test kit inaccurate?

ScienceAchieved · 12/13/2014, 04:11 PM

I have a 55 gallon, for about 6 months all I had in it had been some soft coral, a peppermint shrimp, and 3 blue leg hermits. Over the past week, I added 2 4 stripe damsels, a maroon clown (all around 1") 8 trochus snails, and a huge mexican turbo. The damsels have been in 6 days, and the clown and snails 3. Ive been overfeeding trying to figure out what the clown will eat, and how to get it to find the food before it sinks.
anyway, I was expecting a big jump in nitrates, and on standby for water changes. There seems to be some accelerated algae growth, but the snails consume it pretty fast. I test daily with an api master kit, everthings at 0, thoughThe tests were previously working, they showed while/after the cycle and a small spike about a month ago. I feel like there should be something noticeable after adding all this so quickly. Would it take longer than a week to build to a detectable level? Worried the tests are off, cant get to the lfs for a Few days.
my ammonia nitritr nitrate shows 0
Sg-1.024
Ph-8.4
alk-10

gone fishin · 12/13/2014, 04:15 PM

IMO a well cycled tank will handle that small of a bioload addition very well. I would be concerned if I picked up something. The algae is probably from the over feeding Good luck

TreyC2010 · 12/13/2014, 06:33 PM

Be careful with the Damsels. People say the get too aggressive and hard to catch.

Denbf58 · 12/14/2014, 07:48 AM

some times api kit are not that accurate it is not uncommon to have 0 readings and still have algae growth as the algae consumes the nutrients are you testing for phosphates?

Crooked Reef · 12/14/2014, 08:27 AM

API aren't the most accurate but if they are registering 0 you are probably close to 0. The inacuracy generally comes with trying to read the colors for the results. What is probably happening is that your bioload is easily taken care of by the live rock you have. The excess food is getting eaten by your clean up crew fast enough that it is not breaking down yet. What nitrates and phosphates that are left by the food are being consumed by the algae. Once the algae can't keep up the levels will spike. Hopefully that won't happen very quickly and you can keep on top of it with water changes.

ScienceAchieved · 12/14/2014, 09:44 AM

Thanks, guys. Ive been a little concerned somethings been off, but im being pretty overcautious. My refractometer calibration fluid was bad, barely figured out the problem before the tank crashed, now im kinda paranoid about everything. I had a full spectrum test done at lfs about a week ago, no phosphate, everthing was good.
Those damsels are pretty aggressive, but I really like their shape and coloration. Not planning on adding any other fish, everything else that I find appealing fishwise wouldn't be happy in a 55.
Thanks again

12/13/2014, 04:11 PM	#1
ScienceAchieved Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 102	test kit inaccurate? I have a 55 gallon, for about 6 months all I had in it had been some soft coral, a peppermint shrimp, and 3 blue leg hermits. Over the past week, I added 2 4 stripe damsels, a maroon clown (all around 1") 8 trochus snails, and a huge mexican turbo. The damsels have been in 6 days, and the clown and snails 3. Ive been overfeeding trying to figure out what the clown will eat, and how to get it to find the food before it sinks. anyway, I was expecting a big jump in nitrates, and on standby for water changes. There seems to be some accelerated algae growth, but the snails consume it pretty fast. I test daily with an api master kit, everthings at 0, thoughThe tests were previously working, they showed while/after the cycle and a small spike about a month ago. I feel like there should be something noticeable after adding all this so quickly. Would it take longer than a week to build to a detectable level? Worried the tests are off, cant get to the lfs for a Few days. my ammonia nitritr nitrate shows 0 Sg-1.024 Ph-8.4 alk-10

12/13/2014, 04:15 PM	#2
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	IMO a well cycled tank will handle that small of a bioload addition very well. I would be concerned if I picked up something. The algae is probably from the over feeding Good luck __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

12/13/2014, 06:33 PM	#3
TreyC2010 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Mississippi Posts: 14	Be careful with the Damsels. People say the get too aggressive and hard to catch. __________________ Just call me "The Reefer". Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef/fish tank. EQUIPMENT: Two Emperor 400 Power filters, reef octopus classic 90 HOB skimmer, koralia 425 & 600 powerheads, 48" Fluval LED, 2 100 watt Aqueon heaters.

12/14/2014, 07:48 AM	#4
Denbf58 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: selden N.Y. Posts: 885	some times api kit are not that accurate it is not uncommon to have 0 readings and still have algae growth as the algae consumes the nutrients are you testing for phosphates? __________________ Life is good Current Tank Info: 75gal reef ready koralia 3, 30g sump, 4b 48" t5s lighting, 29g reef with breeding pair clowns 55g reef 55g freshwater

12/14/2014, 08:27 AM	#5
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	API aren't the most accurate but if they are registering 0 you are probably close to 0. The inacuracy generally comes with trying to read the colors for the results. What is probably happening is that your bioload is easily taken care of by the live rock you have. The excess food is getting eaten by your clean up crew fast enough that it is not breaking down yet. What nitrates and phosphates that are left by the food are being consumed by the algae. Once the algae can't keep up the levels will spike. Hopefully that won't happen very quickly and you can keep on top of it with water changes. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

12/14/2014, 09:44 AM	#6
ScienceAchieved Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 102	Thanks, guys. Ive been a little concerned somethings been off, but im being pretty overcautious. My refractometer calibration fluid was bad, barely figured out the problem before the tank crashed, now im kinda paranoid about everything. I had a full spectrum test done at lfs about a week ago, no phosphate, everthing was good. Those damsels are pretty aggressive, but I really like their shape and coloration. Not planning on adding any other fish, everything else that I find appealing fishwise wouldn't be happy in a 55. Thanks again