Ali
Active Member
My API test kit arrived today, thanks to a member who posted on here that Amazon was having a sale!
Ran a test on my 37gal. Things came up about how I was expecting:
pH: 7.4 (didn't think it was that high, but nothing weird)
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Then getting ready for bed I decided to test the little tanks in the bedroom.
5.5gal (nothing in there but a few endler fry and some plants. I expected ammonia to be lower but otherwise the same)
pH: 6.0 (that seems a bit low)
Ammonia: OFF THE CHARTS. Colors run from yellow to blue, this was freaking purple. 8.0ppm is as high as it shows on the card, I'm guessing at least at 12ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: >80ppm
WHAT THE HECK?! This is my longest running tank, I've had it for over 6 months and the previous owner kept it running for 3 years before that. Sponge filter running with a decent current. I know some food gets wasted, having just a few little fish in there; but I try to avoid overfeeding at all costs. Where the heck could this have come from?
Now I test the 3gal aquaponics set-up with the betta. It's marketed to never need water changes, as the plants growing up top (I grow wheatgrass) will fully remove waste. I still do regular changes anyway.
pH: also 6.0
Ammonia: 8+
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrates: Off the charts, above 160ppm
So both tanks get a 50% water change right there. When I re-test ammonia comes down a bit, but still in dangerously high levels. I'll keep doing water changes whenever I get a spare minute until the numbers come down.
Is there something I'm missing here? I'm tempted to just dump everybody into the 37 so they can be in something a bit more normal. Just let the little tans run with just plants for awhile?
I did rinse testing vials thoroughly. I also tested water out of the tap those tanks are filled from as a comparison. Looked like 7.4pH and <.25ppm Ammonia.
Ran a test on my 37gal. Things came up about how I was expecting:
pH: 7.4 (didn't think it was that high, but nothing weird)
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
Then getting ready for bed I decided to test the little tanks in the bedroom.
5.5gal (nothing in there but a few endler fry and some plants. I expected ammonia to be lower but otherwise the same)
pH: 6.0 (that seems a bit low)
Ammonia: OFF THE CHARTS. Colors run from yellow to blue, this was freaking purple. 8.0ppm is as high as it shows on the card, I'm guessing at least at 12ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: >80ppm
WHAT THE HECK?! This is my longest running tank, I've had it for over 6 months and the previous owner kept it running for 3 years before that. Sponge filter running with a decent current. I know some food gets wasted, having just a few little fish in there; but I try to avoid overfeeding at all costs. Where the heck could this have come from?
Now I test the 3gal aquaponics set-up with the betta. It's marketed to never need water changes, as the plants growing up top (I grow wheatgrass) will fully remove waste. I still do regular changes anyway.
pH: also 6.0
Ammonia: 8+
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrates: Off the charts, above 160ppm
So both tanks get a 50% water change right there. When I re-test ammonia comes down a bit, but still in dangerously high levels. I'll keep doing water changes whenever I get a spare minute until the numbers come down.
Is there something I'm missing here? I'm tempted to just dump everybody into the 37 so they can be in something a bit more normal. Just let the little tans run with just plants for awhile?
I did rinse testing vials thoroughly. I also tested water out of the tap those tanks are filled from as a comparison. Looked like 7.4pH and <.25ppm Ammonia.