Testing results in big tank?

Question

What I am looking for is a link to any e-commerce stores that sell reliable digital testing kits for water chemistry. Quick run down of problem. 75 gallon tank crashed about 3 weeks ago due to overload in bioload. I evacuated out the ones I could, and the others I couldn't move died, including all my Arowana, parrot's, cat's and plecos. Have restarted the cycle since with danio zebras, guppies, mollies, a couple cories, an asian cat, and a pleco and all doing fine. My testtube kit is reading DARK green almost into midnight blue which I'd read that as about a 7.0 in ammonia, BUT my live meter reader is showing it only to be a light green, .25 slightly stressed. I cannot tell which one is reliable, and I figure the testtube misreads as I tried to level out the ammonia three weeks ago with ammo lock and stress zyme to by time to evauate the rest. Have done three 40% water changes, and I still read over 5.0 on the test tubes. Get digital or any other ideas?

Filtration is an aquaclear 110 gph filter, reloaded the sponge, activated carbon and bio max when I restarted. Has a large air stone powered by a 20 not sure the measurement, but 20 something pump. It's well planted, lighting only during working hours. Fish were ramped up once it crashed. Started with four zebra's, added six small guppies, then the cori's, then the asian cat, then the mollies, (5) then the pleco over the course of a few days in between. The biggest fish in there is the Asian cat at 3 inches, the rest are about 1 inch or under. I am thinking there is still some residual ammo lock or stress zyme screwing with it, but the live reader doesn't measure over .25. I got a new test kit, checked the date on it too to make sure, and I still keep reading DARK green on it. Happy to add on any additional info, because I can't understand why I get a big disparity in readings

Thanks MM, do you have a link for any stores that sell digitals? I am in Randolph NJ and I haven't found any stores here that sell them

Answer 1

Well, obviously one of the two is reading wrong. I too have always found liquid type tests to be most reliable when used properly. Be sure you are rinsing the tubes well after each use and that you always hold the dropper bottles straight up and down.

Also, take a sample of your water to a pet shop to be tested, that will tell you which of your tests are incorrect, if either.

The reason I say if either is your mention of using ammo-lock and other ammonia locking compounds. These products bind with the ammonia and make it unreadable by some test kits, but still readable by others. I wouldn't recommend you use these as they often also make the ammonia unavailable to the bacteria and therefore prevent the bacteria from growing at the needed levels or desired rate.

Digital is very reliable and far more accurate than most test kits in the hobby. I use digital equipment at work daily and can tell you they work very well IF properly calibrated and properly maintained. The equipment is pricey, the calibration materials are not cheap and maintenance items can add up quickly as well. If you invest in several pens (Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH) you can expect several hundred dollars a year keeping them working properly. There are cheaper pens available on the market and usually I have found you get what you pay for in pens. The cheaper one's are far less accurate (some less accurate than liquid tests) and even more expensive to properly maintain. Not really a good route for home aquarium use.

Get your third input from a shop and see which it closely matches and replace the bad tester with a fresh one would be my recommendation.

In the mean time, for the health of your fish assume the higher reading is correct and do whatever changes are needed to make it safe.

MM

Answer 2

I have always used the test tube method and found it remarkably accurate. You have far too many types of fish that assist in the production of ammonia. You do not mention if you have undergravel filter or a substrate bottom with a biological filter you need a very large filtration system for 75 gallons and you need plenty of oxygenating plants in there to as well as at least two air filter pumps to keep a good water movement....circulation and filtration are your two main things I hope this helps a little but you need to give a little more info on these points I have queried and maybe someone else can help

Answer 3

Are you ready the time endorsed at the nitrate experiment earlier than evaluating it? Some have you ever wait five mins to get the real outcome and will supply fake poor readings if when put next too early. How is the tank mounted? Do you've crops? Deep substrate? What chemical media? You could have a filter out factor that's serving to preserve the nitrates low as good. I typically have best readings like that however ordinarily it's in a tank with deed sand beds and plenty of crops.