This may not be news to a lot of you, but it was to me and possibly for some other newbies out there so I thought I would post the information. I could not see expiration dates on my reagents for my API kit so I hit the internet and found this information - it comes direct from API.
Look at the lot # on the reagent - the last four digits will tell you the month and year the reagent was manufactured, i.e. Lot #26A0209 - this is for nitrite manufactured in Feb 2009.
The reagent time lines are:
Lasts 3 Years from manufactured date:
Ammonia
NitrAte
Calcium
Phosphate
High pH
Copper
GH
Lasts 4 Years from manufactured date:
NitrIte
KH
Lasts 5 Years from manufactured date:
Ph
So from the example above nitrite manufactured in Feb, 2009 is good untill Feb 2013. Also if you bought a kit not all the reagents in the kit will have the same manufactured date so note the date on each bottle, and yes ammonia bottle #1 may have a different date then ammonia bottle #2, so be careful of those dates.
API also shared that there test, along with a lot of other test kits, have a slight problem with thier nitrAte bottle #2. Apparently, the last bottle of the reagent for thier (and other companies) nitrAte tests has a substance that by nature likes to separate from the liquid and form solids in the bottom of the container. Therefore it is essential that you do shake the bottle vigorously for a min of 30-60 seconds to fully reintigrate the chemicals. Additionally, they added that if your nitrAte test has not been used for a while, i.e. longer than a week or two, they recommend turning the bottle up side down and tapping (hard) a few times on a table then shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes to fully reintegrate the chemicals before use. Not doing this may result in a false LOW reading.
Sorry if this is old news to you, but it was new to me so I thought I would share, just in case anyone else did not know.
Thanks
Look at the lot # on the reagent - the last four digits will tell you the month and year the reagent was manufactured, i.e. Lot #26A0209 - this is for nitrite manufactured in Feb 2009.
The reagent time lines are:
Lasts 3 Years from manufactured date:
Ammonia
NitrAte
Calcium
Phosphate
High pH
Copper
GH
Lasts 4 Years from manufactured date:
NitrIte
KH
Lasts 5 Years from manufactured date:
Ph
So from the example above nitrite manufactured in Feb, 2009 is good untill Feb 2013. Also if you bought a kit not all the reagents in the kit will have the same manufactured date so note the date on each bottle, and yes ammonia bottle #1 may have a different date then ammonia bottle #2, so be careful of those dates.
API also shared that there test, along with a lot of other test kits, have a slight problem with thier nitrAte bottle #2. Apparently, the last bottle of the reagent for thier (and other companies) nitrAte tests has a substance that by nature likes to separate from the liquid and form solids in the bottom of the container. Therefore it is essential that you do shake the bottle vigorously for a min of 30-60 seconds to fully reintigrate the chemicals. Additionally, they added that if your nitrAte test has not been used for a while, i.e. longer than a week or two, they recommend turning the bottle up side down and tapping (hard) a few times on a table then shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes to fully reintegrate the chemicals before use. Not doing this may result in a false LOW reading.
Sorry if this is old news to you, but it was new to me so I thought I would share, just in case anyone else did not know.
Thanks
