False Ammonia reading?

[Barry Tetra]

Hello! I have a problem with Ammonia test kit for a while now, it’s time I talk about this.

So everytime I do a water test, Ammonia test seems to be a little off...so I just assumed it’s 0...

I tested 7 tank even the tank that are planted, all of the result are the same, which is
this colour.

What’s weirder is that there’s 0 nitrite and 15 nitrate.

 

[Yohance1130]

You should test your tap water for ammonia using the same test kit, your tap water should always be 0 ppm of ammonia since ammonia is toxic to humans also, you can also test another water source that you know definitely has 0 ppm of ammonia.

I do not have many experience with the tetra ammonia test kit brand, I had good luck with all the api brand liquid test kits.

I believe that if your ph is lower than 7 your ammonia test kit will be measuring ammonium instead of ammonia.

Ammonium is a less toxic form of ammonia I believe, I am not 100% sure tho.

 

[Colin_T]

It could be your water supply (dead cat or other things getting into it) .

It could be a dirty test tube, they need to be rinsed out with clean water after every use.

It could be uneaten food or dead fish, rotting plant.

If you fed the fish in the last hour it can give an ammonia reading.

--------------------
Get a bottle of distilled water and test that. If distilled water gives an ammonia reading, the test kit is faulty.

 

[Barry Tetra]

I tested the well water and it doesn’t gives an Ammonia reading!

Does this means I have to cycle the tank again?

 

[Colin_T]

If the tank was cycled before this started, the only reason it would be cycling again was if the filter had died. This can occur if the filter is turned off for a few hours, or if you replaced the filter media.

Are all your tanks showing an ammonia reading or only one?

Have you gravel cleaned and done a big water change on the tank?

Does the tank have driftwood in?
The wood might be rotting and releasing ammonia.

 

[Barry Tetra]

Does the tank have driftwood in?
The wood might be rotting and releasing ammonia.

Yep! Blackwater aquarium! with a hundred of leaves litter.

 

[FishGuest5123]

So you use well water for your tanks?

 

[Barry Tetra]

So you use well water for your tanks?

Yep, we don’t have tab water here...

and last time I also drink a water with dead cat in the well

 

[AbbeysDad]

Yep! Blackwater aquarium! with a hundred of leaves litter.

It could be that the volume of decaying leaves produces an amount of ammonia greater than the nitrosomonas bacteria can handle (and higher levels of ammonia are toxic to beneficial bacteria as well as stock).
If I was you I'd remove most/all of the leaves into a bucket of tank water, do a large water change, then add a few leaves at a time over several days, while monitoring ammonia.
(The above assumes verifying the accuracy of the test kit)

 

[Colin_T]

Yep! Blackwater aquarium! with a hundred of leaves litter.

It could be the leaves rotting.

--------------------

Yep, we don’t have tab water here...

and last time I also drink a water with dead cat in the well

Sorry for lolling at that, but it makes me laugh every time you say that. It's so gross it's funny. and the little green face you add is hillarious