Test kit so wrong!!

[Frenchi74]

Hi ppl

In my last thread I was explaining my setup and was getting nitrate reading of 50 ppm using king British test strips!!
I just done the same test with aqua one nitrate test kit in tube and it says 0 ppm what the hell do I believe ????

Thanks

Mick

 

[molliwopp]

Well that's really annoying i imagine. Does your tank have fish in it already? Id believe the first set of results if you do.

I would usually suggest buying a liquid api kit but youve already bought 2. Are you sure youre doing the test correctly with the second test kit?

 

[Dragonwolf]

The strips are inaccurate. Most people get the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It tests ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The nitrate test you have to really shake bottle #2 (instructions say for 30 seconds) and then also the tube after adding all the drops (instructions say 1 minute). I'm not familiar with the test kit you mention, but I assume it has pretty much the same instructions. Did you follow the instructions closely? Do a couple more tests with the tube (not the strips) and see if you get the same or different readings.

 

[Frenchi74]

Well that's really annoying i imagine. Does your tank have fish in it already? Id believe the first set of results if you do.

I would usually suggest buying a liquid api kit but youve already bought 2. Are you sure youre doing the test correctly with the second test kit?

Yes It is full of fish it's being running 7 month with no deaths.. The tank was an upgrade and the filters are from previous tank that was running around 4 years ...I tested as I seem to be getting black beard algae growing ...
I'm defiantly do the tests correct tried it 3 times with test tube ...

 

[Frenchi74]

The strips are inaccurate. Most people get the API Freshwater Master Test Kit. It tests ph, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The nitrate test you have to really shake bottle #2 (instructions say for 30 seconds) and then also the tube after adding all the drops (instructions say 1 minute). I'm not familiar with the test kit you mention, but I assume it has pretty much the same instructions. Did you follow the instructions closely? Do a couple more tests with the tube (not the strips) and see if you get the same or different readings.

Done more tests with same outcome ... Strange!!
No deaths and no ill looking fish just black beard algae growing which is annoying ...

 

[Dragonwolf]

Can you take a water sample into your lfs to have them test it?

 

[molliwopp]

Well that sucks. Infact recommending the api liquid isnt the best idea either in this situation because the nitrate test in the api isnt the best either.

If you have algae growing then theres excess of nutrients in the water somewhere. Maybe over feeding, maybe to much light or keeping it on for too long, maybe you could change a bigger % of water. I dont know what else to suggest.
Is your tank in direct sunlight by the window?

 

[Frenchi74]

Can you take a water sample into your lfs to have them test it?

I think that's my best bet here.... It opens a 10 am so ill go straight down its only 1 mile away

Thanks and ill post the outcome

 

[Frenchi74]

Well that sucks. Infact recommending the api liquid isnt the best idea either in this situation because the nitrate test in the api isnt the best either.

If you have algae growing then theres excess of nutrients in the water somewhere. Maybe over feeding, maybe to much light or keeping it on for too long, maybe you could change a bigger % of water. I dont know what else to suggest.
Is your tank in direct sunlight by the window?

I'm going to take some water to my local aquatics shop he is a quality shop ..
We have vertical blinds and tilt them so no sun on the tank
I maybe over feeding I feed twice a day but quite heavily, all food is eaten within 5 minutes though .. The water does cloud up with particles at feeding time if I'm honest
I was only taking 25 litres a week from 240 so ill increase that to 50 maybe?

 

[Mcor]

Yeah, bigger water changes for sure. I have a 250 litre tank and change out about 25-30% weekly (around 70litres).

 

[Frenchi74]

Results from the shop are nitrate 0ppm

Phosphate was above 5ppm grrrrrrr!!

He advised using phros guard so I'm on with that!!

What's is the cause of high phosphate??

 

[Frenchi74]

Results from the shop are nitrate 0ppm

Phosphate was above 50ppm grrrrrrr!!

He advised using phros guard so I'm on with that!!

What's is the cause of high phosphate??

This is the setup

 

[aqua_chem]

Was the large nitrate test recent?

Are you shaking the nitrate test solutions really, really well?

Most phosphate test kits won't test 50 ppm, so I question that number. A more reasonable number would have been 50 nitrates, 0 phosphates, which begs the question of whether they could have been switched up.

 

[Frenchi74]

Was the large nitrate test recent?

Are you shaking the nitrate test solutions really, really well?

Most phosphate test kits won't test 50 ppm, so I question that number. A more reasonable number would have been 50 nitrates, 0 phosphates, which begs the question of whether they could have been switched up.

Hi
I edited the post phosphates 5 not 50 and it was darker blue than 5... And that's straight from the tap

The king british strip for nitrate was a dodgy test IMO as I did the tube test using api and aqua one they read 0ppm

 

[armymp327]

edit: just saw you said the phosphates reading was from tap water, not sure how to fix that.

Also if you are using the API nitrate test you need to really shake the 2nd bottle and try to bang it against a table because it has crystals inside that need to be mixed well shake the bottle for at least 30 secs....60 if its been sitting for awhile, once both solutions are in the tube, shake that very hard for at least 60-90 secs to get an accurate reading

 

[Frenchi74]

edit: just saw you said the phosphates reading was from tap water, not sure how to fix that.

Also if you are using the API nitrate test you need to really shake the 2nd bottle and try to bang it against a table because it has crystals inside that need to be mixed well shake the bottle for at least 30 secs....60 if its been sitting for awhile, once both solutions are in the tube, shake that very hard for at least 60-90 secs to get an accurate reading

Thank you I will make sure I do this on the next test