Substrate leaching?

[Jeremy180]

My tank has been running empty in preparation for cycling for several days until I found a source of ammonia.

Found the ammonia today, but something told me to test the water before adding anything.

Aquarium:
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate looks like almost 5.0, definitely no

Tap:
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Using API Freshwater Master Test Kit.

No ornaments in the tank, just 20 pounds Aqua-Terra black and and 10 pounds Seachem Flourite Black sand, that I tumbled extra long in the bucket when washing to remove any possible rough pieces.

Has anybody heard of either of these leaching into the water?
It's the only thing I can think of.

 

[Byron]

I have used Flourite black but not Aqua Terra. I cannot find any online data about the latter, except that it is colour-coated with acrylic, which would worry me. I had black gravel many years ago that after several months began losing the black and was blue under what coating it had initially.

Flourite is said to not affect water chemistry, but I am not so sure. I know it does not benefit plants; I had it in my 70g for two years before I tore the tank down and dumped the Flourite in the back garden. The plants have been just as thriving with play sand. And, even more importantly, Flourite is too rough for substrate fish. I had to move my cories out when they not only lost their barbels but portions of their mouths. They recovered over a play sand substrate and I still have them now some five years after their ordeal, though one of them looks a bit lopsided with only part of its mouth. I felt Flourite in my hand and thought it was not rough, compared to Eco-complete, but obviously I was mistaken.

 

[Jeremy180]

I have seen dozens of reviews and forum posts of the fluorite sand being generally harmless, even to burrowers like khuli and weather loaches, but I tumbled it for two hours to be sure, even accidentally did an extra test by getting some in my eye
I think the sharpness may depends on the individual batch, and I definitely would not buy it again, probably would not have even put it in if I had read this post earlier.
Also found a review that said flourite does leach ammonia sometimes.
Thinking seriously about removing it, the leaching ammonia couldn't be good for anything living on it...

I thought Seachem was supposed to be a good company?

 

[Byron]

I generally trust Seachem and API, but both do make some products that I will not use regardless of their spiel. And I have corresponded with Seachem a few times on issues and they are helpful.

As someone who has changed the substrate several times in my tanks over the years, I would say make absolutely certain you want what you've got before going further; it is much easier to change it now than after the fish are in and problems emerge or you don't like it. I was talked into the Flourite on another forum, and it turned out to be useless and more trouble than benefit. I also did not like the black; under water and tank lighting (6500K basically) it is not black but a dull grey, which in itself is not so bad but it showed up every spec of this and that, something I never saw or have never seen since with my mix substrates ("natural" fine gravel before, grey mix play sand now). I also found it had no nutrient value; still had to use tabs and liquid just the same.

I didn't notice ammonia but then I had the tank heavily planted, and I never test ammonia unless there is a sudden problem when I go through all the tests as a first step. The ammonia might have been a part of the cory issue.

 

[Colin_T]

Check your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Some countries have nitrates in their water supply.

Don't bother monitoring nitrate levels in tanks that are cycling because nitrate test kits will read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading. Wait until after the ammonia and nitrite have gone up and come back down to 0 before checking nitrates in an aquarium.

Make sure you rinse test phials out before doing water tests.
Use the plastic cap and not your thumb or finger to cover the phial.
Rinse phials out with water after use.
Wash hands with soapy water after using test kits or working in the fish tank.

 

[Jeremy180]

Check your tap water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Some countries have nitrates in their water supply.

Don't bother monitoring nitrate levels in tanks that are cycling because nitrate test kits will read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading. Wait until after the ammonia and nitrite have gone up and come back down to 0 before checking nitrates in an aquarium.

Make sure you rinse test phials out before doing water tests.
Use the plastic cap and not your thumb or finger to cover the phial.
Rinse phials out with water after use.
Wash hands with soapy water after using test kits or working in the fish tank.

.....

Tap Water pare meters are five posts up, all zero...
Was more testing the test kit after detecting Nitrogen compounds in a tank I didn't add any to.
And yes, I rinsed out all test vials and washed my hands tested multiple times too, because I was also testing the test kit.

 

[The Lumpfish Guy]

Tap Water pare meters are five posts up, all zero...
Was more testing the test kit after detecting Nitrogen compounds in a tank I didn't add any to.
And yes, I rinsed out all test vials and washed my hands tested multiple times too, because I was also testing the test kit.

How old is the test kit? might be expired?

 

[Jeremy180]

The test kit states it expires in May
Of 2023.
EDIT:
Like I said, tested both the tap and the aquarium separately twice to be sure, same result both times for the respective samples.
I also read the results outside under sunlight and got a second opinion to minimize errors interpreting API'S needlessly hard to interpret color chart.

Seriously, do the colors have to be THAT similar?
EDIT:
Decided to do as near as possible to a 100% water change, and do another test, to see if the numbers go up again after another couple of days.

Most likely I am being a perfectionist and overly cautious, but if there is a problem later, I will be kicking myself for not taking this precaution.