Hello, I'm hoping to post a picture of my ammonia test below. This is the first time I've tried this so it might go wrong! I'm new to all this and have just started testing the water with a Sera ammonia test kit. Trouble is I'm not sure if I'm reading it right, see pic below, does that look like the first colour ie no ammonia to you? I've photographed by the window and the colour is accurate. Any input welcome. Cheers!

Yeah it looks like the yellow for 0 ammonia.

I agree with JOH. That is yellow; no ammonia.

I like that test kit with the fat jars. The skinny test tubes that come with my API kits tip over if you look at it the wrong way.

That's good news then! Am currently using Zeolite to absorb ammonia (as advised by PixieFish) as this is a hospital tank. Seems it's doing it's job!

That is great - remember to keep testing the water everyday for ammonia when using Zeolite. It is great stuff, but when it is "full" it just stops binding the ammonia and BANG, you have ammonia. Then you need to change water and recharge the zeolite in a salt bath.....


As far as test tubes that tip over, people have come up with many different types of "stands" ..... from drilling holes in the top of an old CD box (round) to cutting slots in foam....

I took a piece of oak and drilled holes in it. Each hole is numbered (so I can remember which tube is what tank....) and it is water resistant. This way, your tubes never will roll off a table and break again!

OMG, I hate that! It happens all the time with me. Can't tell you how many I've broken too.

oooh! aaaaaah! Great idea!!!!! I'm emailing that pic to hubby right now. He says he'll make me one. Woo hoo!!!!

Wow he's such a good hubby Lola. He's definitely a keeper.

Hello, me again. Darly may I ask - I didn't realise I could 'recharge' the Zeolite. I've already chucked one bag full away! What exactly is a salt bath (I guess just water and salt but am wondering quantities) and how long does it take to recharge? I've got so much to learn...

Most keepers that I have talked with recharge their zeolite in a 0.8ppm salt bath. That is 8tsp per gallon......

I go for more - but in smaller volume. I use a 2 quart container and add in 4-5 tablespoons of salt to 2 quarts of water. Dissolve this and drop in the bag of zeolite. I then shake it up really well and leave it sitting on my fish counter. I drop in another bag of zeolite in the interim.

When I want to exchange bags, I dump out the salt solution, rinse the bag of recharged zeolite really well in fresh water and put it back in the filter, taking out the "used" bag and putting it into the quart container of new salt solution. Make a new solution for each bag and do not forget to rinse before replacing the bag in the tank.

DO NOT USE SALT IN YOUR QT TANK WHEN USING ZEOLITE!!!!! It will drop all its ammonia in a matter of moments - poisoning the fish.

Recharging probably only takes about 10 minutes - but I simply leave the bags in from change to change..... it is easier.

Let your tests tell you all is well - test often when using zeolite.

That's really helpful, thanks!