Im absolutely furious with API

[reefbroao]

yeah i'm assuming that's what it is. i'm just really unhappy I guess because it happened to me. although paying what I did should have been my first clue. I use elos and salifert for my other tests but I don't have one for nitrite so that's why I relied on the api.

I think the foxface should be okay. I need to get used to how weird they act.

Im thinking ill do a wc. yes the only reason I didn't run them side by side is because I don't have the room in my apartment.

right now I plan on doing a 15g water change, and dosing prime.

 

[thelawnwrangler]

I have had fish in my tank for a solid week plus and monitored a cycle before adding any livestock. The ammonia spike was very quick and nitrates showed up after a few days of starting the tank since I used lr, water and seeded some sand from my established older tank (now gone) so the cycle SHOULD have been very fast. BUT today I had my lfs test my water which showed Nitrite???? these garbage test kits did not show any at all. My lfs owner said hes not sure why my cycle isn't ending for some reason the conversion from nitrite to nitrate isn't completely finishing. its been almost a month and still cant finish the process. I'm so angry with this company because I didn't add livestock until they read zero for ammonia and nitrite which it did. now none of my tests are reading accurately (like totally crazy readings, 50 nitrate when I have 2). And I have used these test kits many times before, and I know how to use them properly (following the directions exactly).

I'm writing this because I noticed today that my foxface was losing coloration, gaining brown in the dorsal area (not the same as when he camouflages himself) and breathing extremely fast so I had the lfs test and I'm showing nitrite. Its low but still should have shown on my test kit.

I am able to recognize what I have done wrong but I feel totally cheated by a sub par product that is now effecting the life of my pets. I absolutely love my fish and hate to think that they've been sitting through a toxic situation.

my fish are acting normal but he is breathing faster than normal. I never saw any signs of distress before now. corals are wide open and even my sps have been showing growth.

I am using Red Sea and in a confusing spot been reading 0 for a few days for nitrites and had first test with LFS and it was .25

I guess these errors are common

 

[reefbroao]

the nitrate tests are unbelievable it has 3 shades of orange to indicate .25 to 20 ppm its laughable

 

[thelawnwrangler]

the nitrate tests are unbelievable it has 3 shades of orange to indicate .25 to 20 ppm its laughable

Lol I thought I was 20 or 50 and lFS said 15. Hard to tell what pink bound to be a better way my thoughts a week in

 

[dowjones1221]

right now I plan on doing a 15g water change, and dosing prime.

You should have done a water change asap if you're showing nitrite!!! 'instead you come on a forum to bad mouth a company... makes me wonder if your problems are "user error" and not defective test kits.

 

[reefbroao]

lol ive been doing it the whole time, i've had to warm up my water with a 50w heater since its been in my car in 50 degree weather.

 

[CStrickland]

Nitrogen takes many forms in an aquarium, it's not a straight line from ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. That's a big oversimplification of the work that a bunch of diff bacteria, diatom, algae, fish, coral, and inverts are all doing. Thinking of the cycle as "done" is a mistake, and so is thinking one can just transfer rocks over to a new tank. That nitrogen could've passed between its ammonia and nitrites forms, or been replaced in the time between tests etc. The tank needs a while to balance out. In any case, it's really only the ammonia form that is troublesome for fish.

this may be of interest: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

 

[Sounds Fishy]

Really it makes sense that your nitrite spiked if you look at your bio load. Even though the API tests showed you that you went through a fast cycle , I am sure your system did. However when you added fish they increased your bio load and your system couldn't cope because it was a fairly new set up,hence nitrites.It is good to test for Nitite and Ammonia even after your cycle is completed for months afterward as your stocking a new set up.As your system matures it will manage a larger load.This is why some fish and inverts are not recommended until you have had your aquarium running for at least a year.

 

[Sounds Fishy]

Have you used any products like prime? You should probably add some to make the water safe. If you've already used it then it could throw test kit readings off.

My experience with api has been fine but you will find many complaints here. It hasn't done me wrong on ammonia or nitrites. Nitrates is fine when close to zero but anytime it's a little orange colored I retest with either Redsea pro or salifert.

Sorry for your issue.

My only experience with API giving a false test result was because I didn't follow instructions,exactly.This was my issue for getting false Nitrate readings of zero.If you don't shake the 2nd bottle for the Nitrate test for a good minute prior to adding 10 drops to the test vial,you will end up with a low reading,more than likely zero. Over the years ,I have sometime cross checked readings from API with Salfert and generally see similar readings for tests...Nitrate,Calcium etc.

 

[Marchillo]

My only experience with API giving a false test result was because I didn't follow instructions,exactly.This was my issue for getting false Nitrate readings of zero.If you don't shake the 2nd bottle for the Nitrate test for a good minute prior to adding 10 drops to the test vial,you will end up with a low reading,more than likely zero. Over the years ,I have sometime cross checked readings from API with Salfert and generally see similar readings for tests...Nitrate,Calcium etc.

The API test will not work for ammonia after treating with prime. You can read about it on seachems faqs on prime. Only test kits that distinguish "free" ammonia versus "total" ammonia. Hence why the Seachem ammonia alert badge is a nice item for new tanks or qt.

No idea if there is impact on nitrite/nitrates. I was suggesting it as a possibility.

 

[AUFishGuy]

You should have done a water change asap if you're showing nitrite!!! 'instead you come on a forum to bad mouth a company... makes me wonder if your problems are "user error" and not defective test kits.

ya know some of us don't always have water ready for a water change like we would like to, some of us post things on here while we are not home or are busy and hope to get an answer so that we can try to solve our problems as soon as we get home. But I'm sure you didn't even consider that and probably would have made this post even if you had. Posters like your self making comments like the one above are why so many good posters have went elsewhere but don't fret you will fit in well here.

 

[Mark9]

I've never had an issue with any API test kit.

 

[reefbroao]

I think 90% of my problem has been how close the colors are on their card. There really shouldnt be 3 shades of orange ranging between 5-20 ppm of nitrate, and I've almost never seen the ammonia match any shade of green perfectly. They have up to 160 ppm on the nitrite card. I mean come on once you hit 160 there's no reason to test that's just ridiculous.

Regardless I purchased a Nyos nitrate test kit. and will be replacing my others soon as well. I have elos kits but just none for nitrite or ammonia.

 

[CStrickland]

I wouldn't bother with the fancy nitrite test. Once your tank is settled its not really worth looking at. In the beginning the point of it for me is to know whether the nitrate test is accurate, since it need the nitrites gone first before its any good. Although, if it gives you some peace of mind after all this stress then that's a good thing.

Marchillos point about free ammonia is good though. I mean, I can't think of a sitch where that wouldn't be useful because as soon as you read any ammonia, you should be dosing prime so it's almost always going to be valuable to be able to retest and see if the prime is working.
If I were you I'd stick an Ammonia badge on there and just peek at it regularly.

 

[reefbroao]

Ive used them before and im thinking about it just to make sure it doesn't show up again.

Tested again following the direction exactly and nitrites are showing a strong 0. It almost makes me wonder if the lfs botched it. tried for nitrates again and it could be anywhere between 5-20 but last week they tested at 2.5

either way fish look good, grazing for algae I set my temp a bit higher (79.5-81) to try and coax the bacteria to speed up if there's anything left going on.

 

[MondoBongo]

for what it's worth API has never really been something i've put too much faith in.

the tests i like are ones that come with reference samples, i know SeaChem does this. that way i can run a control test against a known value to help validate the results the results i am seeing.

it's the old problem of trusting your instrumentation.

 

[dowjones1221]

ya know some of us don't always have water ready for a water change like we would like to, some of us post things on here while we are not home or are busy and hope to get an answer so that we can try to solve our problems as soon as we get home. But I'm sure you didn't even consider that and probably would have made this post even if you had. Posters like your self making comments like the one above are why so many good posters have went elsewhere but don't fret you will fit in well here.

So its fine for him to bad mouth a company and blame all of the problems on what he calls a "subpar company", But Im an A**hole for saying its his own fault...makes sense

Reefbroao i apologize for saying it was your fault, i don't know you or your tank. Im sure you're doing a great job I just hate when people blame companies and products before knowing it really is defective.

 

[A1t2o]

I'm about to upgrade my tank, should I not be transferring everything over the same or next day? I am using the same live rock and new sand (except for a little off the top to seed the new dry sand that will be washed) and adding no new fish, so I would expect there to be no cycle. How would I do it otherwise with the corals attached to the rocks and those rocks providing the biological filter for my fish?

 

[reefbroao]

I understand. It just has made me quite frustrated that I just can't get an accurate reading from my kits BUT that is my fault for putting all of my faith into what I knew was a ballpark accuracy kit.

especially when I thought I was gonna lose the foxface. They are acting fine now though.

The other aspect is that I paid $50+ for all of the API kits I have and am now having to spend the extra cash for more accurate kits.

I did finish the 20g water change. I stayed up until 1 to get the water heated up but It all worked out.

 

[iluvmyfishes]

If this hobby was an exact science we would all be experts. I prefer Seachem to API. That's my preference from years of using both products. When in doubt I get a second water test done at my LFS. Unfortunately experience is the best teacher. Every time a problem arises, learn from the mistake, correct and move on. Having a balanced tank is well worth the initial frustration.