Still at.25

Sounds like your doing pretty well!

I was also wondering about the test itself. Mine is Red Sea---Ihe ammonia
test always starts yellow (good) but ends up at .25 after the directed 15
minute wait.Theres also 19 total drops of chemical to be made into the test
tube. I`m a total novice----but these factors seem like they could leave a
lot of room for innacuarracies.
Is there another relatively inexpensive test kit that leaves less variables
to human error?

"StringerBell" wrote in message ...
I was also wondering about the test itself. Mine is Red Sea---Ihe ammonia
test always starts yellow (good) but ends up at .25 after the directed 15
minute wait.Theres also 19 total drops of chemical to be made into the test
tube. I`m a total novice----but these factors seem like they could leave a
lot of room for innacuarracies.

If you are not sure of the test, and it happens for some test showing
fake residual ammonium (on the first level above 0 on the color scale)
than just test freshly made sal****er with tap water or - better -
your RO/DI water and see if the test will show zero ammonia...
It shoud show zero (undetectable).

Is there another relatively inexpensive test kit that leaves less variables
to human error?

No. All aquarium grade test work on the same principle of
comparing color of the sample to the printed color scale.

StringerBell wrote:

Is there another relatively inexpensive test kit that leaves less variables
to human error?

I'm using Nutrafin, but that's just because two stores recommended this brand as
the one they use in house. The nitrite kit, for example, uses 5 drops each of
two reagents, and I haven't messed that up yet. You still have to deal with a
color card.

I find that the FasTest products from Aquarium Systems are the easiest for me to
read. Instead of a color card, they have a column of colored liquid, against
which you compare your sample. The main drawback to these is that they use dry
powder reagents, which have a limited shelf life (about 3 years). If the kit has
been sitting in the store for 2 years, it won't be a very good buy. The reagents
can be purchased separately, however, so you don't have to buy a new kit when
they go bad. The foil packets are marked with the expiry date.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/prt...fastestkit.htm has a review.
http://www.aquariumsystems.com has product info.

George Patterson
All successes in conservation are temporary. All defeats are permanent.

Red Sea test kits are junk.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



StringerBell wrote on 10/4/2006 12:31 AM:
Sounds like your doing pretty well!

I was also wondering about the test itself. Mine is Red Sea---Ihe ammonia
test always starts yellow (good) but ends up at .25 after the directed 15
minute wait.Theres also 19 total drops of chemical to be made into the test
tube. I`m a total novice----but these factors seem like they could leave a
lot of room for innacuarracies.
Is there another relatively inexpensive test kit that leaves less variables
to human error?