Testing kit messed up?

[FeldmansFish]

According to my test kit, my nitrItes still have not gone down after multiple 50% water changes and running some purigen to help it along. I have the API master freshwater kit. I've tried shaking the bottle then testing, my tap water doesn't have nitrites, and i have tried taking water fro different depths of my tank. Do I just have a faulty kit? Or are my nitrites just super high? (btw, my 2 tiger barbs seem fine as they don't have impaired breathing, arn't rubbing against gravel, ect.)

 

[Zimmanski]

When trying to drastically change any large amount of toxin it's best to do even larger water changes. Do a 75% if you can then fill the tank to about 3/4s then change out enough water to get it down to the 25% full mark then refill. That's what I do anyway. The nitrate test bottles an be a little tough sometimes, try replacing the bottle or shake harder for longer and bang it upside down on a counter to make sure you mix up what has settled. This get brought up fairly often

 

[DavidAl]

Hi Feldman,

How old it the test kit? If you're getting different readings from the tap and tank, chances are the nitrite test is fine.

It appears that you are still going through the cycling phase. The bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrate takes a little longer to multiply than the bacteria that turns ammonia to nitrite. That is normal. Continue to do water changes to keep the nitrites below 1.0ppm and add some aquarium salt to your tank to counter brown blood disease, a condition caused by prolonged high nitrites.

David

 

[Zimmanski]

Oh my bad, I read nitrate, forget the second half of what I said. Still try the 70% water change thing though