Do shrimp kill snails?

[vanalisa]

Good luck with your parameters. Is it the API liquid test that you use?

Yes, I bought a Master Test Kit---oooh it's getting serious---

 

[Essjay]

If I find ammonia.
Especially since I have misplaced my chart.
Trying to measure it by comparing online images is difficult.

If it's yellow that's zero. If there's tinge of green it's a small amount of ammonia. if it's definitely green, there's a lot of ammonia

 

[Naughts]

Yes, I bought a Master Test Kit---oooh it's getting serious---

in my experience, in the first few weeks I saw a smidgen of green (0.25ppm)on the ammonia test but other kits showed ammonia as zero. For a while I thought the API was faulty but now I believe the API is sensitive to a slight trace and shows up as 0.25. After a few weeks the test showed pure yellow every time.
so if the set up is new don't worry about a 0.25, it should settle when fully cycled. Obviously if it goes up any further do water changes.

 

[Essjay]

It is a commonly reported fact that some people never see the yellow of zero even in tanks that have a lively heathy stock of fish. There is some debate as to whether it's due to the difference way different people perceive the colour, or whether it is an artefact of the light it is read under (fluorescent and compact fluorescent energy saving bulbs being prone to make the liquid look greener than it really is)

 

[vanalisa]

Thanks for all of the advice !

I just did 30% water changes on all of my my tanks except one of my betta tanks, he made such a beautiful bubble nest I couldn't bring myself to disturb it so just a small change for him!

None of my tanks are really new, so I don't know if that changes any thing

I didn't do any before water change checking for nitrites in any of my tanks because I knew I was going to do water changes. That might have been a bad idea, but as far as I can tell they all look really well post water-change. Is the major indicater blue vs. purple?

I always freak out when I have to judge the ammonia but I think I already said that so thanks for your input.

Only a couple of my tanks looked questionable for amonia...I think maybe I saw some improvement when I tested after the 30 percent partial water changes on those tanks.

All my other tanks look good pretty much the same before and after the water change which means to me that the water was looking pretty good to begin with.

I'm pretty sure the main light in The Fish Kitchen is fluorescent although the tank lights themselves are LED.

I'm going to have to figure out a better schedule of tank maintenance because I would like to do all of the other testing that comes with the kit.

I have a LOT to learn about ph and nitrates and such.

I'll probably have to explain the fish kitchen thing at some point but as I just did all my testing and I'm tired it will have to be another day.☺

Thanks again all who helped me with my "test anxiety!" Ha!