API Nitrate Test

[XxRyosukexX]

How accurate are they? I started my tank almost 2 weeks ago and when I tried testing nitrates it was from 10 - 20 ppm. I did buy live rock, but it was out of water for a few days. Parts of it may have been kept moist by sand though. I don't have an ammonia or nitrite test kit since I thought I could just wait like 6 weeks or more and then just test nitrates.

[lakshwadeep]

The API test is fairly accurate (or at least my corals are alive with near zero ppm). Your cycle is probably going to take a longer time than 2 weeks because of the rock out of water. Nitrates will only spike to higher levels when the bacteria in the rocks and sand have dealt with ammonia and nitrites.

[XxRyosukexX]

I'm expecting a full cycle like a new tank with no bacteria at all would. I'm just not really sure where the nitrates came from. I guess I'm going to have to test the RO water.

[lakshwadeep]

I'm expecting a full cycle like a new tank with no bacteria at all would. I'm just not really sure where the nitrates came from. I guess I'm going to have to test the RO water.

 

The nitrates come from the die-off of the rocks. I should note that the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate spikes don't happen at different times but are connected like this:

 

This article explains the nitrogen cycle and sources of nitrate:

http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=17

[XxRyosukexX]

Maybe I've been misinformed, but I always thought die-off from live rock would produce ammonia. In the article it said where I would get ammonia, but for nitrates it would come from the nitrification process.

[lakshwadeep]

Maybe I've been misinformed, but I always thought die-off from live rock would produce ammonia. In the article it said where I would get ammonia, but for nitrates it would come from the nitrification process.

 

Sorry, I confused you, and your correct. Nitrites don't come from the die-off initially, but die-off is what eventually turns into nitrates. Your reading indicates that at least some ammonia has been converted to nitrate, and the reading will continually increase.

 

There was enough bacteria still in the rock to get cycled. Previously, people had no real live rock and got their tanks cycled by bacteria "falling from the air". Not surprisingly, that took many months to finish.

 

You can see on the graph that its "day 14" is a little bit behind where your cycle would be at the moment (close to "day 20").

[SantaMonica]

Try putting one of these turf screens in your hood; they will bring your phosphate and nitrate way way down, probably to zero, and they are free:

 

 

Here is info:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=168137

[dilbert]

How accurate are they?

 

I bought two nitrate test kits from API, one from the US and one from the UK. And they both show already "zero" nitrates when other test kits (Dry-Tab, Salifert) measure anything between 0 and 30 ppm.

 

So, at any nitrate concentration below 30 ppm, those two API test kits always showed "zero" ppm.

 

Apart from that, all figures were quite constant and reproducible. That means, measuring the same concentration twice gives the same figures and also coincides with figures from other test kits.

[HankB]

I bought two nitrate test kits from API, one from the US and one from the UK. And they both show already "zero" nitrates when other test kits (Dry-Tab, Salifert) measure anything between 0 and 30 ppm.

 

So, at any nitrate concentration below 30 ppm, those two API test kits always showed "zero" ppm.

 

Apart from that, all figures were quite constant and reproducible. That means, measuring the same concentration twice gives the same figures and also coincides with figures from other test kits.

 

I was getting false low Nitrate readings with the API test kit until I figured out that the pictograms on the back were trying to tell me to mix bottle #2 really well for 30 seconds. Once I did that, it seemed to produce believable readings.

 

But the color on the card for 5 and 10 ppm still looks the same to me.

 

-hank

[The Propagator]

Why add a huge light over your nano thats going to produce more heat , more power consumption, and essentially introduce more algae spores in to your tank every time you disturb it ? Why not just use a polyester filter pad, or poly-pad to help rid your tank of free floating algae along with a protein skimmer instead ? No added heat, no algae being returned to the system, and better results you dont have to wait 3 weeks to see.

[appsgang43]

I was getting false low Nitrate readings with the API test kit until I figured out that the pictograms on the back were trying to tell me to mix bottle #2 really well for 30 seconds. Once I did that, it seemed to produce believable readings.

 

But the color on the card for 5 and 10 ppm still looks the same to me.

 

-hank

I agree on that I can't tell the two apart

[ballerina]

I was getting false low Nitrate readings with the API test kit until I figured out that the pictograms on the back were trying to tell me to mix bottle #2 really well for 30 seconds. Once I did that, it seemed to produce believable readings.

 

But the color on the card for 5 and 10 ppm still looks the same to me.

 

-hank

 

for me it is their pH color card. 7.8, 8 and 8.2 all look so freakin similar...

[smarsh]

Also with the API test kit, If you dont shake bottle #2 for the nitrate test, you will get a false reading. And towards the end of the bottle being empty, if you didnt always shake bottle 2 good, you will get really high false readings.

This had me doing a 10% water change 3 times a week for a month until I got a new kit, I felt so dumb!

Also leaving the caps off for too long will cause the solution to go bad and test false.