Mardel LiveNH3

[herefishy]

Greetings! Noob here ;)

I had my water tested at a local petsmart yesterday. They said the only problem was high ammonia. The guy recommended Stress Zyme to get the bacteria going (one week old tank). The only Stress Zyme available was a huge bottle so I didn't get it. I opted for "Top Fin Bacteria Supplement" hoping it does the same thing. (Please correct me if i'm wrong.)

Anyway, I also decided to buy the Mardel LiveNH3 in-tank meter to keep an eye on the ammonia levels. I'm not sure if it's working however. I put it in the water and NOTHING changed on the front of it, it just stayed yellow. I thought that was odd since the petsmart guy (kid) told me it was high. Is anyone familiar with this meter that can tell me what to look for? Should I assume the level is safe? Should there be an obvious color change on the front if there is a problem? TIA.

[cocoa_pleco]

If you have ammonia issues do lots of 40% water changes

[xoolooxunny]

If you have ammonia issues do lots of 40% water changes

I don't think he wants to do water changes quite yet, he said the tank is only a week old, so he's still cycling.

Wait, are there fish in the tank already as well?? i guess if there are, then go with the water changes, but it's gonna take extra long for the cycle to complete.

As for the NH3 meter for your tank...Did you touch it with your bare hands? I think the oil from your skin can screw those things up pretty easily.

[Lady Hobbs]

Get yourself a master test kit. You'll need it anyway for testing down the line and for an uncycled tank will let you know what's going on from day to day and when water changes are vital to your fishes life. It will also let you know when your tank is done cycling.

[holbritter]

Greetings! Noob here ;)

I had my water tested at a local petsmart yesterday. They said the only problem was high ammonia. The guy recommended Stress Zyme to get the bacteria going (one week old tank). The only Stress Zyme available was a huge bottle so I didn't get it. I opted for "Top Fin Bacteria Supplement" hoping it does the same thing. (Please correct me if i'm wrong.)


I don't think either of those will get your bacteria going at all. The only thing that I've read here that works is Bio-Spira, which can be hard to find. I never heard of Stress Zyme for bacteria though. I'm sorry, but it doesn't sound like that guy knows too much about it.

Definately read the sticky here on Cycling. Do you have fish already? If not, hold off. And as Lady Hobbs said, get a master test kit. Check at the Petsmart online. Sometimes it's cheaper than in the store, and if you print it out and bring it, they will do a price match.

Edit**Come to think about it, you probably do have fish since there is ammonia, and it's only a week old. What kind of fish are in there? What size tank do you have?

[holbritter]

By the way, I have one of those ammonia things. It's by Seacham, but if it's the same thing (sounds like it) the instructions said it could take up to 4 days for any readings to appear. And yes, if you touch the testing part with your fingers, it could get messed up.

[SouthernGal0682]

I have the Mardel NH3 monitor and the instructions say that it can take a few hours for it to be completely waterlogged. I see you posted this yesterday so if you know there is ammonia in the tank and you haven't gotten a reading by now then I would assume there is something wrong with it.

[herefishy]

I have a 10g with one serpae tetra.

I did touch the meter with my bare hands.. didn't know I wasn't supposed to. How else would I get it out of the packaging?! :14:

Anyway, I still threw in one of those "Ammonia Clear Tank Buddies" tablets even after the meter read nothing.

I'll swing by pet smart and grab a testing kit..any recommendations?

[herefishy]

Might as well ask this question now as well..

If ammonia is still high after testing with a new kit, do I add another Ammonia Clear tablet?

[holbritter]

I don't think you should.
You actually need the ammonia to cycle the tank. Take a minute to read this: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
between that and all the great folks here, you'll do fine :)

And hold off on any new fish. The Freshwater Master Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, is good. It has everything you need to test your ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. All of which you need to know about your water.

Your going to have to do water changes daily, to keep that ammonia in check, so your fish doesn't die. It will take longer to cycle that way, but I've learned patience is key.

Good luck :)

[holbritter]

I did touch the meter with my bare hands.. didn't know I wasn't supposed to. How else would I get it out of the packaging?! :14:


Haha! I remember thinking the same thing! I just took mine out by the very edges. I'm pretty sure it's the colored parts and the center that is the issue with touching.....at least I hope!

[herefishy]

I did the ammonia test and it came back between 0ppm and 0.25ppm. I'm guessing that's ok..

[cocoa_pleco]

you always need 0 ammonia

[herefishy]

you always need 0 ammonia

So is my ammonia level dangerous for a new tank then? (one and a half weeks). I did a 10% pwc this morning. Should I use another ammonia clear tab?

[kimmers318]

Have you read up on the cycling process yet so that you understand where these readings are coming from and what/why you need to do something about it?
You will need to do w/c's to keep the ammonia levels lowered, and it will slow down your cycling process, but that is the only way to keep the fish alive. I don't know about the serpae, but most fish are not real good with cycling so he may not pull thru this but we will do our best.
I have no clue what ammonia tank buddies are so I would suggest staying away from them. I have heard alot that Seachems Prime water conditioner can make the ammonia and nitrites less toxic to fish while still allowing it to be there for the cycling, but have never tried it. Continue to do partial w/c's without disturbing gravel or filter media until you see 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites.

[slinky]

I bought the LiveNH ammonia tester from Mardel at Petland Discounts and am having the same issues as you are. It's almost 2 hours with this thing submersed and I'm still told I have no ammonia in the tank. Now I know it's registering at no less than 1.0 right now. I'm also using the LivepH but that seems to be working better - but it's also hard to tell the colors so I'm not sure. I'm not having a lot of faith in this product and am using the API testing kit to rely on all my results.

[A340]

In regards to testing for Ammonia (and other water parameters), I find the absolute best way and most accurate, is using the chemical test kits from Hagen, API, etc. So I agree with Lady Hobbs on that, go out and buy yourself a master test kit, it's by far one of the best investments (and most fun ones) you'll make. Even with these kits though, it'll still take about 20 minutes to test for ammonia, they are not instant (even though most pet stores think they are when you bring in a water sample, lol!)

In regards to Stress Zyme, I've never used it myself, but like many other similar products on the market, contrary to popular belief by some of us on this forum, they do add beneficial bacteria and can cycle your tank. Some can do it on their own (fishless cycle) and some do require you add fish which then the product acts more of a booster for the cycle and a protectant for the fish.