Test Kits! Test Kits! Test Kits!

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 06:55 AM

Hi Everyone,

Test kits are driving me crazy. I can't get consistent readings especially on nitrate. I performed a 40% water change on my 29g reef tank and tested the water a few hours later with my Salifert Test kit which is 6 months old and well in date. I then took the same water to two different Marine fish shops to test the water 1 shop was using a brand new JBL kit and the other a few moth old Red Sea kit. The results are as below:

Salifert : 10-25ppm (maybe 20ppm)

JBL (new out of the box) - 1ppm

Red Sea : 10-20ppm (shop thinks 10ppm)

API: I will test at home but usually is similar to Salifert and the kit is about the same age

So I am really none the wiser. What do you guys think?

nereefpat · 06/04/2019, 07:19 AM

It looks like Salifert, Red Sea, and API all read about the same...Somewhere around 15ppm +/- 5ppm. That's within the error of our hobbiests' nitrate test kits.

Not sure about the JBL.

The difference between 10-20 really doesn't matter much. If you cared deeply, you could pay for some lab work. Triton or ATI ICP type testing is popular among reefers.

reefgeezer · 06/04/2019, 07:41 AM

Salifert & Red Sea are generally accurate within a range that is maybe broader than we'd like, but good enough. Pick one and use it to make decisions. Watch the expiration date on Salifert kits.

tdlawdo · 06/04/2019, 08:05 AM

Looks pretty good to me.
Not sure the actual number matters as much but more so the change within your own testing. And you had 2/3 read the same basic number and the other was not that far off. And maybe the store did something wrong on the jbl.

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Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 08:14 AM

I was thinking it must be around 15ppm. I think my tank should be in the 5-10ppm range as it is mostly Softies with a Montipora and a Duncan frag. I just don't want to be doing unnecessary water changes thing my nitrates are 25-50ppm when the are really only 15-20ppm.

My Tank stats are:

Salinity : 1.025sg
PH 8.1
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 15ppm (I think)
Po4: 0ppm
Mag: 1320
Calcium: 460
Alk: 7.7

They tank has 2x Ocellaris Clownfish, 1x Yellow Clown Goby, 1x Baganni Cardinal, 1x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 1x Peppermint Shrimp and small CUC

nereefpat · 06/04/2019, 08:27 AM

Parameters look good. If the corals seem to be doing well (opening, growing, good color) then I wouldn't sweat the nitrate value too much.

The tank is appropriately stocked, imo, so there isn't a worry there for me.

How old is the tank? Newer tanks (newer rock) can take a while before they can process nitrate. Maybe down the road you could look into carbon (vodka, vinegar) dosing.

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nereefpat

Parameters look good. If the corals seem to be doing well (opening, growing, good color) then I wouldn't sweat the nitrate value too much.

The tank is appropriately stocked, imo, so there isn't a worry there for me.

How old is the tank? Newer tanks (newer rock) can take a while before they can process nitrate. Maybe down the road you could look into carbon (vodka, vinegar) dosing.

The tank is 11 months old. I started is it with dead white dry Fuji rock which I citric acid bathed and beach bathed. The rock is now mostly dark green, grey with patches of purple coralline all over it. It has no hair or bubble algae or cyno. I did have an emerald crab which I think ate my Hammer Coral! as it died (I believe of starvation) although I thought it could be the Peppermint Shrimp.

The Soft Corals all have fully extended polyps and are growing accept for the GSP which is fully extended but not really growing, same goes for the Montipora. The Duncan doesn't come out at all anymore (I think the goby or shrimp bug it)

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 08:45 AM

I tried vodka dosing for a bit but stopped as it wasn't changing No3 much and I was getting brown scum on the surface water. I think you need some Po4 for it to reduce nitrates, same goes for DIY algae reactor I tried before it.

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 08:50 AM

I forgot to mention I also have a Royal Gramma in the tank

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 10:49 AM

Ok just tested the water with the API kit and it is now showing 40ppm Nitrate. So with 4 different test kits we get 4 different results from 1pm to 40ppm rendering them a waste of time.
I

j.falk · 06/04/2019, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropicaltone

Ok just tested the water with the API kit and it is now showing 40ppm Nitrate. So with 4 different test kits we get 4 different results from 1pm to 40ppm rendering them a waste of time.
I

Why bother using any of them if none of them can be trusted? Change your water on a regular basis and learn to visually read when your livestock isn't happy to know when to do another change.

If you are doing water changes on a regular basis and all of your livestock is healthy and thriving...that says a lot more (IMO) than what a test kit reading will tell you.

Tropicaltone · 06/04/2019, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.falk

Why bother using any of them if none of them can be trusted? Change your water on a regular basis and learn to visually read when your livestock isn't happy to know when to do another change.

That was my plan next. I can't see the point doing No3 test they are so inaccurate, better to go by the livestock and do a bi weekly water change.

Uncle99 · 06/04/2019, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.falk

Why bother using any of them if none of them can be trusted? Change your water on a regular basis and learn to visually read when your livestock isn't happy to know when to do another change.

If you are doing water changes on a regular basis and all of your livestock is healthy and thriving...that says a lot more (IMO) than what a test kit reading will tell you.

Change water on a regular basis!
Yup, now that's good advice.

I change 10% per week and my nitrate stays 2-5ppm, last 2 years.
Now, I rarely test for nitrate.

The more you test, the more accurate your test will become.

Bpb · 06/04/2019, 12:13 PM

I don’t worry too much about nitrate. Even on my acro dominant tank I don’t notice much difference between 5 and 25 honestly. I only test it once every few months out of curiosity mostly

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blowmecius · 06/04/2019, 12:22 PM

One thing I would recommend is to test your RO and freshly mixed saltwater for nitrate just to rule that out. My nitrates were going up and up and up but Ro/Di TDS still showed zero. Turns out my top off water was 10ppm nitrate in spite of showing zero TDS from RO/DI. I figure it was contamination in my water storage container. Rinsed out the trash can and back to zero.

As far as worrying about 5 vs 10 vs 50 ppm nitrate, both my tanks (lps softies) were over 50 for at least 6 months and the corals never looked better.

blowmecius · 06/04/2019, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bpb

I don’t notice much difference between 5 and 25 honestly.

You beat me to it.

Tropicaltone · 06/05/2019, 05:15 AM

Thanks for the advice, I have tested my RO and it reads 0ppm nitrate (if that's accurate). I have done 40% water change and it hasn't really budged the nitrate level very much but if the test kits range from 1ppm to 40ppm how would you know.

I try not to do lots and lots of water changes if I don't need to as I find the chemistry is more stable that way, I do however dose Salifert all in one reef to boost KH, Cal, Strontium and Magnesium etc.. I usually do a 40% water change once a month roughly.

I test Alk, PH, Cal and Mg regularly. As you know soft corals do better with at least some nitrate so I don't want to completely strip the tank of all nitrate which is where the tests should help. I was aiming for nitrate in the region of 5-10ppm max.

Water changes can stress fish too if the salinity and temp isn't spot on and refractometers are always that great for accuracy either.

Don't get me wrong if I thought regular water changes made a big difference I would do them more often but I find the don't seem to do very much.

ReefWreak · 06/05/2019, 07:41 AM

Having done the 29g cube tank for 6 years with great success, I'd highly recommend just sticking to your water change schedule. If you're worried about making too big of swings at once, then break it up into 20% twice a month. The key is that you're doing water changes.

It's not worthwhile to chase nitrates (or other nutrient parameters) unless you're having detrimental effects, either corals aren't doing well, algae is exploding, or fish aren't doing well. You're more likely stressing yourself and the tank out by working about these.

Tropicaltone · 06/05/2019, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefWreak

Having done the 29g cube tank for 6 years with great success, I'd highly recommend just sticking to your water change schedule. If you're worried about making too big of swings at once, then break it up into 20% twice a month. The key is that you're doing water changes.

It's not worthwhile to chase nitrates (or other nutrient parameters) unless you're having detrimental effects, either corals aren't doing well, algae is exploding, or fish aren't doing well. You're more likely stressing yourself and the tank out by working about these.

Agreed, I think this is what I will do going forward.

AdamSabina · 04/17/2021, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropicaltone

Hi Everyone,

Test kits are driving me crazy. I can't get consistent readings especially on nitrate. I performed a 40% water change on my 29g reef tank and tested the water a few hours later with my Salifert Test kit which is 6 months old and well in date. I then took the same water to two different Marine fish shops to test the water 1 shop was using a brand new JBL kit and the other a few moth old Red Sea kit. The results are as below:

Salifert : 10-25ppm (maybe 20ppm)

JBL (new out of the box) - 1ppm

Red Sea : 10-20ppm (shop thinks 10ppm)

API: I will test at home but usually is similar to Salifert and the kit is about the same age

So I am really none the wiser. What do you guys think?

Two out of three says 10-20ish... I’d go with that. I did make a video for the salifert and Red Sea kits if that helps. There is time stamps to jump to.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eFT2Cd9gncs/maxresdefault.jpg

https://youtu.be/eFT2Cd9gncs

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C5EEZQeDqiQ/maxresdefault.jpg

https://youtu.be/C5EEZQeDqiQ

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

06/04/2019, 06:55 AM	#1
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	Test Kits! Test Kits! Test Kits! Hi Everyone, Test kits are driving me crazy. I can't get consistent readings especially on nitrate. I performed a 40% water change on my 29g reef tank and tested the water a few hours later with my Salifert Test kit which is 6 months old and well in date. I then took the same water to two different Marine fish shops to test the water 1 shop was using a brand new JBL kit and the other a few moth old Red Sea kit. The results are as below: Salifert : 10-25ppm (maybe 20ppm) JBL (new out of the box) - 1ppm Red Sea : 10-20ppm (shop thinks 10ppm) API: I will test at home but usually is similar to Salifert and the kit is about the same age So I am really none the wiser. What do you guys think?

06/04/2019, 07:19 AM	#2
nereefpat Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 3,190	It looks like Salifert, Red Sea, and API all read about the same...Somewhere around 15ppm +/- 5ppm. That's within the error of our hobbiests' nitrate test kits. Not sure about the JBL. The difference between 10-20 really doesn't matter much. If you cared deeply, you could pay for some lab work. Triton or ATI ICP type testing is popular among reefers. __________________ Pat Current Tank Info: 125 in-wall , 40b sump. 6 bulb T5. ASM G2 skimmer. LPS and leathers

06/04/2019, 07:41 AM	#3
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	Salifert & Red Sea are generally accurate within a range that is maybe broader than we'd like, but good enough. Pick one and use it to make decisions. Watch the expiration date on Salifert kits. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

06/04/2019, 08:27 AM	#6
nereefpat Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 3,190	Parameters look good. If the corals seem to be doing well (opening, growing, good color) then I wouldn't sweat the nitrate value too much. The tank is appropriately stocked, imo, so there isn't a worry there for me. How old is the tank? Newer tanks (newer rock) can take a while before they can process nitrate. Maybe down the road you could look into carbon (vodka, vinegar) dosing. __________________ Pat Current Tank Info: 125 in-wall , 40b sump. 6 bulb T5. ASM G2 skimmer. LPS and leathers

06/04/2019, 12:22 PM	#15
blowmecius Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Maryand Posts: 177	One thing I would recommend is to test your RO and freshly mixed saltwater for nitrate just to rule that out. My nitrates were going up and up and up but Ro/Di TDS still showed zero. Turns out my top off water was 10ppm nitrate in spite of showing zero TDS from RO/DI. I figure it was contamination in my water storage container. Rinsed out the trash can and back to zero. As far as worrying about 5 vs 10 vs 50 ppm nitrate, both my tanks (lps softies) were over 50 for at least 6 months and the corals never looked better. __________________ Homer no function beer well without.

06/04/2019, 08:05 AM	#4
tdlawdo Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 68	Looks pretty good to me. Not sure the actual number matters as much but more so the change within your own testing. And you had 2/3 read the same basic number and the other was not that far off. And maybe the store did something wrong on the jbl. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

06/04/2019, 08:14 AM	#5
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	I was thinking it must be around 15ppm. I think my tank should be in the 5-10ppm range as it is mostly Softies with a Montipora and a Duncan frag. I just don't want to be doing unnecessary water changes thing my nitrates are 25-50ppm when the are really only 15-20ppm. My Tank stats are: Salinity : 1.025sg PH 8.1 Ammonia: 0ppm Nitrite: 0ppm Nitrate: 15ppm (I think) Po4: 0ppm Mag: 1320 Calcium: 460 Alk: 7.7 They tank has 2x Ocellaris Clownfish, 1x Yellow Clown Goby, 1x Baganni Cardinal, 1x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, 1x Peppermint Shrimp and small CUC

06/04/2019, 08:45 AM	#8
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	I tried vodka dosing for a bit but stopped as it wasn't changing No3 much and I was getting brown scum on the surface water. I think you need some Po4 for it to reduce nitrates, same goes for DIY algae reactor I tried before it.

06/04/2019, 08:50 AM	#9
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	I forgot to mention I also have a Royal Gramma in the tank

06/04/2019, 10:49 AM	#10
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	Ok just tested the water with the API kit and it is now showing 40ppm Nitrate. So with 4 different test kits we get 4 different results from 1pm to 40ppm rendering them a waste of time. I

06/04/2019, 12:13 PM	#14
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	I don’t worry too much about nitrate. Even on my acro dominant tank I don’t notice much difference between 5 and 25 honestly. I only test it once every few months out of curiosity mostly Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

06/05/2019, 05:15 AM	#17
Tropicaltone Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 36	Thanks for the advice, I have tested my RO and it reads 0ppm nitrate (if that's accurate). I have done 40% water change and it hasn't really budged the nitrate level very much but if the test kits range from 1ppm to 40ppm how would you know. I try not to do lots and lots of water changes if I don't need to as I find the chemistry is more stable that way, I do however dose Salifert all in one reef to boost KH, Cal, Strontium and Magnesium etc.. I usually do a 40% water change once a month roughly. I test Alk, PH, Cal and Mg regularly. As you know soft corals do better with at least some nitrate so I don't want to completely strip the tank of all nitrate which is where the tests should help. I was aiming for nitrate in the region of 5-10ppm max. Water changes can stress fish too if the salinity and temp isn't spot on and refractometers are always that great for accuracy either. Don't get me wrong if I thought regular water changes made a big difference I would do them more often but I find the don't seem to do very much.

06/05/2019, 07:41 AM	#18
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	Having done the 29g cube tank for 6 years with great success, I'd highly recommend just sticking to your water change schedule. If you're worried about making too big of swings at once, then break it up into 20% twice a month. The key is that you're doing water changes. It's not worthwhile to chase nitrates (or other nutrient parameters) unless you're having detrimental effects, either corals aren't doing well, algae is exploding, or fish aren't doing well. You're more likely stressing yourself and the tank out by working about these.