I could use some extra eyes to read test results.

[michellejy]

I have been driving myself crazy trying to get my quarantine tank ammonia levels below 0.2. I have put my poor clownfish through daily 50% water changes to keep them healthy. For some reason, today it occurred to me to run a base level test on a newly mixed batch of saltwater that I knew could not have any ammonia.

So the tests from left to right are new saltwater, 10 gallon quarantine with fish, 20 gallon quarantine that has been ghost fed but has no fish. These are all the same color, right? I am not imagining that, am I?

These are the same tests against the card, which still looks like 0.2 rather than 0.0 to me. (0.2 is the bottom left square)

So am I actually at 0.0 so I can stop torturing my fish?

 

[AdamNC]

I see 0.2. I'd get a second test opinion. API works just fine for ammonia and the test is cheap.

 

[michellejy]

That's how it looks to me too, but there is no way new saltwater can have ammonia, correct?

 

[cmcoker]

That's how it looks to me too, but there is no way new saltwater can have ammonia, correct?

I had ammonia breaking through my rodi unit, which I discovered during a qt process, my city uses chloramines and somehow it (ammonia) was making it through. I ended up breaking down rodi, sanitizing it with bleach and replacing all filters and went ahead and replaced membrane. So it is possible but not necessarily what is happening with you...
I would take both qt water and freshman water to lfs for testing

Here's the link when I found the ammonia with some input from Randy Holmes-Farley https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/221194/

 

[michellejy]

Thanks. It really shouldn't be this hard, should it? :/

 

[cmcoker]

Thanks. It really shouldn't be this hard, should it? :/

That what I thought when I was having this issue!

Thought I'd mention a free app I use as well.. On Android, aquarium note. In the tools section there is "colors" you take a pic of you Test vial with reference card and drag a box for the program to compare colors. Helps me when I'm in doubt.. Screen shot from app:

 

[michellejy]

Thanks! I hadn't heard about that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I had ammonia breaking through my rodi unit, which I discovered during a qt process, my city uses chloramines and somehow it (ammonia) was making it through. I ended up breaking down rodi, sanitizing it with bleach and replacing all filters and went ahead and replaced membrane. So it is possible but not necessarily what is happening with you...
I would take both qt water and freshman water to lfs for testing

Here's the link when I found the ammonia with some input from Randy Holmes-Farley https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/221194/

Yes, ammonia can be among the first things getting through a depleting DI, and it can be higher than the incoming water as incoming sodium displaces ammonium bound to the DI.

I've had it come through so strongly that it stinks of ammonia when making limewater from it.

 

[michellejy]

Yes, ammonia can be among the first things getting through a depleting DI, and it can be higher than the incoming water as incoming sodium displaces ammonium bound to the DI.

I've had it come through so strongly that it stinks of ammonia when making limewater from it.

Wouldn't that show on the TDS meter?

 

[michellejy]

Disregard. I just found your article that answered my question.

 

[beaslbob]

would like to know what you read.

FWIW My old 55g always tested .25 ppm (api) for ammonia. It ran for 9 years with a heavy fish load, corals, tap water, no water changes.

I suspect the kit is hard to read and the lowest reading is either a false positive of the ammonia is locked up and safe.

my .02

 

[michellejy]

It looks like .02 to me. The testing thing is making me insane niw!

 

[Sabellafella]

That what I thought when I was having this issue!

Thought I'd mention a free app I use as well.. On Android, aquarium note. In the tools section there is "colors" you take a pic of you Test vial with reference card and drag a box for the program to compare colors. Helps me when I'm in doubt.. Screen shot from app:

Whatt a score. Wow thanks for sharing this

 

[Sabellafella]

It looks like .02 to me. The testing thing is making me insane niw!

The first picture you posted looks the same as your current results, but if you took the picture exactly how you took the last one, you can compare both pictures side by side to determine if theres a color change

 

[cmcoker]

Whatt a score. Wow thanks for sharing this

No problem, it's actually a pretty good app overall, individual timers available for each test kit, easy to setup and track multiple tanks. I've used several and is the best free one I've found.

OP, have you taken a sample to the lfs? Or have a friend with a different kit locally you could try?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Wouldn't that show on the TDS meter?

Depends. Yes, if there is enough. 0.5 ppm ammonium chloride coming out might not actually trigger a jump from 0 ppm to 1 ppm, and in my case, it had likely risen above 1 ppm and I didn't notice it.