help with selifert nitrate test result

[Reef257]

Hi all
Hope everyone is doing good.

Not sure I been reading my nirate correctly

The picture1 shows a higher reading . I thought my nirate high and tried to bring it down

The picture 2 show slight lower reading .

Please help me out which is the right way to check the reading .iv got some mixed reviews.

I'm doing to dose to reduce the nirate would need To figure out the correct reading so I could dose correct and overdoing it .

I'm so confused since my corals looks happy but nirate sky high I guess .

 

[AdamB]

Did you just do one test with kit? Looks like it’s high on that test .
I would reconfirm another test again when was last time on water change ?

 

[RobertTheNurse]

I'd say 50. Gotta look from above, unless it's on the lower side. Yeah...test again to make sure

 

[Reef257]

Did you just do one test with kit? Looks like it’s high on that test .
I would reconfirm another test again when was last time on water change ?

It's been like this for a while now .
Do I need to see the result in the side view or the top view . Side always show a higher reading

 

[nbooks]

top.

if you look from the side you divide by 10, but thats for higher accuracy of levels below 10. this means max you will ever measure from side view is 100/10=10ppm. scale stops at 100.

 

[Reef257]

top.

if you look from the side you divide by 10, but thats for higher accuracy of levels below 10. this means max you will ever measure from side view is 100/10=10ppm. scale stops at 100.

thanks for the support .I'm Bit confused is I view it in the side way it look close to 50 /10 5 ppm nitrate .I'm I doing it right .

 

[ReefRusty]

Yup. Make sure your in an area with natural light. Look though the side and divide by 10. Top view it is what it matches. But in natural light.

 

[ReefRusty]

Also just complete a Water change to reduce nitrates

 

[nbooks]

thanks for the support .I'm Bit confused is I view it in the side way it look close to 50 /10 5 ppm nitrate .I'm I doing it right .

my eyes when looking from the top are showing a level of about 50.

50 x 10 = 500 which is off the scale when viewing from the side, max on the side view scale is 100 (which is what it looks like to me in the latest picture). thats why you are seeing 100/10=10. if that makes sense?

 

[Snoopy 67]

I have found the Yellow color of the NYOS kit a lot easier to read.
Takes about 7 minutes to do the test, but the red coloring is difficult to read.

 

[X-37B]

Its 50.
The side view is only for low range.
Get another, nyos, and compair.
Its always good to have more than one test for all parameters.
If your tank is doing good you can reduce by carbon dosing.
Just start in the low dose range and go slow.
If your target is say 10, bring it down over a period of 2 months.

 

[Reef.]

thanks for the support .I'm Bit confused is I view it in the side way it look close to 50 /10 5 ppm nitrate .I'm I doing it right .

you can only look through the side if the result is less than 10, if it’s more than 10 you have to look from the top.

Your result is 50.

 

[mike550]

@Reef257 I used Salifert nitrate test for about a year. You read it from the top down. So your nitrates are around 50. As @Snoopy 67 and @90's reefer suggested you might want to switch to NYOS for the nitrate test. I switched to NYOS and it’s so much easier to read. I think BRS has a video on it.

What are your other levels?

What corals do you have?

 

[Reef.]

I have both the nyos and the salifert nitrate test kits, if you now understand when to look down and when to look through the side with the Salifert test kit, I would only go for the nyos if you have extra money to spend and want another test kit to double check your results, I find both the nyos and Salifert give the same results and are about as easy to read as each other.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

You said your corals look good. Don’t freak out. Start a water change schedule. Are you using ro/di water? Clean the tank and filter areas as this can cause a build up. Also the tank will not process no3 without po4. What is your po4? At the end of the day if the corals and tank look good your in a good place.

 

[HuduVudu]

The nitrate test will pick up some nitrite too. The nitrate is probably a bit lower than what you see because of that.

If your corals are happy you are good.

 

[Reef - Tripp]

you can only look through the side if the result is less than 10, if it’s more than 10 you have to look from the top.

Your result is 50.

+1