Ammoia Loc effecgs

[eyeonforever]

When I first started the tank the ammonia was low but now spiked into the green zone.  I used  AmmoLoc on it a few times and Fresh Start water conditioner.  I had heard that AmmoLoc does NOT lower the ammonia READING even though it is lowering the amonia.  Is that right?  I changed 50 percent of the water and tested it and it is still ammonia in the green zone.  Does AmmoniaLoc not indicate the right level after using it?

This is a bare bottom tank  with a medium sponge filter and an AquaClear filter running.  How can I lower the ammonia and be able to get a correct reading when I manually check for ammonia?  Someone mentioned using sea shell sand?

[Coronal Mass Ejection Carl]

A lot of people complain of off-the-charts ammonia readings after using Ammo Lock. Yet they also say their fish are doing just fine.

The salicylate ammonia test is prone to false positives from amino acids and Ammo Lock is an amine according to its SDS so that's my best guess as to why this happens.

So while you can no longer get meaningful ammonia test results there's a reasonable chance the  ammonia is no longer toxic (API does provide evidence of Ammo Lock's efficacy and is the only manufacturer to do so that I know of).

[eyeonforever]

Thank you for your very extended explanation as to why this happens.  I was getting really frustrated.