I tested my home water and found it has NiTRITES 5ppm or so. No ammonia, no nitrates.

I put some Amaquel + and retested the next day and it still showed Nitrites. I tried Prime and it still tested positive for Nitrites.

I tested my fully cycled tanks (Which use the same tap water) and they test zero NitRITEs.

I'm scratching my head. Do these products through off the tests? Meaning they neutralize the ammonia, chlorine, nitrites etc but throw off the tests?

Any ideas?

I doubt any of tose products will do anything to nitirites. As far as I know, consumtion by nirifying bacteria is the only way to reduce nitrites. You naturaly wouldn't see any in a cycled tank, even if there were some in the source water because they would be converted to nitrates.

As an asside, you have just provided an excelent example as to why it's important to use RO/DI water in a reef.

Both products are suppose to remove or render harmless the following. Ammonia, NitRITES and chlorines.

I am in the middle of a set up tanks cycle, I have a sponge from an establised tank which is helping but its not quit up to speed. I am doing water changes to keep the chemicals down. Prime is suppose to be used to quickly reduce NitRITE and ammonia toxicity. My question is do these products work as advertised.

Once I have my filter established I won't need them. I can't get the ammonia and Nitrite to read low on my chemical tests using Prime or Amaquel.

I'd guess it somehow binds them, whitch would explain why it still shows up on a test. It says it renders them non-toxic, not that it removes them. I'd guess that's the case here.

I read a bit further and the products state that ammonia and Nitrite testing will still be positive.

So it seems they render the nitrite harmless and does mess up testing.

The problem I see is knowing what percentage of the tested molecule is toxic. ie. You test 10ppm ammonia. Maybe 100% of it is bound or maybe only 60% is bound with 40% toxic.
I kept adding a little each day because I knew my filter was not up to speed yet.

The skeptic in me asks "If you still test positive for these compounds do the products really work"?

I was thinking the same thing. We have no way of knowing for sure that the product is working.
The only way is by observing the fish. If the fish act strange then the product might not be working.
If the don't die then it might be.

What I did was change about all the water when I knew the filter was working. Then tested for ammonia and nitrite. That way I know most of the Prime is out of the system and I can once again trust my water testing results.

Did you say this was a tank you are cycling?

These products definately work. I've used them straight for a whole year on two overcrowded uncycled tank and on a 3rd seahorse fry raising tank which is perhaps the most ammonia producing tank you can have set up IMO. When I saw the fry getting antsy I would throw in some ammonia binder and they would settle very quickly. I've used them intermittently for years before they were even in liquid form.

As far as ammonia you have to make sure you are testing with a Salicylate-type reagent test kit and not Nessler. The Nessler will always say result positive but the salicylate will be negative appropriately. As new unbound ammonia is produced it will be detected by the salicylate.

As far as dosing with Amquel and not testing until the next day.... the product is only good for 24 hours. By the "next day" the nitrite would have become unbound and is indeed back in your tank in it's harmful form. Put the Amquel in cup with some tank water, give it a good shake and then put it in the water a give it just a little time to mix. Say 20 minutes alter test and see what you get. I've never known a test to become positive for nitrites after I added the solution.

I've always used the product Ultimate. Prime and Amquel+ stink like skunk after a month of being opened. You are also not suppose to mix different product in the same tank. They may have the same effect but they are not made up of the same compounds and don't play well together.

I use Welcome to Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (http://www.aquariumpharm.com/en_us/productCategory.asp?categoryname=TestKits)

The API and tester strips both showed nitrite after Amaquel. But the bottle said they would test positive even though the product is working.


I would like a test kit that gave the true results when using these cycling products.

So you are cycling your tank. Don't add anything. Let it go through the motions.