API Test Kit Ammonia Chloroquine Phosphate

[MitchSutherland]

I keep getting a .25 to .50 reading on this tanks that is dosed with CP at around 40 to 60mg/gal. I am getting worried about my fish. I have went through a bottle and a half of prime and now i am all out.. Yesterday i put in the large bottle of biospira. Still not happening i guess. I do not know what is going on?!!!!! False ammonia is crossing my mind, but it has been greener at times so i am not so sure of that. Tank has been up for a couple months with no problems. I did have a fish die and it took some time to find him. I measured the ammonia and i think it was at .5 or 1.0. I instantly found him and primed it up. I have cleaned out my filter pad just now.Should i do a water change? Replace the "ammonia" water with good, but then i lose bacteria too. I also have like 7 powerheads that kinda accumulate debris. You think that could be causing this? Any advice helps thanks.

 

[MitchSutherland]

.25 just confirmed it.

 

[Deinonych]

I would pick up a Seachem Ammonia Alert badge. There have been reports of CP causing a false positive on API test kits.

 

[ca1ore]

Filter pad/media is where the bacteria you need to process ammonia reside, not materially in the water. So, depending upon how you 'cleaned out' the filter pad, that may be a problem.

 

[HumbleFish]

i would pick up a seachem ammonia alert badge. There have been reports of cp causing a false positive on api test kits.

+1

 

[Mrscribbled]

I agree with all above. Doing a hundred percent WC is fine, nitrifying bacteria does not colonize in the water column. It requires a hard surface. CP will give false readings on most Ammonia test kits.

 

[rog2961]

I would pick up a Seachem Ammonia Alert badge. There have been reports of CP causing a false positive on API test kits.

Seachem ammonia alert will throw a false positive as well eventually. Use red sea ammonia kit to verify.

 

[MitchSutherland]

I forgot to mention i have over 100 pounds of live rock. With alot of flow. And a wet dry bioball system. I cleaned out the filter pad that goes before the drip plate in the wetdry. I truly doubt that would cause any problem. Does seachem ammonia alert seem pretty accurate with CP? Thanks

 

[E Rosewater]

API ammonia kit always reads .25 ppm.

 

[MitchSutherland]

I know this is really making me mad.

 

[Buzz1329]

Seachem ammonia alert will throw a false positive as well eventually. Use red sea ammonia kit to verify.

The Red Sea ammonia kit has been discontinued, but Salifert has one.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I keep getting a .25 to .50 reading on this tanks that is dosed with CP at around 40 to 60mg/gal. I am getting worried about my fish. I have went through a bottle and a half of prime and now i am all out.. Yesterday i put in the large bottle of biospira. Still not happening i guess. I do not know what is going on?!!!!! False ammonia is crossing my mind, but it has been greener at times so i am not so sure of that. Tank has been up for a couple months with no problems. I did have a fish die and it took some time to find him. I measured the ammonia and i think it was at .5 or 1.0. I instantly found him and primed it up. I have cleaned out my filter pad just now.Should i do a water change? Replace the "ammonia" water with good, but then i lose bacteria too. I also have like 7 powerheads that kinda accumulate debris. You think that could be causing this? Any advice helps thanks.

When Prime, or other ammonia neutralizers, are used; most ammonia tests will still show high ammonia. This "neutralized" ammonia is harmless. Use an ammonia alert badge or SeaChem Free & Total Ammonia test kit. They will show only ammonia in the dangerous form. This would be very easy to test at home. (Obviously, I am not a chemist, or I would have explained it better).

 

[MrTuskfish]

I keep getting a .25 to .50 reading on this tanks that is dosed with CP at around 40 to 60mg/gal. I am getting worried about my fish. I have went through a bottle and a half of prime and now i am all out.. Yesterday i put in the large bottle of biospira. Still not happening i guess. I do not know what is going on?!!!!! False ammonia is crossing my mind, but it has been greener at times so i am not so sure of that. Tank has been up for a couple months with no problems. I did have a fish die and it took some time to find him. I measured the ammonia and i think it was at .5 or 1.0. I instantly found him and primed it up. I have cleaned out my filter pad just now.Should i do a water change? Replace the "ammonia" water with good, but then i lose bacteria too. I also have like 7 powerheads that kinda accumulate debris. You think that could be causing this? Any advice helps thanks.

My error, DP.