Nitrate test kit

moosehead · #1 03-29-2016, 10:44 PM

Hello was gonna get a new nitrate test kit as mine expired in 2007!!wondering what people are using and finding to be the most acuarate lately.
My P04 is 0 on a brand new salifert
N03 is 1-2 on my 2007 expired salifert so thinking it may be off.

patpare · #2 03-30-2016, 01:50 AM

I've been using NYOS test kits and I find them very simple to use!
As for how accurate it is I haven't compared it with any other test kits

Myka · #3 03-30-2016, 02:23 AM

Salifert is still a good everyday kit. I use it for client tanks. For really low nitrate levels (less than 1 ppm) I prefer the Red Sea Pro kit which seems to be more accurate at the low levels, but it takes 9 minutes for the color to develop, and most people don't care if the tank is 0.25 ppm or 1 ppm. I like nitrate to be 2-5 ppm in LPS/mixed reefs anyway, so Salifert is a perfectly good kit.

moosehead · #4 03-31-2016, 11:28 AM

Great sounds good . I went to red sea for my KH/Mag/Cal and really like them so il stick with them if they have a good one aswell. Thanks for the info

Myka · #5 03-31-2016, 12:55 PM

Red Sea or Red Sea Pro? They make two different kits. I can't stand the Red Sea Pro Mg kit - once it's gone I'm not going to buy one again.

moosehead · #6 03-31-2016, 03:58 PM

I use the pro, don't test mag or cal to much so that one doesn't bother me a like there Kh it's nice and easy and do it around every 5 days. Used to use salifert Ca but then one of there kits was testing around 500 and I double checked with 2 other kits and they showed 420 so no more salifert CA for me. Bought the 3 in one red sea pro.

orangetang · #7 07-14-2016, 04:28 AM

Curious if anyone else has found that the API Master Kits (Fresh or Saltwater) do not ever register a value (no color swing) with the Nitrate test.

I have 3 separate kits of the dropper type, and one API idiot strip tube. In some VERY bad water from a stagnant unplugged tank I put these to the test. The dip stick showed ~200 ppm of nitrates, while STILL, all 3 API kits tested at 0 ppm. I've also yet to ever see a positive for Ammonia or Nitrite on the same kits.

Phosphate works, PH works, Ca and KH work...

Anyone else find this?

Myka · #8 07-14-2016, 04:36 AM

Maybe you need a new one? I used to use API for daily checks on my breeding systems because it was economical. I wrote the date I opened them on the package and found they would wander in accuracy after about 8-12 months, but this is the case for most test kits and brands Ime.

jhj0112 · #9 07-14-2016, 05:19 AM

I have been using API test kit for Nitrates, KH and Calcium. I think it is decent but am thinking of switching it to salifert.
I know API is the worst on phosphate measurement thus I use hanna checker.
Is there anyone else who uses API?

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orangetang · #10 07-14-2016, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

Maybe you need a new one? I used to use API for daily checks on my breeding systems because it was economical. I wrote the date I opened them on the package and found they would wander in accuracy after about 8-12 months, but this is the case for most test kits and brands Ime.

Same results from one straight from the store. I don't believe these kits work at all.

The 5 in 1 test strips give real-ish numbers, but the dropper tests seem not to work at all.