Isaac M Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 @Biotope Biologist I will try this tonight and report back. I would have imagined that the titrant would have yielded a different color than the 1ppm concentration though. Also, my 1ppm test yielded the same color on the test strip as the 2ppm test @ARMYVET did which is odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) It seems to me that the test strips are only test for the presence of ammonia which it does show by a change in color but does not show with accuracy the concentration of ammonia seeing how all of the concentrations are coming out in the same color. I tested .5 ppm …1.0 ppm … 1.5 ppm and 2 ppm and all read the same color. Showed the presence but not the actual value from what I experienced and what @Isaac M experienced. I’m sure this development will give @Corynew questions for the manufacturer. Edited June 18, 2021 by ARMYVET Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 (edited) The only time I have encountered off the charts readings was when I tested water with a diluted bleach product. The product had more than just bleach in it. I imagine some sort of insanely basic detergent. Anyway I literally melted one of those pH test strips. All the color drained from the pad and it had a swirl of purple (it's highest reading) and yellow (mid-range reading) at the bottom. I tested this solution with 5 different test strips from 5 different containers and products before finally using our lab's electronic pH reader. Which read 13.2. Keep in mind 14 is the maximum on the pH scale. So all of this to say that once you go past the threshold the colors no longer make any sense. ___I should also add technically 0 and 14 aren't the true "maximum and minimum" as negative values and values above 14 are possible.____ Edited June 18, 2021 by Biotope Biologist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 @Biotope Biologist I ran the test again, this time testing with 4 drops which should give me 2ppm of ammonia and 6 drops which should give me 3ppm of ammonia. 4 Drop results Test strip result: 0.5ppm API result: 2 ppm, maybe 1.5 ppm? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 6 Drops result Test Strip: 0.5ppm API: Got a little darker, maybe 2-3ppm? The test strips still show the same color of 0.5ppm. I am not sure what is causing this but I am sure the great team at Aquarium Co-op will figure it out. The bottle of Dr. Tims does say that it produces ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), not sure if that is helpful to solving the issue but it is worth mentioning. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted June 28, 2021 Administrators Share Posted June 28, 2021 Wanted to update that we got our Dr Tims to start testing with. It's reading accurately for us.... Which just makes this even harder. Are you open to possibly sending us yours, and us buying you a replacement? We want to test here, and then send it to a lab to be analyzed. We found it accurate in the lower end range we tested, and the above 6 range we tested. We basically were able to replicate the lab results and cannot explain why there seems to be a problem thus far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 On 6/28/2021 at 1:51 PM, Cory said: Wanted to update that we got our Dr Tims to start testing with. It's reading accurately for us.... Which just makes this even harder. Are you open to possibly sending us yours, and us buying you a replacement? We want to test here, and then send it to a lab to be analyzed. We found it accurate in the lower end range we tested, and the above 6 range we tested. We basically were able to replicate the lab results and cannot explain why there seems to be a problem thus far. Cory I have no problem sending you in both my Bottle of ammonia test strips and the bottle of Dr. Tims ammonia just to make sure there is not a discrepancy with the DR. Tims Products. Please Pm me an address to where you would like it sent and I will send it immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted June 28, 2021 Administrators Share Posted June 28, 2021 On 6/28/2021 at 11:24 AM, ARMYVET said: Cory I have no problem sending you in both my Bottle of ammonia test strips and the bottle of Dr. Tims ammonia just to make sure there is not a discrepancy with the DR. Tims Products. Please Pm me an address to where you would like it sent and I will send it immediately. I don't have the ability to PM as them turned off, so I don't get flooded. However you can send them to our store: 9661 Firdale AVE Edmonds WA 98020 Then if you want to email our customer service we can send out some new test strips, and either a gift card for the dr tims, or a different product we sell of a similar price. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 On 6/28/2021 at 2:31 PM, Cory said: I don't have the ability to PM as them turned off, so I don't get flooded. However you can send them to our store: 9661 Firdale AVE Edmonds WA 98020 Then if you want to email our customer service we can send out some new test strips, and either a gift card for the dr tims, or a different product we sell of a similar price. Thanks Thank you very much for really trying to figure this all out for us. I will have it in the mail tomorrow. Ill package everything up tonight and tape the liquid bottle so it doesn't leak. I will message back to let you know they are on the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 @Cory Is there a lot number printed on the bottle of test strips? I dont have my bottle in front of me so I cant tell if so what lot is your bottle.....I will post mine when I get home. Possibility of a weird lot? Just one more variable to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted June 28, 2021 Administrators Share Posted June 28, 2021 I don't believe we have lot numbers, we could track it back to purchase date however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 28, 2021 Author Share Posted June 28, 2021 I can tell you mine was purchased on May 29th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 On 6/28/2021 at 2:31 PM, Cory said: I don't have the ability to PM as them turned off, so I don't get flooded. However you can send them to our store: 9661 Firdale AVE Edmonds WA 98020 Then if you want to email our customer service we can send out some new test strips, and either a gift card for the dr tims, or a different product we sell of a similar price. Thanks Hey @Cory all boxed up ...labled and headed to the post office. Would you like for me to send you the tracking number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted June 29, 2021 Administrators Share Posted June 29, 2021 no tracking number needed 😉 thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 Hey @Cory Just wanted to confirm you got the package. I know you have been crazy busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted July 6, 2021 Administrators Share Posted July 6, 2021 We did receive them. Should be testing by this weekend I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 On 7/6/2021 at 2:02 PM, Cory said: We did receive them. Should be testing by this weekend I hope. Good...looking forward to what you find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattMC Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 @Cory @ARMYVET Any news here? Found this post as I am experiencing very similar issues with my strips and was trying to figure out if I just got a bad bottle. My multi strips work perfect but the ammonia ones show zero on known ammonia containing water (because is dosed it to 2ppm, also with Dr Tim's) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Cory Posted February 13 Administrators Share Posted February 13 I don't think we ever got to the bottom of it, because with our testing it worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattMC Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 @Cory Thanks, hrm, not sure why mine is not then I am dipping once per second, for 30 seconds and then immediately reading the result, shows zero...but if I let it sit, it will start to darken around the outside edge of the strip to the color I would have expected. The videos you posted earlier in the thread showing from the lab exactly how to perform the test are no longer working, do you perhaps have a new link to that video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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