Test kits?????

sarwiz100

sarwiz100

Member
But now need a little advice on which test kit. Have a doc wellfish that reads nitrates at 20+, and a fast tester that reads them at near 0 (less than 5, but barely a color change.) All other tests in comparison are right on. Which would you believe? With the equipment I have installed, I would belive the fast one. (small weak cry for help)
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
I would test it a couple of times with the tests that you have. If you continue to get the same readings, I would go with the Fast Test. Now that's just my opinion because I think Fast Test is a better test.
 
chipmaker

chipmaker

Active Member
Fastest or Seatest kits for everything but Calcium and Alk. For Calcium and Alk I would go with Saliferts
 
sarwiz100

sarwiz100

Member
Originally Posted by FISHY7
Sarwiz,
Take a sample to your LFS for a quick result and then purchase a good test kit.
tried that they use fastest but were out of nitrate tests. I have tested at least 3 times with the same results. A good test kit is what we thought we had with the fastest.
 
chipmaker

chipmaker

Active Member
Originally Posted by sarwiz100
tried that they use fastest but were out of nitrate tests. I have tested at least 3 times with the same results. A good test kit is what we thought we had with the fastest.
Well if you have a Fastest kit and the kit is not past its shelf life date then you did buy a good kit. The Doc Wellfish kits / products leave a lot to be desired. Trust the Fastest kit.
 
fishy7

fishy7

Active Member
Maybe the test kit is correct and you do have high nitrates. Do a water change and retest. :thinking:
 
sarwiz100

sarwiz100

Member
okay, here's the scenario. Had a reading of 30 nitrate monday with doc wellfishy, did a 18 gal wc on wednesday (had to let the water cure for a while), just opened the fastest kit (expiresin 2008) and tested on wed. Wellfishy still read 20-30 nitrate, fastest read almost 0 checked ph, ammonia and nitrites with both, and got the same readings (pH8.2,am=0 ni-0). I have a 125 with a 20 gal sump (only 1/2 full) and estimate the water volume at 125 to 130 gal. Lotsa live rock (125-140 lbs) 4to5 inch dsb, 2 denitrators and just started building a fuge. My nitrates SHOULD be around 0 and I am trusting the fastest until I can get another one. tested 2 other tanks with both kits, and got the different reading on nitrates, but everything else the same. I'll go with the fastest for now until I can locate a salifert, or get one shipped.
 
sarwiz100

sarwiz100

Member
DId get the water tested at LFS, they came up with a reading of 15 using the doc **fish kit. More confusion sets in????
 
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