Salifert NH4 Test not reading high levels

[AT_Hiker]

So for the last 11 days I've been going through the process of doing a fishless cycle of my quarantine tank using Dr. Tim's One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria (NB) and Ammonium Chloride (AC), which was also purchased from Dr. Tim's. You are supposed to add the NB, and then bring AC up to 3 ppm. Anytime Ammonia or Nitrites are low you are supposed to add more AC to bring it up to 3 ppm. I have a 20 gal. QT, and the bottle of AC says that 1 ml of AC = 2 ppm in a 20 gal tank.

First day I added 1 ml of AC. NH4 was zero the next day, so I added 1.5 ml. By the 3rd day I was reading ~ 1.3 ppm on my NH4 test. Because the instructions say to bring AC to 3 ppm everday I've been adding at least 1 ml of AC to try to get it there, but my Salifert NH4 test never reads anything above ~1.3 ppm.

Now I'm starting to think that the Salifert test is just topping out at 1.3, but the color comparison card leads me to believe that it can read up to 2 ppm. Yesterday I didn't add any AC...and the NH4 reading today was 1.3

As of day 11 of my cycle, which seems like a long time when using Nitrifying Bacteria. NH4 is ~1.3 ppm, NO2 is 1 ppm, N03 is 50 ppm, and PH is ~8.2.

Is there something wrong with my NH4 test kit, or am I doing something wrong?

Here is a pic of the NH4 test result which is the same everyday:


Here is how I dosed Ammonium Chloride everday, and the daily test readings. Note: I don't test for N03 or PH everyday:
Day 1: NH4 0, N02 0.01, N03 .5 PH 8.2 - Dosed 1 ml AC
Day 2: NH4 0, N02 0, N03 .7 PH 8.2 - Dosed 1.5 ml AC
Day 3: NH4 1.3 , N02 0 - Dosed .5 ml AC
Day 4: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.01 - Dosed 1 ml AC
Day 5: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.01, N03 7 - Dosed .5 ml AC
Day 6: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.15 - Dosed 1 ml AC
Day 7: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.20 - Dosed 1 ml AC
Day 8: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.50 - Dosed 1 ml AC
Day 9: NH4 1.3 , N02 0.50 - Dosed 2 ml AC
Day 10: NH4 1.3 , N02 1, N03 50, PH 8,2 - Did not dose AC
Day 11: NH4 1.3 , N02 1 - Did not dose AC (TODAY)

Should I be doing something different?

[bnumair]

judging from the color of water and the chart it looks like under 1.0 the pic cuts off but i am assuming its 0.5.

[AT_Hiker]

Here is a image that shows the lower portion of the color comparision card.
Unless I've suddenly gone color blind I think the color of the vial is much too orange to be less than 1. The lower readings are more yellow.

[bnumair]

again judging from the pic it looks dark. ur suppose to have light source on ur back with ur shadow on the vial. then place the vial right next to the chart and compare.

[AT_Hiker]

I always read my sample under bright light. Just have to move to a different location so my wife could hold the vial while I took the picture. The color looks the same as the picture under bright light. Under the brightest of light the sample is a peach color with no hints of yellow.