Struggling To Read Api Test Kit

[Chris_C]

Since getting my API saltwater kit i have struggled to match colours. I am fine with Nitrite but the other 3 i struggle with.. can some of you give your opinion on the picture on what you think.

I appreciate its not best to look at a picture but im interested in what people think and if im just blind


From left to right the tubes are pH - Ammonia - Nitrate

I read pH as 7.8

Ammonia seems to be around the 0 - 0.25 for me but im just guessing to be honest because it is light and not dark

Nitrate i have gone for 20



Opinions please thinking of going to Salifert tests due to people saying they are easier to read.

 

[lewiss]

I use these kits and they not great BUT they're cheap!! Lol.

Ammonia is less than .25 but not 0. Good but not quite there. It won't ever look like the chart but if it's 0 it has a yellow tinge. I'll do mine in a bit and see if I can snap a photo! Ph is 7.8.

You could do with raising the PH a lil but it's fine at that level as long as it doesn't drop to much more.

 

[lewiss]

 

[Chris_C]

Thanks for that lewis .. pH has been the same for the last week or so. Did a 25% water change yesterday afternoon and still the same. What is the best way to raise it? pH buffer? think i got some with the tank.

Yeah i can tell the difference with yours when it comes to ammonia so will refer back when checking mine again.

 

[-Nemo-]

Try pointing a powerhead at the surface of the water for more gas exchange. Often times this is enough to raise the pH that little bit.

 

[Chris_C]

Try pointing a powerhead at the surface of the water for more gas exchange. Often times this is enough to raise the pH that little bit.

I am running an external filter with LR in and got the outlet spray bar on that causing water agitation at the top.. would you say i need more or is that enough?


Not the best picture but you can see top left my spray bar .. causes a fair bit of movement in the water surface.

 

[-Nemo-]

It looks like it should be OK from the picture. How long had the lights been on before you took the water sample? pH will be lowest at night and shortly after the lights turn on and increase throughout the day. Regardless, 7.8 is not something to be too worried about IMO...

 

[woody88]

I agree with the test results tbh.

Amm....0-0.25 [should be zero with all that cured lr you got in there] could just be the test kit tho tbh
ph.....7.8 [could do with buffering to 8.0 imo]
trate..20 [could do with coming down but aint too bad tbh]

Do you buy pre mixed salt ro or do you mix your own?

I use tropic marin pro reef salt for my mixing and it buffers and stablises my ph at around 8.2

Surface agitation helps buffer ph. You could always use aragamilk as this imo is good stuff as it buffered my ph and kh when i was using crappy lfs salt ro.

 

[Chris_C]

It looks like it should be OK from the picture. How long had the lights been on before you took the water sample? pH will be lowest at night and shortly after the lights turn on and increase throughout the day. Regardless, 7.8 is not something to be too worried about IMO...

The lights go on at 9am each day and i test around 4pm. I would be happier if my pH was around 8.0 but the most important thing is stability isn't it? so i'm not to worried.

 

[lewiss]

If I was you Chris, I'd leave everything as it is, don't worry about buffer yet, if it drops to 7.4 then use some buffer. Just wait and I'm sure your ammonia will go down. When I first started I couldn't get it down until I did 2 large water changes in close proximity and they never went back up.

 

[jameshughes1989]

It looks like it should be OK from the picture. How long had the lights been on before you took the water sample? pH will be lowest at night and shortly after the lights turn on and increase throughout the day. Regardless, 7.8 is not something to be too worried about IMO...

The lights go on at 9am each day and i test around 4pm. I would be happier if my pH was around 8.0 but the most important thing is stability isn't it? so i'm not to worried.

Thats excactly right, its best to have stability rather than the magic number. IMO, its not worth worrying about, just keep an eye on it. I'd rather not throw products in my tank if I dont NEED to and I dont think you do.

HTH
Cheers

 

[Chris_C]

I agree with the test results tbh.

Amm....0-0.25 [should be zero with all that cured lr you got in there] could just be the test kit tho tbh
ph.....7.8 [could do with buffering to 8.0 imo]
trate..20 [could do with coming down but aint too bad tbh]

Do you buy pre mixed salt ro or do you mix your own?

I use tropic marin pro reef salt for my mixing and it buffers and stablises my ph at around 8.2

Surface agitation helps buffer ph. You could always use aragamilk as this imo is good stuff as it buffered my ph and kh when i was using crappy lfs salt ro.

Hi Woody, i buy my RO and salted RO from the abyss in stockport at the moment. How does the aragamilk work? do you dose it with each water change?

 

[woody88]

Hi mate! I dosed a small amount daily and then monitored it. Once ph and kh are good then stop dosing and keep an eye on it.

Reguler wc with a decent pro reef salt though will buffer ph, kh so no need to dose then. I don't even check my ph that often now as my ph has been at 8.2 for ages without any fluctuations.

Before I was buying ready mixed salt ro and it was naff stuff as my ph and kh were poor and I also got nitrates and phosphates from it. Since mixing with pro reef salt my water params have been exellent and stable

Have you tested yours to see how good it is. Check the ph, phos, trate, and kh just to give you an idea more than anything of how good your lfs salted ro is.

I was shocked with mine!

 

[Chris_C]

Hi mate! I dosed a small amount daily and then monitored it. Once ph and kh are good then stop dosing and keep an eye on it.

Reguler wc with a decent pro reef salt though will buffer ph, kh so no need to dose then. I don't even check my ph that often now as my ph has been at 8.2 for ages without any fluctuations.

Before I was buying ready mixed salt ro and it was naff stuff as my ph and kh were poor and I also got nitrates and phosphates from it. Since mixing with pro reef salt my water params have been exellent and stable

Have you tested yours to see how good it is. Check the ph, phos, trate, and kh just to give you an idea more than anything of how good your lfs salted ro is.

I was shocked with mine!

I will test some of the salted RO next time i pick some up. I live in private rented property so cant mess with the plumbing so an RO unit is out of the question

 

[woody88]

Hi mate! I dosed a small amount daily and then monitored it. Once ph and kh are good then stop dosing and keep an eye on it.

Reguler wc with a decent pro reef salt though will buffer ph, kh so no need to dose then. I don't even check my ph that often now as my ph has been at 8.2 for ages without any fluctuations.

Before I was buying ready mixed salt ro and it was naff stuff as my ph and kh were poor and I also got nitrates and phosphates from it. Since mixing with pro reef salt my water params have been exellent and stable

Have you tested yours to see how good it is. Check the ph, phos, trate, and kh just to give you an idea more than anything of how good your lfs
salted ro is.

I was shocked with mine!

I will test some of the salted RO next time i pick some up. I live in private rented property so cant mess with the plumbing so an
RO unit is out of the question

Have you got an outside tap and some hosepipe? If so, there you go! Lol

Just buy plain RO, test to see if any nitrates and phosphates are present (should both read zero) and buy some pro reef salt. If you buy the good stuff and do regular wc you will find your ph and kh stabilise at or around the recommended level.