# Wacky API Test Results: Please Help Me Analyze, Once More...



## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

It seemed like one of my fantails -- the chocolate/gold variant -- was acting a bit whacko, so I decided to run the full gamut of API tests via the chemical freshwater kit. The results bordered on the even more whacko...perhaps someone could help me make sense of them all...

Here's what I seemed to have arrived at:

*Ph: 7.6 or possibly even higher

High Range Ph: 8.2? Is this even remotely possible?

Ammonia: 0 to 0.25 -- I STILL cannot get this down to absolute zero

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: Anywhere from 20 to 40 ppm; could even be higher*

It's SO difficult to determine certain readings based on the color chart because some of my results seem like they can fall into varying categories of colors; can someone make sense of these readings for me?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

On the low range test kit, isn't the highest value it can read is 7.6? Don't have a card accessible to me right now. If it is, your ph is too high for it to register any higher. Therefore, the high range test kit is the one you need and yes, 8.2 is probable. It's the same mine reads right out the tap.

Ammonia test can sometimes be touchy when it is that low. I have had mine read .25 consistently for weeks and then other times it'll read zero. I don't always believe it when it reads low like that. Not saying your ammonia is zero.

I think we all have problems reading the color differences, especially the nitrates. Not much different between 40 and 80. You just have to pick which one it is closer to in your mind and act as necessary.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Don't be too surprised if you don't get a zero reading for NH3 with the goldies. It's not uncommon.


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

When reading results hold the tube against the card in the white area. If tou just hold the tube up in the air allowing the light to pass through the color changes. Also turn on all the lights. 

Even then it is impossible for me to tell a difference in the nitrates at the 40-80 level. Even my wife and daughter can't tell so it's not an "old guy" thing. Either way it is time for a water change.

Have you tested your tap water? If not let it stand in a container for 12 hours and test it for PH, Am, Na, Ni. If you have Am in your replacement water and no live plants you might not be able to get this level to zero.

One way to help determine the actual nitrAte level is to retest 2-4 hours after a water change.

Lets say the initial test is in that dreaded 40-80ppm range. You change out 50% (half)
of the water. Your replacement water has zero nitrates. On retest 3 hours later you now get a rock solid reading of not 10 but not quite 20 (hehe) a typical rock solid reading for me anyway.

To achieve this final reading your initial nitrates would have had to of been less than 40.

Math don't lie The initial reading had to be actually a bit less than 40. Lets say it was 38.
38-50%=19 38-19=18ppm (your final reading). If you have nitrates in your replacement water forget about this. 

This will work for Am, Ni, and Na, as long as the replacement water tests zero for these chemicals.

This may be way to much info for you. I'm buzzing on my morning coffee and felt like typing.


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> On the low range test kit, isn't the highest value it can read is 7.6? Don't have a card accessible to me right now. If it is, your ph is too high for it to register any higher. Therefore, the high range test kit is the one you need and yes, 8.2 is probable. It's the same mine reads right out the tap.


I'll double check this, but what are you saying about the Ph? 



> Ammonia test can sometimes be touchy when it is that low. I have had mine read .25 consistently for weeks and then other times it'll read zero. I don't always believe it when it reads low like that. Not saying your ammonia is zero.


So how do I take it...it's .25 or 0? Is .25 acceptable for goldies? 



> I think we all have problems reading the color differences, especially the nitrates. Not much different between 40 and 80. You just have to pick which one it is closer to in your mind and act as necessary.


This doesn't really help...

The Nitrate reading, nearly every time I take the tests, come back in a dizzying range of orange color -- it can be anything from a light orange to the dark, so I am not sure what my reading is...


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

James0816 said:


> Don't be too surprised if you don't get a zero reading for NH3 with the goldies. It's not uncommon.


Thanks James; but what are we talking about here...Ammonia?


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

rtbob said:


> When reading results hold the tube against the card in the white area. If tou just hold the tube up in the air allowing the light to pass through the color changes. Also turn on all the lights.
> 
> Even then it is impossible for me to tell a difference in the nitrates at the 40-80 level. Even my wife and daughter can't tell so it's not an "old guy" thing. Either way it is time for a water change.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I'm lost...:fish9:


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

ClinicaTerra said:


> Thanks James; but what are we talking about here...Ammonia?


Yes, ammonia.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

ClinicaTerra said:


> It seemed like one of my fantails -- the chocolate/gold variant -- was acting a bit whacko, so I decided to run the full gamut of API tests via the chemical freshwater kit. The results bordered on the even more whacko...perhaps someone could help me make sense of them all...
> 
> Here's what I seemed to have arrived at:
> 
> ...


Yes quite possible. I get higher pH readings in my planted tanks with no circulation. 8.4-8.8(purple). The plants drive out the carbon dioxide which raises the pH.


> Ammonia: 0 to 0.25 -- I STILL cannot get this down to absolute zero


 Should be 0 but the api ammonia test kit is hard to read at those levels. Espeicially with marine tanks I always got a .25ppm reading. But with Fw it was a clear light yellow 0 reading.


> Nitrite: 0
> 
> Nitrate: Anywhere from 20 to 40 ppm; could even be higher[/b][/i]
> 
> It's SO difficult to determine certain readings based on the color chart because some of my results seem like they can fall into varying categories of colors; can someone make sense of these readings for me?


Sounds like normal or at least reasonable values to me. What happens in my planted tanks is 0 ammonia/nitrate but a possible 20-40ppm nitrate spike initially, then as the tank matures nitrates drop down to 0.


my .02


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

ClinicaTerra said:


> I'll double check this, but what are you saying about the Ph?


There are two testing solutions. If my ph is 8.0, the regular test isn't going to show 8.0, it is only going to show the highest it can of 7.6. It's range is 6.0-7.6, according to the test card. Therefore I would need to switch to the high ph solution, range of 7.4-8.8.

So any time you test a ph and you use the low range solution and the test comes out to the highest of the low range (7.6), it forces you to go to the high range test to see if it really is 7.6, or if it is higher (above 7.6).

Understand?


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

James0816 said:


> Yes, ammonia.


OK -- makes sense, that goldie tanks would never have zero traces of ammonia then...


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

beaslbob said:


> Yes quite possible. I get higher pH readings in my planted tanks with no circulation. 8.4-8.8(purple). The plants drive out the carbon dioxide which raises the pH.


Hmmm...



> Should be 0 but the api ammonia test kit is hard to read at those levels. Espeicially with marine tanks I always got a .25ppm reading. But with Fw it was a clear light yellow 0 reading.


Two factors spring to mind instantly here -- first, I have been discussing the exact same issue with others on another board, and someone is telling me now that the "newer" API kits seem to give him "0.25" ammonia readings on all of his tanks as well, leading him to believe that it's actually just zero; it appears there were older API kits that made the test tube water turn yellow if there was ammonia, and it would just stay clear if there was none detected...seems that would be the logical system to use. 

Also -- it was suggested by James above that with goldfish tanks, ammonia at absolute zero would be more surprising than not -- perhaps this is the case with my tank, or a combination of that and the API issue with reading ammonia?

All I know is that when I run the test, it never comes back as that very faded yellow, indicating NO ammonia at all -- there is a smidgen of yellow, leading me to believe it's more in the "0.25" range...



> Sounds like normal or at least reasonable values to me. What happens in my planted tanks is 0 ammonia/nitrate but a possible 20-40ppm nitrate spike initially, then as the tank matures nitrates drop down to 0.
> 
> 
> my .02


I appreciate it.

Should I just not worry about what these values mean (of this last battery of readings) so long as none of them are in any extreme negative shades? I mean, the Nitrites are at 0, the Nitrates are in the "orange" range somewhere, and ammonia is...well...we know how that goes. Should I just be comfortable knowing that none of them are really in any deadly regions?


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

jrman83 said:


> There are two testing solutions. If my ph is 8.0, the regular test isn't going to show 8.0, it is only going to show the highest it can of 7.6. It's range is 6.0-7.6, according to the test card. Therefore I would need to switch to the high ph solution, range of 7.4-8.8.
> 
> So any time you test a ph and you use the low range solution and the test comes out to the highest of the low range (7.6), it forces you to go to the high range test to see if it really is 7.6, or if it is higher (above 7.6).
> 
> Understand?


Yes.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I get 0.25 ppm ammonia (NH3) readings on my API test kit for my 30 gallon religiously. I think I've figured out what's causing mine, and it might be useful for you to know as well:

My tap water carries a 1 ppm ammonia reading on a consistent basis (which is within the acceptable range as contained in the water analysis report I acquired from my city, which I advise everyone to get). I also rinse my test tubes in said tap water and let them dry. My guestimation is that some of the ammonia from the tap water might still be hanging around dried to the inside of my test tubes. I've verified this (I think) because I've tested with brand new clean unused test tubes and gotten 0 ammonia.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

That's interesting, wouldn't have thought of that.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

ClinicaTerra said:


> OK -- makes sense, that goldie tanks would never have zero traces of ammonia then...


I won't say never, but it is rare that a dedicated goldie tank will have 0 values. They are such large waste producers in which it is not uncommon at all to register ammonia and a higher than normal nitrAte level.

Which is the good thing about goldies. They can tolerate these conditions much better. But still, if you ever read > .25 ammonia and > 40 nitrAte, do a water change.


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## ClinicaTerra (Nov 12, 2010)

Well, I'm not certain if the numbers I got back from this last test are bad, good or indifferent, but the water quality looks like it could benefit from another PWC, so as soon as I am done battling a bad case of Bronchitis on top of the flu, I will attempt to implement one...

In the meantime, my diatom situation has gotten completely out of control -- they are devouring everything in the tank, making everything brown, and it just looks disgusting. This is a topic for a new thread though...


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