API test kit

[cocoa_pleco]

a while ago i bought a slightly used API test kit for $3, its a master test kit.

everythings in it, but for some reason the instructions are missing, anyone know how many drips of the test solution go into the test tube?

[Levi]

yeah

"api freshwater master test kit"?

[shockshockshad]

For ammonia, you use 8 drops (both bottles), for nitrite you use 5, for ph and high range ph you use 5, and for nitrate you use 10 (both bottles)

[smaug]

a while ago i bought a slightly used API test kit for $3, its a master test kit.

everythings in it, but for some reason the instructions are missing, anyone know how many drips of the test solution go into the test tube?
its easy for some of them
ph :3 read immediatly
ammo: 8 dr #1,8dr #2 shake wait 5 min.
nitrite: 5dr shake wait 5min
nitrate :10dr #1 shake,shake #2bottle vigourously 30sec,add 10dr #2 shake vial for 1 min wait 5 min.
do you have the color cards to see the results?The instructions are on the back of them.Also if the tests are old they will not give good readings.

[cocoa_pleco]

thanks!

yesterday i just guessed and i put 3 drops for ammonia and the test water didnt even change color. lol

[shockshockshad]

The instructions are on the back of the cards and the drop-numbers are on the bottles though, for future reference.

[Levi]

PH: add 3 drops from ph bottle, shake, read

HIGH RANGE PH: add 5 drops from high range ph bottle, shake, read

AMMONIA: add 8 drops of bottle ammonia bottle #1, add 8 drops of bottle ammonia bottle #2, shake, wait 5min, read

NITRITE: add 5 drops from nitrite bottle, shake, wait 5min, read

NITRATE: add ten drops from nitrate bottle #1, shake, shake nitrate bottle #2 for 30sec (important), add ten drops from nitrate bottle #2, shake one minute (also important), wait 5min, read

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i looked on the back and it says

"INSTRUCTIONS- CHECK INCLOSED MANUAL"

lol, it would have been easier if they just printed the instructions on the back

[Levi]

mine has it on the back of the color cards

[cocoa_pleco]

lol, i dont even have a color card!

[Levi]

ammonia is yellow to green
nitrites are blue to purple to pink
nitrate is yellow to red

so yellow and blue are good colors to be seeing

[Robin12265]

My API master kit only had 1 bottle for Ammonia - and the card showed clear as 0. light yellow indicated presence of ammonia (on up as it gets darker)

Looks like these things do go bad though (Shortly before you asked this, I posted a question about the chemicals going bad) and since you said you got the kit used, there's no telling how old it is.

My test tells me that my nitrites and ammonia are both at 0 - but the LFS tested my water with the dry strips and the numbers were REALLY bad! I don't remember the exact numbers - I was trying to figure out why his numbers indicated a MAJOR problem and my test showed perfect conditions.

Doing water changes every other day (3 times) and then I'll take some more water in for them to test.

[cocoa_pleco]

yep, robin i think i have yours, i tested for ammonia and its turning clear all the time