Ok got test stripes

[Jon-C]

The reading are
ph-6.8
nats-15
nits-.7
hardness-300
alkality-100
are any of these the amonia lvl or did I get the wrong strips?
Are these reading horrible considering I changed 50% of water earlir today?
This was be fore I added stress zyme will keep changing water but. Need to know how to read ammonia
thx for your help

[Wiggs]

The reading are
ph-6.8
nats-15
nits-.7
hardness-300
alkality-100
are any of these the amonia lvl or did I get the wrong strips?
Are these reading horrible considering I changed 50% of water earlir today?
This was be fore I added stress zyme will keep changing water but. Need to know how to read ammonia
thx for your help

In before NG "Read the Ebook"

none of those are your ammonia level, I'm going to assume the levels are what they actually are in the tank, but you an never be sure with test strips....


Any time you have NitrItes or ammonia, there is something wrong. esp after a 50% waterchange, you can almost double the Nitrite/Nitrate readings.

[Lab_Rat]

Honestly, the liquid test kits are much more accurate and are worth the investment.

The nitrites at 0.7 is high, any nitrites are toxic to fish. Even though you did a large wc today I would do another one to try and lower them more. The nitrates are ok, you want those to stay under 20ppm. The wc will help lower those further.

Your test strips do not test for ammonia. If I were you I'd invest in a liquid test kit (API makes good ones) for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

[Jon-C]

Like I said I added some of that stress zyme and reading came a little after only 1 1/2 hrs
ph - 7
nats - 10
nits - .5
hard - 150
alk - 60

then I changed 45% of water and went down to
ph - 7
trats - 10
trites - .1
hard - 120
alms - 60

that's enough for today will change more water tommorow
poor fishies imagine how bad it was bfore I knew to cycle
my fish thank you all

[Jon-C]

I will look into one of those liquid tester
why do they sell somany chemicals with test kits if it is all about changing water? Don't even want to see my water bill this month lol I've changed like 100 gallons in 3 days and alot more Togo

[Padams]

Jon

The way I believe it to be true is this.

We test the water to see if a wc is necessary. If I am correct you are just starting this tank and are not totally cycled, correct? Once you get the tank (which is more filter imo) cycled you may only have to do a 20% wc / week-2 weeks THIS DEPENDS ON YOUR TANK PARAMETERS. The water changes help keep the junk down in the tank. The filter media is where the bacteria primarily gather to lower amonia, & nitrItes, to nitrAtes. I started with the test strips as well as they were "cheaper" but when compared to liquid they were off by 20% +/- 5%. here is a link for API ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]) at a good price. I use with good results.

Next and last PATIENCE it will try everything you have!!!!! You have to think of it a a good brew, it takes time for the hops, malt, barley, and yeast to work together to get just the right flavor. Similarly the bacteria has to grow to a self supporting stage where it can keep itself in a constant proper cycle.

hope this helps

The Patience Police

The World is Round You'll Get There!

[Northernguy]

Try taking a sample of your water to your lfs the next time you go!
You can compare your test to theirs if they use liquid.
Any dampness that gets to those strips before you use them will give you a false reading.
You can buy the liquid kits seperately or all together.
Get yourself an ammonia kit to start but should get the nitrites ,nitrates and ph kits real soon!

[dmagerl]

Like I said I added some of that stress zyme and reading came a little after only 1 1/2 hrs
ph - 7
nats - 10
nits - .5
hard - 150
alk - 60

then I changed 45% of water and went down to
ph - 7
trats - 10
trites - .1
hard - 120
alms - 60

that's enough for today will change more water tommorow
poor fishies imagine how bad it was bfore I knew to cycle
my fish thank you all

I think you're seeing some of the inaccuracies of the test strips here. By doing a 45% water change your trates and trites should have both dropped by 45%. Instead the trates stayed the same and the trites fell by 80%.

[Ampatent]

You might have fallen into the same trap I did. Are the test strips your using made by the Jungle Labs company?

I bought a bottle of these 6-N-1 and Ammonia strips from this company and they seem to be quite inaccurate to me.

[Jon-C]

Only 5 n 1 though will try to get kit tommorow or Monday

[Jon-C]

So got a liquid tester tonight
ph-7.4
amonia-0
trites-0
trates-5
just change 50% like 12 hrs ago though