NItrate testing puzzle

[ghill]

I have two 25 gallon aquariums, mixed reef and fish. Using Salifert nitrate testing one aquarium tests at near "0" and the other at 25 to 50. I purchased a NYOS nitrate testing kit, and it shows the same on at one at "0" but also shows the high
salifert aquarium at "0" also. As a tie braker I purchase the API kit and it too shows both tanks at near "0" Does two out of three win? I rinse tubes after using in ROI water and again with aquarium water before testing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are the tanks new enough to have any nitrite, which interferes with nitrate testing in different kits differently?

 

[ghill]

Are the tanks new enough to have any nitrite, which interferes with nitrate testing in different kits differently?

tested the tank with high nitrates... nitrites are 0.5. Other tank with "0" nitrates has "0" nitrites. Would salifert be the only test affected by nitrites? If so does that mean the other 2 are accurate?

 

[ghill]

Both tanks are 1 yr old and everybody (orals and fish) seem happy!

 

[Dan_P]

I have two 25 gallon aquariums, mixed reef and fish. Using Salifert nitrate testing one aquarium tests at near "0" and the other at 25 to 50. I purchased a NYOS nitrate testing kit, and it shows the same on at one at "0" but also shows the high
salifert aquarium at "0" also. As a tie braker I purchase the API kit and it too shows both tanks at near "0" Does two out of three win? I rinse tubes after using in ROI water and again with aquarium water before testing.

Unfortunately, nitrate kits that fail would show “0” ppm (bad nitrate reduction chemistry). The presence of nitrite as Randy points out causes a kit to read high, but it would read high even for a “failed” kit because nitrite does not depend on the reduction chemistry to work.

I suggest you retest both aquaria with the three test kits but test one large water sample, not three small samples.

 

[ghill]

Unfortunately, nitrate kits that fail would show “0” ppm (bad nitrate reduction chemistry). The presence of nitrite as Randy points out causes a kit to read high, but it would read high even for a “failed” kit because nitrite does not depend on the reduction chemistry to work.

I suggest you retest both aquaria with the three test kits but test one large water sample, not three small samples.

Don't know what you mean by "one large sample" None of the kits have any directions for using more than the stated amount of water unless you mean to multiply the water dose as well as the testing substances.

 

[Dan_P]

Don't know what you mean by "one large sample" None of the kits have any directions for using more than the stated amount of water unless you mean to multiply the water dose as well as the testing substances.

Sorry for the confusion.

Instead of drawing a sample each time you run a test with a different kit, draw one big sample and from that take the a sample for each test. This way we eliminate differences in the sample tested caused by time, location, floating debris, etc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

tested the tank with high nitrates... nitrites are 0.5. Other tank with "0" nitrates has "0" nitrites. Would salifert be the only test affected by nitrites? If so does that mean the other 2 are accurate?

No, they all are, but to different extents. In any case, you may have no nitrate.