Discovery! - Mosura BT-9 & API Test Kit

[JeffL]

Hi guys, just wanna share with all this observation I have done

few days ago I tested my tank for ammonia and result was sky high >2.5 and I freaked. I started changing water for days but the result is exactly the same so I suspect something isn't right because my shrimps are all ok and feeding well.

Tested my tap water: Passed
Tested my distilled water: Passed

Then I remembered I started using Mosura BT-9!

I started to test my distilled water with BT-9 just added and passed?!

Guess what? I didn't gave up. I realise BT-9 needs time to activate. So this time I added BT-9 to distilled water and waited before I test.

Voila! Results turn out to be exactly what my tank has got.

Conclusion is that BT-9 gave my API test kit false reading. So guys please note this!

[cheetf]

Something is not right with your tank. I think it is not fully cycled as the bacteria does not seem to be converting the ammonia.

How often do you dose BT-9? The other problem could be because you dose so much BT-9 that the bacteria in your tank cannot work fast enough.

I dose BT-9 liberally into my tank and my ammonia readings show 0. By the way I do not test the water immediately after I dose anything. I wait for whatever I dose to react a while first.

I test than 1 day after i dose the result is fine. Hmm 1 thing about API test kits. I don't really trust them anymore i use to have almost the whole set. I test for ammonia the reading is 0 but my shrimp keep getting stress so i seek opinion and decide to part with my money and got sera test kit guess the result show there is ammonia present in corner in depth of the tank. Which my API show 0 recent a bro post how to determine whether your test kit have expire so i have check the API kit expiry date and it was almost time. Meaning it was on shelf for close to 1 yr. Anyway just my own opinion you might want to get a bro or friend whom have a different brand and borrow it to counter check. I ain't here to debate whether API is good or bad but just a precaution.

[cheetf]

Originally Posted by avex30

I test than 1 day after i dose the result is fine. Hmm 1 thing about API test kits. I don't really trust them anymore i use to have almost the whole set. I test for ammonia the reading is 0 but my shrimp keep getting stress so i seek opinion and decide to part with my money and got sera test kit guess the result show there is ammonia present in corner in depth of the tank. Which my API show 0 recent a bro post how to determine whether your test kit have expire so i have check the API kit expiry date and it was almost time. Meaning it was on shelf for close to 1 yr. Anyway just my own opinion you might want to get a bro or friend whom have a different brand and borrow it to counter check. I ain't here to debate whether API is good or bad but just a precaution.

Yah, API ammonia test kits have to shake the test tube properly. Otherwise it will settle. So far they seem to work pretty well for me. I don't like the sera one as it is too difficult to use. 3 reagents to test for ammonia, that's the slack part.

Any bros go any good test kits to recommend?

[Koji™]

I using the API one as well. So far so good. Cannot complain for I using farm's test kit for free ma.

[JeffL]

Originally Posted by cheetf

Something is not right with your tank. I think it is not fully cycled as the bacteria does not seem to be converting the ammonia.

How often do you dose BT-9? The other problem could be because you dose so much BT-9 that the bacteria in your tank cannot work fast enough.

I dose BT-9 liberally into my tank and my ammonia readings show 0. By the way I do not test the water immediately after I dose anything. I wait for whatever I dose to react a while first.

hmm what u say also makes sense. My nitrite is 0 and nitrate is 5, so overall seems ok.

what do u mean by 'does too much bt-9 then tank cannot work fast enough'? will it affect the test?

I only just used BT-9 few days ago

[JeffL]

another thing. I changed almost 30% of water that day after realizing high ammonia but the result was exactly the same.

If the test kit didn't go wrong how can the result be exactly the same, given that I changed so much water. It should at least drop a little.

thoughts?

Any form of commercial will needs time to activate.

Possible give some info about type of soil you use? Your bioload? How matured is your tank? All this will contribute to your test result de.

Dose too much will make the reading high too, imagine not enough bioload for the bb to change ammonia to nitrate, result is more bb starve and become a form of bioload too.

[karlyau]

i'm also using API test kit .. so far so good for my reef tank ...

if want more accurate one can try out the salifert test kit ...

just my opinion ... after you put in any source of bacteria into the tank it will show some ammonia in the water ... try to test it after 4 hour the reading should be zero ...

[cheetf]

Originally Posted by JeffL

hmm what u say also makes sense. My nitrite is 0 and nitrate is 5, so overall seems ok.

what do u mean by 'does too much bt-9 then tank cannot work fast enough'? will it affect the test?

I only just used BT-9 few days ago

Bro eviltrain and karlyau already explained what is meant by dose too much.

From your readings of ammonia and nitrate present are classic signs of a tank that is not fully cycled. I measured ammonia and nitrate throughout the process of cycling my tank. When it was fully cycled both the readings were 0 and stayed that way.