Did I mess up my API Nitrate test bottles?

[MDDad]

You may recall my post week or two ago, about my nitrates being skyhigh, for higher than I believe my tapwater was, and a tank that had been cycled yet.

Nitrates today tested at 5ppm, which makes no sense at all, because when we bought our house, the well water test revealed nitrates at 13 ppm, which necessitated an RO system.

Last week nitrates in the tank tested at 40-80...way too high for a non cycled tank (based on what my well water is naturally), so that also makes zero sense. I haven't done a WC since then. I'm beginning to think I screwed up the nitrate test bottle somehow, by perhaps not shaking vigorously enough/long enough per the API instructions the first couple times.

Could I have perhaps not shaken enough, causing the chemicals in Nitrate test bottle #2 to come out too concentrated on the first tests, causing a false high reading, and then being too diluted for accurate future tests?

 

[MDDad]

I did find a thread that stated there is a "powder" in bottle #2 that settles. You'd think that would mean the first tests would have had too little of the chemical, but it's possible that I shook it enough to dislodge it, but not enough to mix thoroughly, and a big "chunk" of it came out when I did my first tests, leaving a much more diluted mix behind..?

 

[shawner1028]

About 3 months ago I had nitrates... Or nitrites.. Whichever the worse one is... So so high I lost my whole tank except the silver barb. I had an excellent happy variety of fish too. Was a sad time I hope you get it all figured out and what happened to me doesn't happen to you

 

[coralbandit]

If you only did a few test I think you [the reagents] are ok...
I myself have long thought as you that the strength of reagent is now skewed from not being mixed properly....
Here's the real odd part....
Most people who don't shake it enough have reading of NO nitrates....
Source water from wells change seasonally and my supplier is a municipal well and I still move over 50 points on TDS meter through out the year...

 

[MDDad]

If you only did a few test I think you [the reagents] are ok...
I myself have long thought as you that the strength of reagent is now skewed from not being mixed properly....
Here's the real odd part....
Most people who don't shake it enough have reading of NO nitrates....
Source water from wells change seasonally and my supplier is a municipal well and I still move over 50 points on TDS meter through out the year...

It's the SAME WATER. The only way nitrates could've been reduced naturally would be from the plants in the tank, and the only plants in the tank are three tiny little java ferns about 2 inches high. There's no way they used up all those nitrates that quickly.