Quick question about ammonia in QT tank

[Jerett83]

I have a seachem ammonia badge in my 10 gallon qt tank that's in the beige safe zone. I just finished testing my DT and though what the hell I have some time on my hands and I'm trying to use up my ATI liquid test kit so I can buy something a little better like the red sea so I tested the QT water and it's showing 8.0 ph .5 ppm ammonia and 0 nitrite and nitrates.

What should I be trusting on the ammonia. Badge or test kit? I've read that the badge shows free ammonia which is the main worry and not to worry about total ammonia indicated by the test kit. This true? Should I leave it or do a water change or call my wife and have her pick up some Amquel.


Thanks in advance RC.

 

[Marchillo]

The ammonia badges work well in my opinion and as you said they test free ammonia. They work. I held one over a bottle of windex (without touching the liquid) and it got as dark as it could get.

If you added prime or anything else to the tank then the other test kits won't read properly. I would try to keep the badge as close to yellow as possible. Any change in that and Id do water changes and or prime as directed. Do not mix copper and ammonia binding products like prime together as it will turn toxic and kill your fish.

Have plenty of backup water on hand. I was a nervous Nellie my first qt and was changing out water every other day.

 

[Marchillo]

Just for reference here was my schedule when I did qt for 2 pj cards. I fed them twice a day which some might say is too much. And like I said I was very very very cautious and did a water change when in doubt. I never treated for illness. All I did was TTM and observation. Fish are still with me happy as can be. Good luck.

QT - PJ Cardinals
Sun May 31 - fish in
Wed 30% wc
Thu prime
Fri 30% wc
Sat 30% wc
Sun Jun 7 30% wc
Mon prime
Wed 30% wc w/prime
Sun June 14- new tank
Tue - added prime
Wed - new tank T1 (day 3)
Thu - added prime
Sat - new tank T2 (day 6)
Sun June 21
Mon - added prime
Tue- new tank T3 (day 9)
Thu - added prime
Fri - new tank T4 (day 12)
Sat - added prime
Sun - June 28
Tue - added prime (1/2 dose)
Tue - 35% wc
Wed - added prime
Fri - 35% wc w/prime
Sat - added prime
Sun July 5 - 15% wc with DT water
Tue - 30% wc
Wed - added prime (1/2 dose)
Thu - added prime (1/2 dose)
Fri July 10 - added prime (1/2 dose)
Put into display tank

42 total days

 

[Jerett83]

Thanks for the reply. I have lots of water on hand, always do. I didn't add anything as far as additives go. I have spunges in my sump seeding for the QT tank. I used one of them and used water from my DT for the initial fill and was planing on doing water changes with fresh SW once a week or when that badge started showing any signs of ammonia.

 

[Jerett83]

I'm not medicating unless it shows signs. I'm just doing a 3-4 week observation and it get it on a feeding schedule and to fatten it up a bit before adding it to my DT.

 

[gone fishin]

I personally would go with the badge. I have always had trouble reading the low end colors on the API test. Good luck