I'm having trouble deciphering the reading on my PH test. It's a API liquid test.

Several tests of the tank water have the same result - a pale, light blue color. The colors on the card range from a light yellow to several shades of green to a brighter blue. How do I interpret the results?.... by the intensity of the color or by the color itself? Do I read this as the bottom reading (the bright blue one) even though the test resulted in a light pale blue? or do I read by the paleness and match it up on one of the pale green readings?

sorry about the photo - it's the best I could do - hopefully the point comes across



thanks

I would see that as a 7.6 the bottom Blue.

The bluer the test results, the higher the pH, as soon as you start going green, you are going below 7.0 and acidic.

I concur with Nickisue

Codeman_T USMC wrote:


x3
you can get 3 different PH tests from low/medium/high. medium works for most people.

okay that is the "normal" ph test(6.0-7.6) your using, and it only goes to 7.6, and your color indicates you could be off the charts, or atleast 7.6. if you got the API freshwater master kit, there should be another "high range" (7.4-8.8)ph test kit, i need you to test it with that one and post your results, as i think you may have a PH well above the 7.6 of the standard test's indicator range, because even if its higher, that solution will only indicate a 7.6, it wont go any other color than that light blue if higher. if im wrong you can laugh and point and call me names, but i think im right about this one.

thanks everyone - I don't have the master test kit, but the individual one (Win named it - the 6.0-7.6). Even though the blue in the test water is so pale and light compared to the results card (which is dark/bright) - I now understand I go by the color and not the intensity of the color.

All the other tests (ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite) are so obvious for me to read - not sure why I'm so daft on this one.

Rather than going out and getting the higher kit, I think I should worry about the PH being too high and trying to get it down a bit?

DOH - just read another post; as long as my Ph is between 6 and 8 (and stable) I shouldn't mess with it.

MeghanR wrote:


There you go girl!! It will be fine as long as it is stable.

just to follow up on this, did you ever test with a high range ph test kit?

Im with win. What that results means if you have a Ph of 7.6 or higher. You need to get a tester for the higher range to get an accurate result

thank god, i was beginning to think i was crazy...