When comparing the test tube to the test sheet do you hold the tube against the white area or infront of the white area because on nitrates the colors are so close and moving against the card makes the liquid look darker due to less light .
Convict2161 said:I just look at it in a well lit area. For me I just turn the living room light on and call it a day. Don't stress so much over where to read the results. If its bad you'll know it.
Also the API nitrAte test is notorious for making people lose there hair.
tonedogz said:you hold it against the white background in a well lit room.
reefrunner69 said:API nitrate has to be divided by 4.4 to get an accurate reading for nitrate nitrogen, which is what every other nitrate tests for. API tests for total nitrate.
tonedogz said:personally i prefer the salifert test kit over the api i thinks its way more accurate its a little more expensive but i think its worth it.
paytertot said:Soo.. exactly what does that mean? Haha
Im happy with just a reference of below 40 as the api kit showes but its never been above 10 The shadow effect is what i was concernd withIt means that if you are looking to keep nitrates <10 ppm if using an API test kit you want them below 44ppm. You have to divide by 4.4 to remove the weight of the oxygen molecules in total nitrate. I may not be explaining it just right, but that is the gist of it, it's been well documented for as long as I've been in the hobby.
reefrunner69 said:It means that if you are looking to keep nitrates <10 ppm if using an API test kit you want them below 44ppm. You have to divide by 4.4 to remove the weight of the oxygen molecules in total nitrate. I may not be explaining it just right, but that is the gist of it, it's been well documented for as long as I've been in the hobby.
That would get rid of the shadow effect LOLI'm gonna start reading it in the dark and see how it goes...