NO3 different results??

Myteemouse · Jan 20, 2009

I was doing nothing this afternoon and decided to do all my water tests!
I just picked up a few new test kits. "Salifert"

Well I have been useing a REALLY old salifert NO3 test kit and ALWAYS came up with a result of 10 ppm
So today I used the New one (the one with the two dry chemicals and one eye dropper of fluid for the low range NO3.
These results are makeing me INSANE!!!!!!!
The new High range gave me a result of less than 2ppm (only covers 2-100 ppm)
So i switched to the formula for low range NO3 with the dirrections of "10ml of H2O, one scoop of each dry chemical, one drop of fluid from the dropper, stir gentlly for 30 seconds and then wait 3 minutes and read results.
The result was still 0.00 ppm
I thought "this cant be"
I feed pretty heavy and I'm WAY over stocked
So I dug out the old Slifert test kit and did that one
Of course the result was 10 ppm
So i dug up my API brand test kit for NO3 and tested again with that along with doing ANOTHER low range NO3 with the new test kit (incase I made a mistake the first time)
Both tests came out 0ppm on the API and the new SALIFERT test kit
What is going on here!!???
I just tested 5 times with three differnt kits and the only one with a reading other than 0ppm was the OLD SALIFERT test kit with just the two dry powders.
What should I do??

tike · Jan 20, 2009

Myteemouse said:
What should I do??

KEEP YOUR HANDS DRY :badgrin::badgrin:

J/K!

I think that your no3 is fine. I would believe the newest test kit. How often do you change water? I am able to feed heavy and do religious water changes and still keep no3 down low.

Myteemouse · Jan 20, 2009

tike666 said:
KEEP YOUR HANDS DRY :badgrin::badgrin:

J/K!

I think that your no3 is fine. I would believe the newest test kit. How often do you change water? I am able to feed heavy and do religious water changes and still keep no3 down low.

LOL
funny.
Well I do about 15-20% a week, on Sunday, religiously, with RO/DI water!!

tike · Jan 20, 2009

So I really think your new test is telling you the truth! You're just doing an AWESOME job on your tank maintenance.

Myteemouse · Jan 20, 2009

I hope so cause I ran the high once and the low twice just to make sure!
The water never took ANY color at all!
I figured, I was doing something wrong cause thats my FIRST 0 reading for salifert but now I realize the old test kit I got from a dude in seattle grab bag style is junk!
the API test kit has gave me 0's for about two months!
I figured they were cheep and inacurate cause when I got the old salifert it read 10 every time!!!
And the new one was 0.0!!
That would explain why all my corals are more open now than they EVER have been in the past!! DUUUUUHHHH
I'm such a TARD!