can a nitrate test kit go bad?

jtutton

jtutton

Member
I have an API nitrate test kit and was testing my home tank over the weekend. The LFS closed, I don't trust the other LFS to test correctly, so I'm on my own. My kit is API and is probably at least 2 or 3 years old. I did do some rehab in my tank on Friday, scraped glass, cleaned powerheads, cleaned pump, removed algae from rocks, etc. My fish look fine, I have a feather duster and coco worm that look fine, my softies look fine, for the most part. When I do the nitrate test, the color gets darker each time! I would think if my nitrates were that high, things would be keeling over. I mean it is in the orange range. Started out yellow on Saturday which I attributed to messing with stuff and liberating some nitrate from the substrate or to algae dying, etc. But for it to go up on Sunday is puzzling.
Bottom line, should I just get a new test kit?
 
bmkj02

bmkj02

Member
Yes they go bad. Just several months ago I was having problems with my 24g. Kept doing water changes and adding chemical to kill the Nitrates and still was showing high. Finally got fed up after 2 months of fighting with it and took it to my LFS. They laughed at me and said my Nitrates were 0 and that my test kit must be bad. They asked me how old mine was and I said 2-3yrs and they said they are usually good up to 6 months. The reason the LFS are always good is cause they are always testing their water and the customer's water so they always are opening a new test kit every month. I bought a new one and sure enough it was my test kit.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Almost all test kits, even API have dates manufactured somewhere on there. It's common practice that the kits are good for about a year. It's also good practice to use at least 2 different manufactures of each type, (amm. nitri, nitra., etc). You don't have to use both every time, just at least once a month, make sure both kits are reading the same levels, or if they've always read different, the difference is constant. If something changes, one kit reads out of whack for some reason, it's time to get a third opinion (LFS test).
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
I totally agree (again). A brand new hot off the press test kit can still have the "wrong" reading based on user error - especially true of nitrate. Many people don't think the timing is really all that critical...but it is.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
O the nitrate tests are one of the few I actually use my watch to time each step as per their instuctions
 
yerboy

yerboy

Active Member
I had a nitrate test kit go bad on me and regardless of what my nitrate was it would read 0ppm. Doing the same test with the same brand new kit side by side revealed 40ppm.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3079040
Alone with going bad nitrate tests need to be spot on in their procedure

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/3079105
I totally agree (again). A brand new hot off the press test kit can still have the "wrong" reading based on user error - especially true of nitrate. Many people don't think the timing is really all that critical...but it is.

Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3079314
O the nitrate tests are one of the few I actually use my watch to time each step as per their instuctions
+1 here the op and everyone reading this thread would be wise to listen to this advice.
 
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