I just did a Seachem Nitrate test

flower

flower

Well-Known Member
My test kits arrived...I opened the box and did a test....DRUM ROLL
My nitrates according to the Seachem test is between the number 1 and number 2...It looks a bit on the light side to be the number 2, but too dark for the number 1
It sure is better than the 40 range I got this morning from the API test kit.
I have 4 API test kits, 2 reef and 2 saltwater..every nitrate test from 3 kits (one is still unopened) say the trates are in the 40+ range on this tank.
I went looking for dates......All 4 of my API kits, the ones just purchased a few months back by my friend and the old I already had are dated 2008
My Seahorse tank had 0 nitrates according to the API test kits, so that water must be super good. I will be testing that tank as well.
I have to clean for Sabbath, so after I get everything ready I'm going to retest all my parameters and see what they say. I'm going to redo the nitrate test just so I can see that pretty color again to reassure myself that it's true.
That number is under 5...can I do SPS coral or wait for 0?
Oh all parameters from the API tests are: 11:30 am
PH... 8.4
NO3 ...40
Cal....480
KH...12 (I did not buffer this mornings top off)
NO2 (Nitrite)...0
Ammonia...0
PO4 (Phosphates) ....0.5
Temp 80 SG 35 ppm
The seachem does not have a Phosphate or Calcium test in either multi test, special reef or Basic Marine kit, it has an alkalinity test not KH
 
deejeff442

deejeff442

Active Member
i hate buying the test kits.i wish they would just make one for a reef with everything in it.
must ba a ploy to sell more
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by deejeff442 http:///forum/thread/386368/i-just-did-a-seachem-nitrate-test#post_3393039
i hate buying the test kits.i wish they would just make one for a reef with everything in it.
must ba a ploy to sell more
No doubt in my mind about that, it's always about the almighty dollar. Haw hard would it be to package all the tests in a single bundle? These two master kits, missing the Calcium and Phosphate cost me $75.00
Nonetheless.... The Seachem tests are super easy to do. Less test water and no test tubes. The little palet is white to begin with so you don't have to hold it up against a card. I have only done the nitrate test, but I looked at the others, and they all seem to follow the same basic method. They also have a test so I can double check that my readings are correct.
BTLDreef, I hope you check this post......I owe you big thank you! I may be a bit hard headed but eventually the message gets through. You kept telling me my tests were reading high and that the API nitrate test was not to trusted. I can't wait to retest everything...LOL
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
I'm glad Flower you've had a similar experience as I did, although fighting constantly HIGH, Very High, Lethal HIGH NO3 were really just a bad test kit, and once you actually see that Nitrates aren't that high with the right test kit, it's a big relief. O - and expiration dates will NOT help with accuracy on the API NO3 kit- they read high, or very high when fresh too, I can prove that.
I am suspscious on your PO4 readings - Is that an API kit too? and is it not expired? I'd NOT attempt with phosphates registering much at all OR fluctuating...some sps will do OK with .5ppm, but others won't like it that high.
As far as keeping some sps, i'd suggest starting out with Plating Montipora sp., Mycedium sp , Echinopora sp, (these area all plating type sps). or any other "moderate" level sps (there are a couple acroporas that are easier than others - look for the difficulty rating more in the "middle" spectrum and try those).....
The "difficult or expert" sps are gonna want very very STABLE and HIGH quality water, and I'd not try too much of them prior to reaching that standard AND tests agree. These "tougher" types would be most of the acropora, seriatopora sp, turbinaria sp, and pectinia sp. corals.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/386368/i-just-did-a-seachem-nitrate-test#post_3393050
I'm glad Flower you've had a similar experience as I did, although fighting constantly HIGH, Very High, Lethal HIGH NO3 were really just a bad test kit, and once you actually see that Nitrates aren't that high with the right test kit, it's a big relief. O - and expiration dates will NOT help with accuracy on the API NO3 kit- they read high, or very high when fresh too, I can prove that.
I am suspscious on your PO4 readings - Is that an API kit too? and is it not expired? I'd NOT attempt with phosphates registering much at all OR fluctuating...some sps will do OK with .5ppm, but others won't like it that high.
As far as keeping some sps, i'd suggest starting out with Plating Montipora sp., Mycedium sp , Echinopora sp, (these area all plating type sps). or any other "moderate" level sps (there are a couple acroporas that are easier than others - look for the difficulty rating more in the "middle" spectrum and try those).....
The "difficult or expert" sps are gonna want very very STABLE and HIGH quality water, and I'd not try too much of them prior to reaching that standard AND tests agree. These "tougher" types would be most of the acropora, seriatopora sp, turbinaria sp, and pectinia sp. corals.
I am indeed so releaved, I knew something was really off...my shrimp no way could live with nitrates that high. The LPS in the tank was also happy and it made no sense.
Thanks for the info on what SPS..yes the phosphate test was also API and it's hard to read, either it is 0 or 0.5 the color is so close on the card that I figured I would err towards higher then lower...it is less than 1 for sure, all say 2008 even the new one that isn't open. I figured if three kits said high that it must be correct. BTLDreef kept saying the API was high. I figured I had double checked and confirmed it.
LOL...I have a long time before I can get my greatly desired SPS at any level. My lights need work, I need to get some good power heads, I really went over my budget this month just a bit on the new test kits but I really needed to get them. I only have so much in the fish tank budget, and I have drained my little piggy bank dry for now.
Well break time is up...It's almost Sabbath and I can relax.
 
J

jstdv8

Guest
not to be a party pooper, but if you have one tank that is always at zero and another tank that is showing +40,on one test kit and then another test kit shows both of them at 0 I'd be inclined to believe the one that shows a different number rather than the one that shows you the number you WANT to see.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/386368/i-just-did-a-seachem-nitrate-test#post_3393278
not to be a party pooper, but if you have one tank that is always at zero and another tank that is showing +40,on one test kit and then another test kit shows both of them at 0 I'd be inclined to believe the one that shows a different number rather than the one that shows you the number you WANT to see.
I know the test can read 0...my seahorse tank for example.
The 40+ to 80 nitrates don't make any sense....my shrimp, serpent stars, CUC and coral in the tank were very happy and healthy. When I know they can't tolerate above 20. I was dosing vodka and my nitrates according to that test brand went up instead of down in 24 hours, the nitrate reading went form 10 to 80 and nothing at all had died in the tank...no reason for it to go up, let alone go up that much.
So I pulled out the new unopened kits....They also had the same reading...so I figured my nitrates were indeed that high...I purchased the Aquaripure and again the trates went down, again after getting a 20 reading it went to 40 then 40+...nothing died and the critters were fine, it made no sense. I ordered the seachem kits....in the mean time I look on the bottle of the test kit and it says 2008...I check all the bottles and yep...2008 even the unopened box says 2008
I can't find a date on the seachem....I must admit that the critters in the tank concur with those readings much more than the API outdated ones.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/386368/i-just-did-a-seachem-nitrate-test#post_3393278
not to be a party pooper, but if you have one tank that is always at zero and another tank that is showing +40,on one test kit and then another test kit shows both of them at 0 I'd be inclined to believe the one that shows a different number rather than the one that shows you the number you WANT to see.
I can run an API test on fresh made saltwater (000 tds rodi used to start) and it will show 0. But run the next test on a running tank, and it'll read VERY high as opposed to other methods. It seems after running many many tests (api/seachem/red sea/ & pinpoint digital unit) every result from API & red sea run very high (or at least much higher than the sechem OR pinpoint digital)....I cannot explain the reasons for this, but when a calibrated $250 dollar digital tester tells you your tank is running 3ppm on trates, and the API tests the same water at 30+ ; and the seachem agrees closley to the pinpoint unit - I tend to ignore the api reading 10x actual levels and trust the other 2 methods, not because I WANT to see a low # - but at 40-60+ppm NO3 (which api has said I've had) - my tank would not have much life in it. And my API no3 kit is not 3 years old, but less than 6 months and is good till mid 2012. I use other test kit brands when testing a fish qtine tank, as I will NEVER expose my pinpoint unit to copper/formalin or have to stearlize after exposing to an ich or velvet laden qtine tank. That's why I even have no3 drip/color chart type kits around.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
The Seachem tests all come with a reference samples to double check that it's accurate. I'm beside myself with happiness.
I have battled with my 90g tank since my heater broke and killed all the inverts and coral. That's when I started really testing because I knew everything was messed up and kept getting super high nitrate readings. Everyone got together and made me a sump system thinking it was my canister filters, I tried without success to have a HOB refugium...I was going crazy...then I tried vodka dosing and it still kept climbing...I got a denitrater (Aquaripure) and still it climbed...I was going nuts. I moved all my corals that survived the heater incident that I could to my saehorse tank.
I also reseeded my live sand and added copepods, amphipods and bristle worms. The shrimp is almost big enough to eat..LOL, and what coral remained looks awesome and healthy, yet my nitrate tests kept saying it was at deadly levels. What a relief to find it was a bad test kit.
 
cubnb79

cubnb79

Member
so from what im gathering seachem is the most reliable testing out there? of course without spending a arm and a leg?
 
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