Question
Nitrate Tests
Hi Jennifer - I followed your suggestions yesterday about reintroducing the bioballs to my Eheim 2229 (yesterday I said 2299) filter. Too early, of course, to tell, but I'd been using an API Nitrate test kit - 2 bottles, 10 drops each, etc. - which was indicating >20 ppm, until yesterday morning when I was just about at the bottom of the barrel and changed to a new version of the same test kit. I noticed the drops appeared to be smaller in the new test kit, and my reading was close to zero!! So, this morning, I tested the same water from the same sampling syringe and got the results I hope I've uploaded for you to see. My question is: What method or test kit is more accurate than the API test kit. I can't trust the results I get, although I have the idea that consistency among all the nitrogen-cycle tests is a good indicator that they're all reasonably accurate. This would tell me that my nitrates haven't been that high all along, since my ammonia and nitrites were zero. Today they're not. I'm a scientist, and have been evaluating lab results (optics, not chemistry) for many years, so I'm always skeptical of test results anyway. I'd appreciate your advice.
Thanks,
Jim
AnswerHi Jim. I have never had a problem with the API nitrate test. I know if it gets old it can get less accurate. What I do because I am much of a skeptic like you, is I test with the API test first and then with a salifert test. I do this because I do not trust the results of any test. If they are different from each other I usually trust the salifert over the API. There is always going to be a degree of error with all test kits and the shelf life and handling of them can determine how accurate or inaccurate these tests are. Sometimes simply not rinsing out the test tube good enough can have an effect on the test and using one test tube for different tests will truly mess with the results. If you really want to test the accuracy of your test, test the make up water first before you test the tank water. If you are using reverse osmosis water it should test zero, if then you test your tank water and get a reading then you know that it can be trusted. However if you are always getting a reading of zero that can also be an indication of a bad test kit as well and in that case you will want to find a tank or water supply that you know contains nitrate and test it to be sure that it is not the new test kit that has the problem.
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