Nitrate Test Kit Question

[rapdor]

Is any one brand of nitrate test kit better than others, or doesn't it
matter?

I ask because one Australian on-line shop says that the Aquasonic kit
"measures the nitrate ion, and not the nitrate nitrogen as some kits do;
essential for accurate testing; range 5ppm to 80 ppm." (Price $13.80)

And a different mob say that the Dupla Nitrate No3 Test Kit is "easily the
BEST test kit on the market". (Price $33.60)

So who do I believe? Thanks.

[Dan Drake]

On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 09:20:43 UTC, "rapdor" >
wrote:

> Is any one brand of nitrate test kit better than others, or doesn't it
> matter?
>
> I ask because one Australian on-line shop says that the Aquasonic kit
> "measures the nitrate ion, and not the nitrate nitrogen as some kits do;
> essential for accurate testing; range 5ppm to 80 ppm." (Price $13.80)

I'd be really suspicious of such a brand -- or maybe it's not the brand's
fault, but the dealer that's talking nonsense, and I'd avoid the dealer.

The difference between measuring the nitrate ion and measuring the nitrate
nitrogen is 4.4. That is, the amount of nitrate ion is 4.4 times the
amount of nitrate nitrogen because NO3 weighs 62 and N weighs 62 and the
ratio is about 4.4 or rather 4.43. It's math, not chemical accuracy.

The maker of a test kit gives you some color standards to compare with,
and puts a number by each one. The numbers will be 4.4 times bigger if
the kit is specified as measuring nitrate ion than if it gives nitrogen
(or "Nitrate expressed as Nitrogen"), but it's the same amount of the same
stuff.

It *is* important to know which one you're getting. 5 parts per million
of NO3 is fine for freshwater tanks. But if the kit says 5, and it's
showing nitrogen, then you've got 22 parts per million NO3, and that's
much less fine.

>
> And a different mob say that the Dupla Nitrate No3 Test Kit is "easily the
> BEST test kit on the market". (Price $33.60)

So don't believe the first one, though maybe Aquasonic is not at fault and
maybe the kit is just fine. Dupla has a good reputation and deserves it.
Though if it costs that much, maybe a professional kit from Lamotte
wouldn't be much worse to buy. Or maybe I'm overlooking currency
conversions, thinking of Lamotte prices in US dollars in the US.


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