Ammonia testing

[sinfulhorse]

I am currently fishless cycling with my 25 gallon tank - I am 12 days in to the process

The instructions on my ammonia test kit require me to dissolve test tablets 1 and 2 in 5ml of water and wait for 5 minutes before doing a colour match

I do my match after 5 minutes but notice that the colour continues to darken over the next five minutes

Is the five minute time scale critical or should I be taking my reading when the colour has fully developed?

The movement in minutes 5 to 10 is very significant - from 0.2 to 4

Thank you

 

[breezer40]

Does get a little confusing Take the reading after the first 5 mins.

 

[StarOrbs]

Yah I'd take your reading whenever the instructions tell you to. I remember waiting too long on one test kit I had and the readings were all messed up.

 

[yvez9]

if you wait too long, readings will appear stronger than they should

my ammonia test kit and nitrite test kit tell me to read after a certain amount of time. If I wait longer, i can see the water starts to tint a little bit.

 

[sinfulhorse]

Thanks for the advice

Its just that with ammonia - I want to be really sure - thinking you are at 0.1 when you are actually at 4 would not be good

 

[yvez9]

if your ammonia was at 4, i think your fish would be pretty much dead or in very bad shape!

the way the tests are made, whatever you add to the water fromt he test kit will mix with the ammonia and the resulting product is a colored liquid. your results strip is then gaged to that color after 5 minutes.

probably because they find that after 5 minutes, it is the easiest to distinguish colors then after 3 minutes or 8 minutes.

 

[tbordeau]

I have some catfish that are slacking in my tank as well. I heard from a friend that you can buy these tablets at LFS that you drop in and kills the algea. I tablet per 10g and add every three months. I have not tried it yet but plan on it...