Lesson learned. Validate test kits

[natalieb2017]

Hey everyone. I learned a good lesson yesterday.

I've been testing my water over the past 2 weeks and the results have been terrible. I have had .25 ammonia, high nitrites, and medium nitrates. I kept waiting for fish to die off on me but none did. I did water pwc, and retested an hour later, but no change. Still high nitrites.

I tested my water yesterday and once again had of the wall high nitrites, some ammonia, and some nitrates.

Discouraged over my toxic tank, I decided to pull water samples to take to my LFS. I siphoned off a cup of water, did a 9 gallon pwc, waited an hour, and pulled another cup of water to take to lfs.

She tested 0 ammonia, barely any nitrites, med nitrates on the first water sample taken before the water change. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, low nitrates with the second sample.

She felt my api water test kit i night of Amazon was old and that was why I kept getting High readings. I bought a new kit, tested, readings similar to hers.

I've been losing my mind over why my tank was such a disaster even though I was doing what everybody said to do.

Passing on for other newbies.

 

[Coursair]

Wow ! Good catch [emoji1360]

 

[SherLar]

Good catch!
I typically write the purchase date on my test kits and replace every 6 months, even though they shouldn't expire that quickly. Better safe than sorry.

 

[BBradbury]

nat...

Consider following a more aggressive water change routine. By simply working up to the point you remove and replace most of the tank water weekly, you can reduce and eventually eliminate testing the tank water. Dissolved waste material takes time to dissolve in the water. By increasing the amount of water you change and doing this more frequently, there's no time for toxins to build up, before you remove them through the weekly water change.

I haven't tested the water in my tanks for quite a few years and it's because I follow an aggressive water change routine, by removing most of the old water and replacing it with new every week.

B

 

[natalieb2017]

nat...

Consider following a more aggressive water change routine. By simply working up to the point you remove and replace most of the tank water weekly, you can reduce and eventually eliminate testing the tank water. Dissolved waste material takes time to dissolve in the water. By increasing the amount of water you change and doing this more frequently, there's no time for toxins to build up, before you remove them through the weekly water change.

I haven't tested the water in my tanks for quite a few years and it's because I follow an aggressive water change routine, by removing most of the old water and replacing it with new every week.

B

Thank you! Good advice

 

[TMaier]

To validate my test kit is functioning I test DI water.