Lost Color Chart from Test Kit  5/23/06
Hey Guys and Gals,
<Hi David, Pufferpunk here>   
This is an odd question but I am kind of stumped.  I have some water quality tests for pH, nitrate, hardness (the drop 3 drops into the vial kind).  My problem is after moving, I lost all of the color charts for these drops.  I still have the bottles and the vials.  Do you know of anywhere online I can find the color charts? maybe something I can print out or just keep bookmarked so I can use the tests?
<Try contacting the manufacturer.  They will probably be happy to send you new ones.  ~PP>   
Sorry for the weird questions,
David

Test kits and bosses going bad - 11/28/2005
Happy Holidays!  I work for a LFS. My boss is a great guy, very smart and loves his work.  However, he and I have a standing argument.
<That's what bosses are for. Remember to let them win sometimes ;)>
He refuses to acknowledge that test kits go bad. The tests that we perform on our customers' water is performed with some kits going back to expiring in '97. I have taken chemistry in college. I was taught that reagents go bad. I have a problem with testing my customers water and not being 100 percent confident about the results.
<Absolutely. I applaud you for being so responsible>
Can anyone settle this argument once and for all? What's the longest a test kit can go?
<Certainly. As long as the expiry date on the box :D. If not stored correctly (sealed, cool, dry, dark place), they may not even make it that long -- as an example, some reagents in nitrate tests are photosensitive and exposure to light will denature them over time.>
Thanks so much.
<Thank you for writing... John>

Strippin' the Strips
Thank you again for your prompt response. I did not know that the test strips were not very good. I have been having trouble keeping my nitrates and nitrites down. Because I do not have a good test kit, I cannot tell you the numbers. On the strips, it says my nitrates are at about 80 ppm. The nitrites on the other hand are above the chart, which goes up to 10. I can get it down and then it just shoots right back up. The lowest I can get it down to (the nitrites that is) is about 1-3 ppm (according to the strips). 
I have ordered a good test kit and I am expecting it any day now. When I get it, I will be able to tell you exactly what the numbers are. I have two rainbow sharks, 3 piranha tetras and three other tetras, plus two Plecostomus. I had three swordtails in there, but I have removed them and put them in their own tank. Once my babies are ready, I will put the ones I keep plus the three adults into a ten-gallon tank by themselves. 
I am cycling that tank right now with some betas. Is this a good fish to use to cycle a tank?
< Just as good as any other.>
As you can tell, I am new to this and I do not want to kill any of my fish, but I do not know what else to do about my nitrate and nitrite problems. Do you have any suggestions? I have tried adding the salt. I have done regular water changes and have changed the water 3 days in a row, about 30-40 %. I do not want to change any more because I know it can hurt my fish, but I know that the nitrates and nitrites are more dangerous.
Thank you in advance.
< Once you get a decent test kit check the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates for both your tap water and your tank water too. In agricultural areas the nitrates may be as high as 50 ppm straight from the tap. Ammonia is converted to nitrites by bacteria. The most limiting factor is oxygen. I would recommend that you vacuum the gravel. Make sure you get crud under the rocks and ornaments. Then clean the filter. The organic matter is breaking down into nitrite and nitrates. By removing this organic matter you are removing the source of the problem. Without plants, chemicals, expensive water treatment systems or bottled water it will be difficult to get your nitrates below your tap water levels. Only feed your fish enough food so that all of it is gone in a couple of minutes each day. Siphon out any additional left over food.-Chuck> 

Second time "TEST KIT" user needs guidance
Hi Crew,
<Mario>
Thanks to Don for your insight on my previous question about how to read my test results. I changed the water siphoning from the bottom and waited 6 hours before I did another reading the results were has follows:
Ammonia at .50 down from 1.0, the Nitrite at ZERO down from 0.25, the Nitrate remained at 5 and the pH remained at 7.4.
Question #1 When I get the Ammonia and Nitrite to ZERO, high should I let the Nitrate get before doing a water changes (some articles I read say at 10, while others say 20)?
<Either one should be fine, lower is better>
Question #2 How long in time (i.e. hour, day) should I wait after doing a water change to test the water the second time?
<Not critical. Any time it's convenient>
The test kit I have uses color that are very closely shaded, which makes it difficult for me to be 100% sure.
<Yes... there are other test kits with different, better colorimetric discrimination>
Question #3 If the test kit you (or someone you know) use also contains colors that are closely shaded, what method do you (or they) use to figure out the best possible result?
<Holding the cuvette/test vial up against a white piece of paper... in good light helps...>
I place the tube under a light and place the card behind the tube, and slowly move the card forward or backward until I find a color that closely bends in with the color in the tube.
Thanks Again, Mario D.
<This is about it. Bob Fenner>

Accurate Test Kits ?
Just wondered if anyone had an opinion or input on this :
I have a 90G cichlid tank. It has been running for about 3 months no problems until recently.
Filtration is Fluval 304, AC500, AC200 and a Penguin 125.
I also have a 75G planted with an assortment of rasboras, barbs, Corys and 5 clown loaches ( Fluval 304) and 20G with about 13 tetras in (AC200 & Penguin 125). I haven't really had any problems with any of them. The 75 & the 90 are recent purchases, the 20 is a new set up and I have just taken down a 65G.
I have always checked my water parameters weekly they are always consistent for all tanks.
PH - 7.4
GH - 8-10
KH - 4-6 ( I may have got the kH and GH mixed but you get the idea)
Nitrates I have never let get above 5 mg/l
No ammonia, Nitrite, Phosphate etc.
I have some algae growing in the 20G although not a problem just a new set up I think.( This is really my son's tank. No plants in here. I think I have blue green algae in here.
The algae in the 75 seems to have peaked in the last week and the plants now seem to be talking a hold. (oldest plants are about 2 months). I have about 6 Otto's in there which seem to be helping too. Seems like regular green algae in this tank.
The 90 is rockwork and a couple of plastic plants to hide the filters. Have algae on the rocks a little bit occurs on the glass but nothing out of the ordinary. It's mainly a brownish algae in this tank.
Anyways hopefully this gives you some background on the tanks, now the problem.
In the 90G I have, or did have, 5 Black Tanzanian Acei. (Not the Ngara White Tail but actual Black Tanzanian's) Around the beginning of Dec one of them started to turn white ( doesn't really appear to be fungal) I didn't pay too much attention at first because I thought the fish was maturing and maybe changing colour, it seemed fine, still eating still swimming around fine. Then last week I came down in the morning to check everything like I usually do and it was dead. ( I am not exactly sure it was the same fish because I have two others that where starting to change as well but I think it was). I thought that it may have been killed by a dom. male L. caeruleus I have in the tank as all of them appeared fine before lights out the night before. I had phoned the store I bought them from when it first started happening as I cant find a lot of info on the net about them. The manager wasn't there and the guy said it was maybe a colour change but he didn't have much experience with them. Anyways two of the other 4 fish have gradually gotten whiter and whiter so I phoned the store back again this time I got the manager. ( I trust this guy's opinion he belongs to the CRLCA , is a moderator on cichlid nation and has been keeping and breeding wild caught Africans for years ) I have bought fish from there over the last two years and this is the first one that has died. I did QT these fish and they where purchased at the beginning of November.
When I talked to him on the phone he told me that it sounded like maybe the fish where being burned by nitrates. I told him I checked and Nitrate was 0. He asked me what test kit I used. I said a Hagen kit. He suggested I use a Tetra kit. I went and purchased a Tetra kit, did the test and to my surprise that showed 25 - 50 mg/l. I then checked all my tanks which with the Nutrafin kit where 0-5 and they all showed 25-50. At the moment I am confused, does anyone have experience with these kits ? Which is reliable ? I have since done water changes on all tanks. Two on the 90. I can't get the nitrate below 12.5 mg/l which is a concern though. The planted I will leave between 12.5 & 25 because of the plants. The 20 won't drop below 12.5 either. I am going to test the tap water today.
I am sorry this is so drawn out but I thought it may serve as a warning to others as well. I just wanted to show I do look after my tanks take all the precautions , tests , water changes etc.
By the way the other fish in the 90 including the other two Acei seem to be showing no ill effects. The two fish that are still white are eating and swimming around although they are spending a little time at the top of the tank.
The guy also told me to put some salt in the tank I assume he is thinking to use this to kill any bacteria etc that may be causing this.
Anyway thanks for taking the time to read this I just really wanted to let other people know about test kits and also if you think that I am on the right track with the Nitrate burning and what may be causing the nitrates to remain above 0
Thanks great site as usual
< He is my 2 cents on test kits. Check the date on the kits because reagents expire. Liquids reagents expire rather quickly while powdered forms last a long time if properly stored. Check your kits against some distilled water. Both should read zero. I have a personal preference  for LaMotte kits. They are expensive but accurate.-Chuck>

Re: Accurate Test Kits ?
I did check the dates and they are fine the kit I was using for nitrates
expires 2007. I have never heard of LaMotte kits. I had to go to 4 stores to
find Tetra Test kits. It was either that or the strip kind of tests.
Thanks for the info anyway I will try and find LaMotte kits.
About the fish though I was checking back in my records and it appears I
have not checked PH since the beginning of December in the 90 but looking at
the records for the 75 it seems the PH has changed from 7.4 to 7.8 since the
end of December. Could this have caused the problems for my fish ?
< No, this pH range is well within the normal range for Lake Malawi Cichlids.>
All the
other fish in both tanks seem fine although the barbs seem to be scratching
in the 75. I thought that a gradual change in PH is ok but a sudden change
would harm all the fish ?
< Gradual is ok but sudden shifts in pH especially below pH 7 usually mean that the buffering capacity of the tank is gone and it may be ready to crash.>
I have tried to include a couple of photos to see if you can see the
difference in colour between the two fish .
Image 471 shows the sick fish and 473 shows a healthy fish.
< Sorry, the photos did not make it.>
Any ideas ?
< If the tank is in good shape with no excessive nitrogen problems then I would start looking at possible protozoa infections. It is similar to ich but does not develop any white spots. Try treating the tank by heating up the water to 82 degrees and see if that makes any difference. Then I would think about treating the tank with clout.-Chuck.>

Re: Accurate Test Kits ?
Would it affect all the fish ?
<Usually parasites pick on weakened or diseased fish. Fish low on the pecking order are usually the first to show any distress.>
I have 19 fish in this tank and only two of them seem ill, both are still
eating. Although one spends a lot of time at the top of the tank in the
corner.
How long should I keep the temp at 82 ?
< Try it for a week and then let it back down.>
I have looked at all kinds of info on the net and stuff and just can't find
an explanation for this.
I called the LFS manager back again and he said he is stumped two.
I really appreciate all the help
< We try.-Chuck>

Test Kits
Hi there,
I need to know if those multi test kits (Jungle Labs Aquarium Quick Dip Multi-Test Kit) that will test pH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Hardness and Alkalinity in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums with just one strip are accurate? <No>
Or are the kits that have solutions in them more accurate? <Yes, by far>
Do you recommend any brand that are reliable? <I use and like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Test Kits. Get the "Master Kit" and a Nitrate kit, which for some reason is not included in the "Master Kit". Don>
Thanks,
Antonio

Accidentally Added Test Solution to Tank !! 3/23/04
Hi,  I am in desperate need of experienced guidance. I have accidentally added a little over 1/4 teaspoon of Ammonia Test Solution to my 10 gal quarantine tank. Within 3 minutes I removed the one fish (a baby platy) to my 30 gal freshwater community tank - he's not looking so good. I am currently performing a 60% water change.
Is this sufficient to remove the toxicity? Should I replace the filter media? What about the bio-wheel? Should I remove the substrate and rinse it? Wash down the tank? How will I know when it is safe to add fish? Did the small amount of water transferred to the larger tank on the fish net taint that tank as well?
Prior to this the tank chemistry was perfect with the exception of pH (7.3). Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 15.
Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much,
Denise DiCesare
<Hi Denise.  You did the right thing to move the fish.  Now that it is out, I would discard all of the water and disposable filter media from the Q-tank.  I would also use some water from your display to rinse all of the equipment before setting the Q-tank back up.  After all of that, it should be fine.  You could also call the manufacturer of the test kit.  They can tell you if any of the reagents are dangerous, but I doubt that a small amount of "tainted" water will hurt your main tank.  Best Regards.  Adam>

New to the hobby and all its water quality issues, arcane terminology!
Bob,  
            I am new to this whole fish stuff.  My fiancé convinced me
to do it and it's not going so well.  I have a 30 gallon tank with a
heater and a penguin 170.  Currently there is 3 Plecos and 4 Dempseys and
3 convicts in the tank.
< Your Jack Dempsey's get up to 8 inches long and will eventually get too big for your tank.>
   I am having some real ammonia problems lately,
and after contacting my LFS I have done everything they told me to do.
Frequent water changes.  And use ammo lock.  But I hesitate to do that;
I gave it a try anyways.  Now for some reason my ammonia has spiked
beyond even 8.0ppm (I know its higher but my testing kit only goes to
8.0) Anyways the nitrate is going up as well but the ammonia has not
changed a single bit.  
I do not know exactly what is going on.
< Here is what is going on and how to solve it. First check the ammonia of your tap water. Many water systems now use chloramines instead of just chlorine. Chloramines are a combination of Chlorine and ammonia! Check your tap water with your ammonia test kit. Not all water conditioners get rid of chloramine and this is what you could be reading on your test kit. Use Amquel from Kordon or a new product called Ultimate. Both will tie up the ammonia. Usually what happens in a new tank is the fish excrete waste and any left over food is broken down into ammonia, especially in an aquarium in which the pH is greater than 7.0. In an established tank the ammonia is broken down into nitrite. This is less toxic than the ammonia but is still not good. This may take a couple of weeks. Eventually the nitrites are once again broken down into nitrates. These are not good either but they are the least toxic of the three. Nitrate levels should be kept no higher than 25 ppm, but some fish can take them as high as 50 ppm. Make sure you are not overfeeding and make sure you clean the filter often. The excess food may be accumulating in the filter and adding to the problem. You need to get the waste out of the system on not just let stay in the filter.>
After calling the same LFS they
told me to do a huge water change.  90%, which I did very carefully as
to not harm the fish.  I ran the test again and my ammonia is still
sitting at 4.0ppm.  And all I left was 1 ½ inches of water.
< Fill up the tank and keep the system running. You may have too many fish to get things started. The good news is your fish are fairly tough. Fill up the tank, feed once a day with only enough food that you fish will have it all consumed in a couple of minutes. Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket and check the water for chloramines and treat according to the directions on the bottle. Check again and make sure it works. You may still have the ammonia in the water but it may be ties up by the chemicals and reading on your test kit. The water should be clear and have no odor. Ammonia makes the water very cloudy. If the water is clear and the fish are doing fine then I would not worry too much about the test kit results.-Chuck>  I do not
know what is going on any insights as to help with this?  
I am attaching some data below for you’re review as well.  

Urgent- Reagent spill in tank
Hi to whoever is covering,
I had a major accident. I think. I accidentally spilled reagent from my LaMotte Nitrate testing  kit into my 75 gallon plant tank. It is called Mixed Acid Reagent. I spilled approximately 30 ml. The ingredients say: 2% acetic acid, 1% copper sulfate, 17% ammonium chloride, 10% sodium chloride, 4% citric acid, 2% sodium phosphate, and water to make 100%. Do you think I damaged, fish, plants, filter? I did a 25% water change as that is all the water I had made up at the moment.
<Hopefully not much of this material actually got into your system... whatever damage was done, is done... The rapid water change was a good idea. I would add some activated carbon or the product "Polyfilter" to your filter flow path. Do conduct further assays "in the sink". Bob Fenner>
Thanks for you help.
Ken

Re: Urgent- Reagent spill in tank
Hi Bob,
<Ken>
Thanks for the reply. It is 12 hours now and I had one fish death. Even the
baby lemon tetras survived so far. I did add Hydro Carbon 2 from Two Little
Fishes as well as Seachem Purigen last night to my canister filter. Do you
think I am out of the woods yet?
<Yes, likely so. The mention of the Tetras is indeed useful, telling.>
Also do you think that the readings that I get when testing the water will
be thrown off since that reagent was added to the tank?
<No, the material involved is not only rapidly diluted, but reactant and gone almost immediately>
Thanks again for your help.
Regards,
Ken
<Good luck, life to you my friend. Bob Fenner>

Re: Urgent- Reagent spill in tank- Last Question- PROMISE
Bob,
I just tested my water for ammonia using Aquarium Pharm test kit and I got
4.0 ppm ammonia.
<Yikes!>
I don't know if this is where it will stabilize or not. Is
there anything I can/should do?
<Yes... cut out feeding entirely, keep monitoring the ammonia, and pre-prepare water (of the same or lower pH) to make a massive (25-50%) water change if your livestock show signs of poisoning>
Also I see that Purigen says that it removes
ammonia from the water. I don't know how accurate that is si I don't know if
my readings should be higher.
<The chemical filtrant product may be "exhausted">
I have about 40 fish in my tank of the barb, tetra, rasboras, SAE types. I
also have a very heavily planted 75 gallon tank. I probably have at least
200 plants. Do you think the fish can make it through this ammonia period
and how long should it take for things to cycle through.
<The plants definitely... I would keep monitoring the ammonia... hope for the best. Bob Fenner>
Thanks again.
Regards,
Ken