Nitrate Testing Kit

[JohnnySeven]

Hello All,

I have just returned to the hobby after a 30 year gap. I bought a tank (48 x 15 x 15 inches) and hood for a song courtesy of eBay. Bought the rest of the stuff on the internet (Eheim 2213, plants from Greenline, etc). I cycled the tank, got the ammonia and nitrites down to zero and introduced the first fish, Zebs and Harlequins.

My one slight concern is the level of nitrates. I use a liquid test kit from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc. to test pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, (7.2, 0, 0 and somewhere between 40 and 80 respectively). The colour card for the nitrate test is a bit tricky to use as the colours for 40ppm and 80ppm look the same to me (and everyone else I've showed it to). Worryingly, when I tested my tapwater it produced the same colour! So, I have two questions:

1. Is there a more sensitive nitrate test kit on the market?

2. Should I be concerned that I am providing my fish (and my children!) with water that may contain more than the legal limit of nitrates?

Thank in advance

PS - This forum has been an invaluable resource for me over the last few weeks - Thanks all

 

[rdd1952]

I use the API test kits too and they are difficult to read. I'm not sure about a easier to read kit. My nitrates run pretty low in the tank and 0 from the tap so I've never really worried about the colors being hard to differentiate. Do you know how old the test kit is? I have heard/read that the nitrate kits can become inaccurate with age. Check with your local water company about the nitrate level and see what they say. High nitrates are bad for human consumption but I don't think 40 ppm is that bad. It seems that a lot of the UK members have tap water in that range. I think it is more dangerous for infants that older children and adults. If your family has been drinking it all along, there probably isn't any danger.