRRY close to taking drastic measures haha, but non of the fish were gasping for air and non of my corals were sagging or showing any signs of harm. I also log all my perams in a notebook with dates. So when i see 2 months of perfect perams with weeky 10% water changes and keep the same feeding schedule and then all of the sudden see opposite results, i knew something was....FISHY!! Couldn't help myself had to say it

 

[ReefNo0ob]

I have 2 small plastic cups - one for feeding and the other for testing and keep them separate.

I had 2 seperate cups coincidentally, and now 2 basters!

 

[recess62]

Toss the baster away. Order some 10 ml syringes from amazon. This way you can assure yourself of a consistent test volume which results in more consistent test results. You also don't have to worry about contaminating your samples
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L7U9VVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Smo]

+1 on the plastic syringes. Label them too so you have separate syringes for medications vs drawing water for testing.

 

[roibenami]

Everything I use for testing gets rinsed with RO water right after i'm done...

 

[ReefNo0ob]

Toss the baster away. Order some 10 ml syringes from amazon. This way you can assure yourself of a consistent test volume which results in more consistent test results. You also don't have to worry about contaminating your samples
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L7U9VVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Okay great im definitely going to go with these instead

 

[Smo]

Use a small squeeze bottle you can get at Walmart for your reef roids.

 

[ReefNo0ob]

Okay great thanks for all the help guys really appreciate it

 

[tankaholic]

Toss the baster away. Order some 10 ml syringes from amazon. This way you can assure yourself of a consistent test volume which results in more consistent test results. You also don't have to worry about contaminating your samples
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L7U9VVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We also use a 10ml syringe to suck water out to test and wash and dry then leave air dry over night then pop it in zip lock bag with name of tank...we run multiple tanks...lol
Also if your ever at wally world shopping instead of buying the syringe ask the pharmacy for a couple...free just explain your using it for tank.

 

[Salty1962]

I have plastic syringes that I keep with each test and that test only. Too easy to cross contaminate.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

+1 on the syringes. I wash all test syringes and tubes with ro after testing and keep one syringe with each test kit. I also use a clean and rinsed cup to take water from tank to table or counter for doing my test.

 

[saltnewb]

i use syringes for my testing. Love them, they have a lot more control and come "free" when I buy medicine for my children. So we have a crap ton of them laying around and they aren't hard to clean.

 

[radar_17]

Hey everyone just wanted to share a little learning lesson i just experienced. So when I test i usually get a small container and use a turkey baster to fill the vials instead of dunking the vials in my tank 7 times it makes it alot easier...well the turkey baster I use for testing is also the same baster I use for supplementing reef roids and frozen foods. (Im sure you can see where this is going) a couple days ago i tested my perams and everything was at 0 except for ammonia and phosphates. Ammonia was at 1ppm and phosphates
.25ppms which is weird because for months everything has been maintained at 0. So i just thought hmm ill just do a 10% water change and think nothing of it. Today i did another test on both just to see if things leveled out again....ammonia read 8ppm!!!! So instantly i freaked out and looked at my corals and fish and all looked very healthy as usual. I look at my turkey baster and squeezed the bulb....it reaked like s*@t!!! I instantly knew there were food particles in there giving me false readings. So I scooped 2 vials directly out of my tank to see what the *** was going on. Phosphates and ammonia both read 0!!! So im buying a second baster purely for testing and the other one purely for feeding!! Haha was definitely a head slapper and was common sense but a learning experience.

Just thought id share my ReefNo0ob moment for anyone who uses turkey basters!

Hmm... I've been doing the same thing. Think I'll pick up a dedicated baster as well. Thanks for posting.

 

[radar_17]

Toss the baster away. Order some 10 ml syringes from amazon. This way you can assure yourself of a consistent test volume which results in more consistent test results. You also don't have to worry about contaminating your samples
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L7U9VVK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Done... Thanks.

 

[Ladysabertooth2]

My baster is strictly for blowing over my rocks to get the junk off

 

[thabizness]

My local walgreens and cvs has given me plastic syringes for free when I asked in the past.

Of course they have walgreens or cvs on them but who cares!