Salt water mix testing .25 ammonia!!!

[reefcat]

Well after WC's and still having .25 ammonia, I decided to test my salt water mix. I take a tds reading prior to every 5g jug and flush the rodi unit before each use. Just moments ago I made 15g of rodi water....tested tds before each jug as usual, and they read 0......when I don't flush it tds meter will always read something so I'm pretty sure it works. Rodi unit is only about 2 months old.

I tried 2 different salt mixes. Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals. Both of them tested .25 ammonia.

Trites measure 0 and trates measure 15ppm and have been for a while now

I'm using the API test kit. Just ordered it from one of our sponsors here on RC. Never really thought to look at the lot numbers on the bottles but read some posts that said the last 4 numbers is the expiration date. Low and behold, 0710 on ammonia bottles, 0410,0610 on the other bottles in the set.

Can we all agree that I'm getting a false reading or is there something else I should check.

Thanks

Jerry

 

[sys578]

I would think thats a false reading. Had the same test kit once and the ammonia would read .25 on any test (unless it was higher). Try a different brand ammonia kit before I would switch salts.

 

[mike_cmu04]

I agree it is probably a bad test kit there is no reason there would be ammonia.

 

[reefcat]

Thanks for the replies. I agree and will test that theory out today. Just made me anxious with some picasso clowns arriving today. I need to run all checks. On the way to the LFS and let them check it.

 

[Chris27]

Are you sure you're performing the test properly? That test is done differently then the other API kits, also, there are both SW and FW color cards that come with it which have different shades.

 

[reefcat]

8 drops and 8 drops and using SW card

 

[mudskipper1]

all liquid test kits i have used have been very inaccurate, no direct testing of ammonia, but I compared the results of an API and a Red sea Calcium test kit which each read around 430, and then took a sample into the chemistry lab i worked in and did the test on an ICP-MS(ridiculously accurate and precise instrument...can see into the parts per trillion in many cases). The result was right around 350. A clear explanation of why i hadn't really been seeing any growth in my hard corals for a while. Very frustrating. I have no experience with the better test kits like salifert, and they are probably better, but still not great. I would bet that it is an error with the test kit.

JME