API master freshwater test kit

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Jessiicaxrosex3

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Anyone have any luck with this kit? This test is saying my nitrates are at 160 and ph is between 7.4 and 7.6 when it a discus tank is being tested and i had my water tested at a local fish shop for a comparison.. The numbers are nowhere near alike.
 
API freshwater master test kit is arguably the most reasonably priced, reliable and easy to use test kit out there. I swear by them. Are you sure your kit isnt expired? Also, if the local fish store used test strips THEY are probably getting the wrong values.
 
The fish store used an actual test kit in individual bottles, not strips. It expires in 2018. It says to fill to 5 ml and put 3 drops in and mix, not rocket science i thought. But nitrates came out sky high and ph was blue (aka 7.6).. I do water changes 3x a week and all my fish would be dead if these readings were correct ?
 
Huh, that's very odd.

Actually, pH may not necessarily be incorrect. Discus can do quite well in moderate hardness and relatively high pH.

Nitrate though, I dunno. Have you tried retesting? Did you shake the bottles and the test vial appropriately as per the directions?

The only issues Ive had with the FW master test kit is with expired ones.
 
The fish store used an actual test kit in individual bottles, not strips. It expires in 2018. It says to fill to 5 ml and put 3 drops in and mix, not rocket science i thought. But nitrates came out sky high and ph was blue (aka 7.6).. I do water changes 3x a week and all my fish would be dead if these readings were correct ?


Things to consider about the nitrate test are if you're thoroughly cleaning out the vials between tests and following the directions accurately. The nitrate test is two bottles with lots of shaking and then adding from the second bottle (well shaken) and shaking that one and waiting 5 minutes. As for the pH, 7.6 is fine for them as long as it's consistent. Rapid or constant fluctuations are what will be harmful to them.


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Things to consider about the nitrate test are if you're thoroughly cleaning out the vials between tests and following the directions accurately. The nitrate test is two bottles with lots of shaking and then adding from the second bottle (well shaken) and shaking that one and waiting 5 minutes. As for the pH, 7.6 is fine for them as long as it's consistent. Rapid or constant fluctuations are what will be harmful to them.


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Yep instructions must be followed exact or tests will not be accurate.

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Yes i did exactly as instructed. Mixed the bottle for how long needed, mixed the test tube, waited the right amount of time. I know for a fact the ph is below 7.2. The discus are healthy and happy, so i'm not questioning anything but for future water changes itd be nice to have a result that makes sense. I tried more than once for both tests so i'm clueless.
 
Have you tested the tap water itself? Tap water parameters aren't static- perhaps there is something going on with your water supply?
 
tap water ph is 7.0 i had it tested at the fish shop also. I used the APi test on my 125 also and the results came out 7.6 also which doesn't make sense either. I'm going to do both tanks again and hope for better results
 
Right, but aside from pH. Nitrate can be present in tap water as well.
 
tap water ph is 7.0 i had it tested at the fish shop also. I used the APi test on my 125 also and the results came out 7.6 also which doesn't make sense either. I'm going to do both tanks again and hope for better results

Are you using the low range ph test? it always tests at 7.6 for me, yet my ph actually hovers around 7.3-7.4.
try the high range test and if it is around the lowest, your fine.

Don't start obsessing over the ph or begin to try and "fix" it, that will only lead to disaster. As was already mentioned, consistency of parameters is more important.
I would be more concerned/curious about the nitrate levels, usually when the test is done incorrectly it gives a low or zero reading, not sky high.
Have you changed the type of food recently?
Is your tank planted?
Any change in filtration, increase or decrease?

What if anything has recently changed that would account for such high nitrate readings?


*they need a Sherlock Holmes smilie for these kind of mystery cases*
 
As I have learned in the past, it's not that many water changes for discus- especially juveniles (I can't remember if OP's are juveniles or not). I'm changing 95% daily on my juvies.
 
that's a lot of changes, but aside from that I would consider the tap water as suspect at this point. My tap water comes out at ~20ppm nitrate. :(


I'm sorry people don't read before they post.

This is not many WC's at all. Op stated she has Discus and in previous threads indicated they were 2-3" in size. If it were my tank, I would be in the same routine as mama and probably a bit more on days I could get an extra one or two done.


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The fish store used an actual test kit in individual bottles, not strips. It expires in 2018. It says to fill to 5 ml and put 3 drops in and mix, not rocket science i thought. But nitrates came out sky high and ph was blue (aka 7.6).. I do water changes 3x a week and all my fish would be dead if these readings were correct ?

My api master test kit has me do 10 drops of both bottles for nitrates, not 3?

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My api master test kit has me do 10 drops of both bottles for nitrates, not 3?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
Good point, but her lfs might be using a different brand of test kit.
 
Thank you treeman. And the test kit called for 10 drops for the nitrates, 3 for ph ulrichsd. Lfs also uses same brand as i, im going to blame bad lighting and figure it on out.
 
I have the same test kit and the same problem, it shows my nitrate is through the roof but when I test with a different kit my nitrate is fine. These were my results

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