nitrate test kit problem (for API)

[robertjamesgallardo]

Good day everyone. this is about my API test kits. i bought my API saltwater master test kit last January, then i bought my reef master test kit yesterday. i tested my nitrate using both the test kits that are included in each set. the saltwater test kit (which i bought in January) showed a result of 80ppm and the reef master test kit (which i bought yesterday) showed 20ppm. :'(

i tested my newly mixed saltwater and got 0ppm for both the test kits... the problem here is that i do not know which of the two is giving me the precise result. i used the old test tubes and the new ones, still same thing happened. i even exchanged bottle # 1 and #2, same thing happened. well, i do not know if i am shaking the bottle # 2 vigorously enough or what... the reason i bought the reef test kit is to have a kit for the PO4 and calcium and probably save money by purchasing bulk than just one kit. (and i hope these won't have any misleading results just as my nitrate).

i do not know what seems to be wrong... i followed the instructions that the API said on their manual.

hope gurus, and even newbies could put any inputs here...

thank in advance.

[robertjamesgallardo]

... i addition, i am also dosing vodka and its my second week now. nitrate still 80 ppm for the saltwater master and 20pp for th reef master.


sheeeeshhh!!!!!!!!!! :

[yoki]

[robertjamesgallardo]

[naturelover]

maturing a reef aquarium

[god0fwar]

i'm just curious... do we need to shake the solution before using it (putting to the tube with tank water sample)? i mean for some solution its specified clearly in the bottle and in the instruction to shake the bottle before using, but sa case ng API, i did not read anything saying the bottles needed to be shaken... or did i missed it out?

[tosh48]

tanong lang sa nitrate test kit. sabi sa manual, pagkalagay ng solution #1 lagyan daw ng takip yung tube tapos i-shake. problema ko pag shake, lagi may tumatagas. nababawasan tuloy yung tubig na may solution #1. kaya pag lagay ko ng solution #2 baka hindi masyado accurate kasi nabawasan na ng kaunti. 8pcs na tube ko tumatagas pag shake ko sa solution #1. pag ammonia naman shake wala naman tagas.

[tugasi]

[tosh48]

yes sir, dahan dahan lang pag shake ko. kaya lang pag binaliktad ko na yung tube, may tumatapon talaga. saka may naiipon sa takip. pwede ba wag na ibaliktad ?

[rolandgelo]

bro try mo wag masyado mapressure yung paghawak mo sa cap, kasi nagiging cause din nang leak kung nassqueeze mo masyado yung cap pababa, lalabas kasi yung trapped air, taking with it some of the liquid

[tosh48]

[rolandgelo]

pitikin mo lang ng dahan dahan yung tube bro..bababa yung naiipon sa cap, hindi naman tumatagas sakin...try mo pagpalipalitin yung caps

[tosh48]

sige try ko yan pag nag test ako. salamat.

[vieralink]

[adrallan]

bro, I had the same problem once and it appears that bottle #2 needs to be shaken vigorously hard for 30 seconds...when they mean vigorous ung talagang shake na parang kung iimaginin mo bumubula na siguru ung liquid sa loob, after I've done so, my test gave me a much more sensible results. It appears that my nitrate was very low. I actually took some pads in my wet/dry filter and soak it in a a glass of water from my main tank and good enough the nitrate reading were very high just as I expected. Furthermore, after dropping whats required from the bottle #2, vigorous din ang pag shake sa test tube, otherwise you will get innacurate results. I actually called API and un ang sinabi nila sa akin. I know this is rather obvious but I hope it helps.