Lauren B.
03-03-2007, 05:07 PM
Does anyone else have this experience with their API test kit?
Do your test results never really get as dark as the colors on the card?
For example, when initially setting up my aquarium, I added in a boatload of ammonia, 7cc's for a 6-gallon tank. Looking back I now know it was too much ammonia, but my test results color didn't indicate this. While I'm sure my ammonia levels were way up toward the 8.0/high end of the scale, the color never developed past medium-kelly green (which indicates 2.0-3.0). It always stayed medium-kelly, but just got deeper and more concentrated in color, but not darker. The color got less thin-looking, less diluted-looking, but mostly stayed within the same hue and never really got any darker.
This is happening on my nitrites test too. I know they're rising each day. However, the test results stay in the purple range and continue to get a deeper, thicker (if you will) purple each day....but it never gets to the full-blown pink/fuchsia that the chart indicates. The only really obvious color change I can claim is when the levels go from 0 to the next color block up.
Has anyone else gone through this...or am I the only person with a weird kit? And before anyone asks (cause I know you will), the test is fresh and not old, I do my readings exactly as instructed in the manual (correct # of drops, correct shaking time, correct waiting time), not in direct sunlight, not in the freezing cold, my vials are cleaned thoroughly after each reading, I used real, pure, 100% ammonia and I didn't substitute cat pee, I'm not colorblind, etc. I follow all directions to the tee and if there's ever a question I always come here and ask you guys.
I read somewhere that Red Sea's test kit is not-so great because their color card is too close in color and it's hard to distinguish level differences. I'm wondering if that is the norm for testing, and perhaps API just exaggerated their card colors a little to make it seemingly easier to distinguish.
Do your test results never really get as dark as the colors on the card?
For example, when initially setting up my aquarium, I added in a boatload of ammonia, 7cc's for a 6-gallon tank. Looking back I now know it was too much ammonia, but my test results color didn't indicate this. While I'm sure my ammonia levels were way up toward the 8.0/high end of the scale, the color never developed past medium-kelly green (which indicates 2.0-3.0). It always stayed medium-kelly, but just got deeper and more concentrated in color, but not darker. The color got less thin-looking, less diluted-looking, but mostly stayed within the same hue and never really got any darker.
This is happening on my nitrites test too. I know they're rising each day. However, the test results stay in the purple range and continue to get a deeper, thicker (if you will) purple each day....but it never gets to the full-blown pink/fuchsia that the chart indicates. The only really obvious color change I can claim is when the levels go from 0 to the next color block up.
Has anyone else gone through this...or am I the only person with a weird kit? And before anyone asks (cause I know you will), the test is fresh and not old, I do my readings exactly as instructed in the manual (correct # of drops, correct shaking time, correct waiting time), not in direct sunlight, not in the freezing cold, my vials are cleaned thoroughly after each reading, I used real, pure, 100% ammonia and I didn't substitute cat pee, I'm not colorblind, etc. I follow all directions to the tee and if there's ever a question I always come here and ask you guys.
I read somewhere that Red Sea's test kit is not-so great because their color card is too close in color and it's hard to distinguish level differences. I'm wondering if that is the norm for testing, and perhaps API just exaggerated their card colors a little to make it seemingly easier to distinguish.