# False Positive with API Ammonia Test?



## Kim

I just got my new API ammonia test kit in the mail after several years away from fishkeeping. I rescued 2 bettas recently which are in uncycled 5 gallon quarantine tanks while their new tanks (10 gallons each) cycle. I absolutely hate uncycled tanks, so I've been changing the water quite frequently. Due to medications that I'm using, I just did a 100% water change less than 48 hours ago, and am planning on another 75% water change this evening (yes, I actually made an excel spreadsheet and graph with best-fit equation using projected ammonia output from each fish to calculate the percent daily water change that will keep ammonia from building up to detectible levels - what can I say, I'm a math nerd!). When I checked the ammonia with my new test kit, it seemed to be not quite 0 but not quite 0.25. That surprised me since I've been removing all feces with a turkey baster as soon as I see them (bare bottomed tanks) and I doubt after less than 48 hours a single fish produced .25 ppm of ammonia in a 5 gallon tank. So, being skeptical I tested my tap water and the resulting color was the same (I also thought it may have been a false reading because of the prime water conditioner, but the color is the same straight out of the tap). Now, my tap water has never shown ammonia before so I was still skeptical and tested the distilled water I've been using in a 50/50 mix with my tap water to reduce hardness. The color was the same. Since I seriously doubt there would be ammonia in distilled water, I figured I'd ask if anyone has had a similar experience. I've seen a few similar threads on the internet, but it seems no one went the extra step and tested distilled water. The color on mine is very odd - could look yellow in the right light but could also look slightly green in different lighting. Is this just the "normal" 0 ppm reading?


----------



## shellieca

I had a difficult time reading it at 0 as well. I always held it against a white paper towel in good lighting to read it. There was a distinct difference when there was .25 ammonia IMO & I didn't worry about a water change unless I had .5 or greater.

Oh, even if you use Prime . . . if ammonia is showing up in the test (.5 or greater) I'd do a water change.


----------



## beaslbob

In FW in my planted tank I do get a nice transparent light yellow with no hint of green.

Saltwater is another story I always got a cloudy color with a hint of green. .25 ppm. In a tank that ran 5 years+ with a heavy bioload and healthy fish.

If you use prime I recommend you get the seachem multitest kit for ammonia and test the free and total ammonia. The normal test kits like api only test the total and therefore will test positive for ammonia even if prime has lockedup all the ammonia. 

Prime also locks up oxygen so the danger is you test ammonia, treat, test ammonia and so on. All the while needlessly locking more and more oxygen until the fish could suffocate.


IMHO the best thing for ammonia reduction is thriving fast growing plants which consume the ammonia and carbon dioxide andreturn oxygen.

my .02


----------



## Kim

Thanks for the replies. I'm really thinking its just the test kit by now. As for the prime, I've never used it before (I'm on well water with no chlorine added so I've never worried about ammonia liberated by the detoxification of chlorine). In fact, I mainly use water conditioner just to make sure there are no heavy metals that could affect my fish, and I specifically didn't use prime in the past because of issues with ammonia test kits. In this case I don't think its the prime though, since the color was a bit off even with the distilled water. The odd thing is that I always used the API ammonia test before (3 years ago) and never had an issue. Maybe the reagents are at the wrong concentration??


----------



## Hallyx

I've gone through four API ammonia test kits in the last few years. Only one produced a clear yellow in my well-water and oxonated (RO) water. The others were various shades of light green. All lighter than the 0.25ppm card.

By the way, hominids are especially sensitive to greens. That's where they have the best color discrimination. Helps to tell if fruits are ripe.


----------



## Kim

Hallyx said:


> I've gone through four API ammonia test kits in the last few years. Only one produced a clear yellow in my well-water and oxonated (RO) water. The others were various shades of light green. All lighter than the 0.25ppm card.
> 
> By the way, hominids are especially sensitive to greens. That's where they have the best color discrimination. Helps to tell if fruits are ripe.


Very interesting, and good to know that you've had similar results.


----------



## Tolak

API had the same issue several years back, bad run of tests. Distilled water was showing 0.25ppm. You can get that test online for about $5, probably costs about a buck to make, the discrepancy is similar dollar wise to having a crooked pickle on your McDonalds burger.

More BTW on green, I've been a pressman in the commercial printing industry for 35 years, greens can be a bear to match. It was explained to me that long ago we needed that color sensing ability to find the green fruit in the green tree without being bitten by the green snake. If it's slightly green you'll see it.


----------



## Hallyx

That's also why "signal green' (that garish bright lime-green color that looks like 0.25ppm ammonia, LoL) has taken over from red or even "international orange" (day-glo orange) as the preferred color for emergency-vehicles, hi-viz safety vests and signage.


----------



## pop

Hello friends:
You know the problem with testing at first is learning how inaccurate the testing is and one can not guess the chance of getting false readings. We here at tfk offer many suggestion about how to collect a sample. 

After we collect the sample there are many ways of unknowingly alter the collected sample and then there is the regents and the process of using each one, looking at the clock one gets amazed that I have been shaking the regent only 30 seconds. Now we add the regent to the sample and was it 3 or 10 drops oh ya 3 drops of this one. 

It says to mix the solution giving me the opportunity to choose to shake or tip it upside down but don’t use your thumbs.
Now we wait and wait for the most wanted color change and here it comes!! It’s green oh no it’s green and there are maybe five shades of green on the pH color card.


I have never done well on test especially test where I am given the opportunity to make a choice between possible right answers and now I have to choose from a list of shades is it 6.6 or 6.4 or 6.8. I guess I will take the middle ground and choose 6.6. yet it could be a 6.8 in the right light.


This is the problem with testing and believing the results you get are accurate and provide a basis for further action.
I guess all fish keepers but me have an innate understanding of accurate testing procedures and interpretation of the color chart. It would be nice if there was a standard for collecting samples and accurate testing procedures as well as interpretation of the color chart.


You might say to me get some thicker glasses but alas I don’t think it would help me. It would just refract more shades of green. 


pop


----------

