Nitrate Test Kit Wanted.

[jmuccillo]

Can anyone suggest a good Nitrate test kit for fresh water use.

 

[shrimply]

Can anyone suggest a good Nitrate test kit for fresh water use.

At the minute I have
NO2
NO3
and pH tests all made by nurafin and they work well but I think they are one of the more expensive, cheaper range of tests, if that makes sense. I also have a tetra KH test ordered and I don't really think it matters as long as they do what you want.

 

[zig]

I just use the API (aquarium pharaceuticals inc) nitrate test kit, i find it ok, make sure you follow the instructions on the kit whatever one you buy, they normally come in 2 parts an A and B solution, but you must agitate them properly for the required amount of time or they will give you false readings, thats probably the most important thing with nitrate test kits.

Its very debateable as to which one is more accurate at the hobby level unless you get into spending serious money on Lamotte kits or something lke that, that said i find the API kit reasonably ok and they are cheap.

 

[jmuccillo]

Thanks zig,

The reason I asked the question was that I actually have been using a Hagen test kit but for some time it has been giving me some dubious results. The readings are a lot less than I expect. I actually carried out an experiment in which I dissolved a known quantity of KNO3 in a bucket of water and when tested the readings were a lot less than I expected by a factor of 10 or more. Not sure whether its a problem with my test kit, my testing method or my KNO3 but I wanted to get another kit to check the results.

Is the API kit easy to read (especially around 0 - 20 mg/l)? The colour charts used on the Hagen kit are difficult to disseminate.

 

[Sean_Buckley]

The API test isn't really very easy to read. The colours are quite similar between levels, so it's hard to see what level you're at. Also, IME, it doesn't give very accurate readings. Mine tells me that I have 180 ppm right out of the tap! And, I've been successfully keeping FW tanks for 4 years, planted for about 2 or 3, and SW for about 1 year. So, obviously, the test isn't very accurate. I plan on getting something like a Salifert for nitrate.
Sean

 

[zig]

The API test isn't really very easy to read. The colours are quite similar between levels, so it's hard to see what level you're at. Also, IME, it doesn't give very accurate readings. Mine tells me that I have 180 ppm right out of the tap! And, I've been successfully keeping FW tanks for 4 years, planted for about 2 or 3, and SW for about 1 year. So, obviously, the test isn't very accurate. I plan on getting something like a Salifert for nitrate.
Sean

IME it they do give accurate readings relatively speaking (relative to the amount of nitrates i put into the tank via KNO3 is reflected in the readings the kit gives me), certainly any of the kits i have owned and i had a few at this stage have been reasonably accurate, nitrate kits can go off or go sour relatively quickly so its important you change them regularily every six months or so, agreed the colours are hard to read particularily when you get over 20ppm, under 20ppm i can read the colour chart reasonably ok, if your kit is giving you readings of 180ppm its certainly time for a change, but bear in mind most hobby test kits are prone to error.

 

[George Farmer]

I'm still trying to decide on a kit. I've used the Nutrafins previously but fancy a change.

This is a good read - http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...p?article_id=96

 

[jimbooo]

i use the red sea low range nitrate kit

0-20ppm in 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 increments it's the best i've come across so far for the low end scale, colours are very obvious.

however i've run out, just did a 20 min search to link to and noone seems to sell them. it's not even listed on the red sea site. dam it why do they discontinue the stuff we want.

 

[jmuccillo]

Thanks for the PFK article. It was quite and eye opener. Some of these kits do appear to give quite misleading results.

I've noticed the date on my test kit box is 15/2/2004 so there's a good chance the reagents have expired and it's time to get a new one anyway.

 

[Sean_Buckley]

What happens to the colour if it is off the testing range? For example, if the test kit only goes to 20 ppm, and your nitrate is 40ppm, does the colour just go the same as if it was 20ppm, or the highest level tested for?
Sean
EDIT: Why would BigAlsOnline.ca have the reagent for the Nutrafin nitrate test, and all other fathomable tests, but only the reagent for the nitrate? Not the whole kit?!

 

[businesslamb]

I've found the nutrafin nitrate kit gives me 5ppm every time (even after my fishless cycle)which I'm sure can't be right. It seems to work by reducing the nitrate to nitrite and since reducing agents are not usually very stable especially in solution it may well have gone off (plus the bottle is really fiddly to use) also if you have nitrites then you get a huge false positive. The Ammonia and nitrite kits have been ok though. but I would take the absolute figures on the charts with a pinch of salt and work on the principle it can tell me if there is none, a little, a bit more and oh s**t.

Cheers

Businesslamb

 

[jmuccillo]

I've found the nutrafin nitrate kit gives me 5ppm every time (even after my fishless cycle)which I'm sure can't be right. It seems to work by reducing the nitrate to nitrite and since reducing agents are not usually very stable especially in solution it may well have gone off (plus the bottle is really fiddly to use) also if you have nitrites then you get a huge false positive. The Ammonia and nitrite kits have been ok though. but I would take the absolute figures on the charts with a pinch of salt and work on the principle it can tell me if there is none, a little, a bit more and oh s**t.

The only time I've been able to get an oh s**t reading with my Hagen kit is to toss a load of KNO3 in a small container of water and take a reading. But even then trying to tell the difference between really dark purple and really really dark purple is a challenge. You could interpret the results as being anywhere from around 40ppm to 110ppm.

Interesting about the effects of nitrites though - not that there should be any in my tank

 

[jmuccillo]

I ended up getting a Tetra Nitrate test kit. Main reasons were availability (some are difficult to get here) and secondly a LFS that deals mainly in marines recommended it to me.

I've calibrated it against known solutions of KNO3 and it seems to give reasonable results. My only criticism of the kit is that the lowest non-zero reading on the colour chart is 12.5ppm and when I tested a 5ppm solution it read as 12.5ppm. I suppose for what I will be using it for it will be accurate enough.

When tested with the new kit my tank water has 25ppm Nitrate. My previous kit indicated <5ppm so there was clearly something wrong with it.

I think from now on I will calibrate the kit every few months or so to check it is still producing reasonable readings.

Oh well that’s the nitrate kit out of the way. Now for a good phosphate kit.

 

[George Farmer]

Now for a good phosphate kit.

That one's easy. The Nutrafin is cheap enough and reliable IME. It measures down to 0.25ppm up to 5ppm so is ideal. It also scored top in a Practical Fishkeeping magazine review.

It is the only kit I ever use now. Due to my dosing I know that (generally) my nitrate will be 10x the PO4.

 

[jmuccillo]

Thanks.

Sounds good. I've just placed one on order.