Api Liquid Test Kits

[stormy78]

Hi all, I'm using the API liquid test kits and I am wondering how everyone reads the results. If you hold the test tube directly against the white background on the colour chart it always looks uneven and much darker than if you hold it a few mill away from the card. I always try to read the results in natural day light. Should you hold the tube directly against the card or a few mm away?

 

[5teady_2012]

Hi all, I'm using the API liquid test kits and I am wondering how everyone reads the results. If you hold the test tube directly against the white background on the colour chart it always looks uneven and much darker than if you hold it a few mill away from the card. I always try to read the results in natural day light. Should you hold the tube directly against the card or a few mm away?

All i do on them is.... for nitrite, hope it stays sky blue.... for ammonia hope it stays light yellow, i dont test for nitrate anymore due to tap water....

When i use to use the cards though, i use to always do mine by putting the test next to the colour on the white part (white back is easier to see colour)..

 

[stormy78]

Hi all, I'm using the API liquid test kits and I am wondering how everyone reads the results. If you hold the test tube directly against the white background on the colour chart it always looks uneven and much darker than if you hold it a few mill away from the card. I always try to read the results in natural day light. Should you hold the tube directly against the card or a few mm away?

All i do on them is.... for nitrite, hope it stays sky blue.... for ammonia hope it stays light yellow, i dont test for nitrate anymore due to tap water....

When i use to use the cards though, i use to always do mine by putting the test next to the colour on the white part (white back is easier to see colour)..

I'm currently doing a fishless cycle and I am checking the water against the white of the card but do you hold the tube against the white of the card or a slightly away from it? It seems to me that when you put the test tube right up against the card it gives a different result than if you hold the test tube slightly away from the card but still over the white back ground?!?

 

[5teady_2012]

In natural daylight, hold it slightly away form the card, near a window is best.

 

[stormy78]

In natural daylight, hold it slightly away form the card, near a window is best.

Brilliant, thanks for confirming that!

 

[2excitedkids]

Having done about five milion tests recently due to cycing tank I found reading the yellow/green for ammonia very difficult- the yellow alwys seemed to have green tinge to me!). In the end I tested tank water AND also tap water to compare the two (cos my tap water has no ammonia).
I have found this much easier than comparing against the card...though you do use more solution.

 

[waterdrop]

lol, I feel like I've done about 5 million tests lately too. I don't think it matters much what type of light you use as long as its bright and consistent between tests. I hold the tube right on the white part of the card next to the colors and hold it about 3 inches out from a light bulb that is in a little floorstand next to the tank. I always use the same light the same way for consistency over time.

excitedkids is right that it can be nice and reassuring to compare to a test tube done on tap water - I do that occasionally and find it reassuring to see the zero ammonia at clear yellow and the zero nitrite at sky blue.

I would think that for an ammonia test where you have fish in and want to see if there is any ammonia at all, the comparison (if you have zero in your tap water) could be really good. For me (I'm just doing fishless cycling still) I feel that over time I've realized that the trend over multiple tests and multiple days tells more than the detailed matching of a number to a single test.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[stormy78]

Thanks all. I have been getting the wife to give me her opinion on each test I run without me telling her what I think for a second opinion. I think that once my ammonia starts dropping in 12 hours it will be easier to read the test results!