Nitrates from 5ppm to 100+ppm in a day?

[Gpettit721]

so as the title states my nitrates shot through the roof in a day.... Nothing died in the tank and I did a 20 percent water change today and decided to check my nitrates after and they are through the roof. I checked my top off water and that is through the roof and I checked my rodi water and that's through the roof. Could it be my salifert test has gone bad? I left the bottle cap open for a while.

 

[bump3rb33tl3]

Seems like a good place to start by double checking the readings with a different test kit.

 

[Gpettit721]

Wish I had one available

 

[kevindo123]

Test the your kit against new salt water. It should be 0.

 

[Gpettit721]

I just did... It was 100+

 

[Gpettit721]

On the way to the store now picking up another

 

[Elementalj]

I like to have an extra test kit for everything. Even if the problem ends up being user error.
I keep a small bottle of jungle test strips laying about to confirm or deny the readings if my main kits are giving me strange results.

 

[Gpettit721]

Normally I do too but I ran out so I just started using my back up.... Whoops....would have much rather posted my new build thread than this but I'm on the way home now with s fresh kit so I'll figure it out in a little

 

[BoneXriffic]

Short of using your tank as a toilet iwould imagine kits bad

 

[Gpettit721]

Yea just retested with Red Sea....2ppm

 

[Elementalj]

I'd feel better

 

[Gpettit721]

Yea I do.... On to the build thread

 

[Ontheway]

Easiest exit in such situations, collect some water from boiling teapot and test it after cooling. Costs you extra couple of minutes.

 

[Gpettit721]

It didn't make sense cause my tank is 95 percent Sps (75 frags) and not a single one was showing any signs of stress but my fear was that some how my fresh sw was high in nitrates

 

[Gpettit721]

I knew something was up after my rodi water tested over 100.... Now the question is what ruined the test over night?

 

[Elementalj]

Oxidation?

 

[Gpettit721]

Oxidation? Could you explain further?

 

[Sabellafella]

Oxidation?

Deffinitly has somthing to do with it. All my n03 test kits go bad after keeping the liquid reagent open for a while(or constantly opening and closing).

 

[Gpettit721]

That would explain it.... I had to squeeze it tight to get drips to come out once I hit my fourth I flipped it back over and let go.... Then left it open all night

 

[Ontheway]

I exposed my nitrate test strips to air. Then their color turned from white to pink, reading like high nitrates, on the shelf.