which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

I've been having a really hard time trying to decipher my NutraFin nitrate
test kit results. The color chart is basically a light to dark hue of
purple...the water in my test tube looks more like a fuschia/pink bright
color which doesn't match anything. I usually pull the test tube back a few
inches and the hue changes color and I guess.

I've noticed that Tetra has a kit that I might like better; it has a color
chart that has different color shades from yellow to orange to red. This
might be easier to read.

Any opinions?

Thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

In article 6Nipc.9590$RM.5153@edtnps89,
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote:

I've been having a really hard time trying to decipher my NutraFin nitrate
test kit results. The color chart is basically a light to dark hue of
purple...the water in my test tube looks more like a fuschia/pink bright
color which doesn't match anything. I usually pull the test tube back a few
inches and the hue changes color and I guess.

I've noticed that Tetra has a kit that I might like better; it has a color
chart that has different color shades from yellow to orange to red. This
might be easier to read.

Any opinions?

Thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave



I got a Red Sea Marine Lab kit a month ago or so. Can do dozens of tests
for pH, Alkalinity, NH3/NH4, NO3, and NO2. The instructions are very
clear and the charts/chits that come for each test are quite easy to
read. In addition, tests for ammonia, etc. rely not just on a color
comparison, but on further number extrapolation from charts from there
(probably the way they all work). I've not compared this to others,
except for a pH test solution I bought by itself. Even this test alone
is better with the Red Sea. I think it was about $25.

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

I highly recommend:

- LaMotte
- Salifert
- SeaChem

Chris.

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message news:6Nipc.9590$RM.5153@edtnps89...
I've been having a really hard time trying to decipher my NutraFin nitrate
test kit results. The color chart is basically a light to dark hue of
purple...the water in my test tube looks more like a fuschia/pink bright
color which doesn't match anything. I usually pull the test tube back a few
inches and the hue changes color and I guess.

I've noticed that Tetra has a kit that I might like better; it has a color
chart that has different color shades from yellow to orange to red. This
might be easier to read.

Any opinions?

Thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave


Tetra kits are pretty much unless.
Lamott test kits are one of the few worth while kits out there. Cost a
lot more, but if you want something that actually measures the levels
in a meaningful way, then it's worth it.
Cheap NO3 and PO4 kits are, well, cheap. If you need to see if there's
presence or absense, they are not really good there either.

Seeing if a kit is any good is not too complicated, make a known
solution with the weight of KNO3 to a known volume of water, then you
can figure out how much NO3 is in there.

Lamott held up well, I have not found others that do well in the
ranges folks need for planted tanks, many times people think they have
enough NO3 bwecause the kit reads 15ppm or something, when they are
really at 0.0ppm and this can cause algae indirectly and other issues.

Regards,
Tom Barr

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

I've found Salifert test kits to be the best. I use them for both my reef
and planted freshwater tank.

"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message
news:6Nipc.9590$RM.5153@edtnps89...
I've been having a really hard time trying to decipher my NutraFin nitrate
test kit results. The color chart is basically a light to dark hue of
purple...the water in my test tube looks more like a fuschia/pink bright
color which doesn't match anything. I usually pull the test tube back a
few
inches and the hue changes color and I guess.

I've noticed that Tetra has a kit that I might like better; it has a color
chart that has different color shades from yellow to orange to red. This
might be easier to read.

Any opinions?

Thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

Thanx for the insight Tom. I pretty much stopped dosing NO3 when I noticed
an increase of some algae and assumed that was the issue. The only things
that has changed in the last few months in my aquarium was a sudden growth
of a few fish and a cut-back and cleanout of a lot of my old ludwigia.
Anyways...

having inaccurate nitrate counts could be pretty detrimental to the health
of the aquarium system. I've done some research and couldn't find any
suppliers in Canada where I can order the LaMott test kits. I've heard that
the Salifert ones are just about as good but much cheaper.

Where could I get these kits?

Thanx!
Dave
" wrote in message
om...
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote in message
news:6Nipc.9590$RM.5153@edtnps89...
I've been having a really hard time trying to decipher my NutraFin
nitrate
test kit results. The color chart is basically a light to dark hue of
purple...the water in my test tube looks more like a fuschia/pink bright
color which doesn't match anything. I usually pull the test tube back a
few
inches and the hue changes color and I guess.

I've noticed that Tetra has a kit that I might like better; it has a
color
chart that has different color shades from yellow to orange to red. This
might be easier to read.

Any opinions?

Thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave


Tetra kits are pretty much unless.
Lamott test kits are one of the few worth while kits out there. Cost a
lot more, but if you want something that actually measures the levels
in a meaningful way, then it's worth it.
Cheap NO3 and PO4 kits are, well, cheap. If you need to see if there's
presence or absense, they are not really good there either.

Seeing if a kit is any good is not too complicated, make a known
solution with the weight of KNO3 to a known volume of water, then you
can figure out how much NO3 is in there.

Lamott held up well, I have not found others that do well in the
ranges folks need for planted tanks, many times people think they have
enough NO3 bwecause the kit reads 15ppm or something, when they are
really at 0.0ppm and this can cause algae indirectly and other issues.

Regards,
Tom Barr

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

In article USBpc.10867$0e6.4790@clgrps13,
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote:

Where could I get these kits?

www.marindepot.com has them all, in addition to good deals on just about
everything. Nice, helpful folks.

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

Thanx Adam! However they only supply the low range test kits...which are
great once you have your nitrate levels within normal bounds. I would also
need medium to high-range kits as well. I know LaMotte sells #5891 which
does 0, 5, 20, 40 ppm and #3519/NCR-2 which does 0.25 - 10.0 ppm. Does the
second tester only show 4 values 0,5,20, 40? Or will it show some in
between.Would it be a good idea to have both testers?

Thanx!

Dave.


"Adam Gottschalk" wrote in message
...
In article USBpc.10867$0e6.4790@clgrps13,
"Dave M. Picklyk" wrote:

Where could I get these kits?

www.marindepot.com has them all, in addition to good deals on just about
everything. Nice, helpful folks.

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

" wrote in message
om...
Tetra kits are pretty much unless.

Hi Tom,

I've never disagreed with you before but I have to disagree with you in
respect of the Tetra kits.

They're cheap, yes - but in my experience they are accurate enough.

I asked a friend of my who is a clinical pharmacologist to test the accuracy
and she told me it was within the resolution. In other words, if the color
of the test says 10ppm and the next higher and lower tests were 5 ppm and 20
ppm she said in her tests the color was accurate for 10ppm.

After reading your post, I performed my own test. I created a solution of
3 teaspoons of KNO3 in 500 ml of water. I then diluted that as 1ml solution
in 1000 ml of water which should result in 20 ppm nitrate.

I asked my wife to then judge the color against the Tetra color chart and
she said 20 without any input on my part.

Maybe the tetra test sold here in Australia is different to the one in North
America?

In any case it seems accurate enough for me :-)


Graham.


Lamott test kits are one of the few worth while kits out there. Cost a
lot more, but if you want something that actually measures the levels
in a meaningful way, then it's worth it.
Cheap NO3 and PO4 kits are, well, cheap. If you need to see if there's
presence or absense, they are not really good there either.

Seeing if a kit is any good is not too complicated, make a known
solution with the weight of KNO3 to a known volume of water, then you
can figure out how much NO3 is in there.

Lamott held up well, I have not found others that do well in the
ranges folks need for planted tanks, many times people think they have
enough NO3 bwecause the kit reads 15ppm or something, when they are
really at 0.0ppm and this can cause algae indirectly and other issues.

Regards,
Tom Barr

which nitrate test kit is the best??
 

Hi Graham. Maybe the kits are different here in Canada. The color charts do
not match at all very good with the sample in the tube. The water turns a
fuschia-pink color while the chart colors are hues of purple. So I'm not
sure if a brighter color of pink means a deeper darker color of purple or if
it's a lighter color of purple since it's so bright???

Anyways, I'm looking into getting some LaMotte ones.

Dave.

"Graham Broadbridge" wrote in message
...
" wrote in message
om...
Tetra kits are pretty much unless.

Hi Tom,

I've never disagreed with you before but I have to disagree with you in
respect of the Tetra kits.

They're cheap, yes - but in my experience they are accurate enough.

I asked a friend of my who is a clinical pharmacologist to test the
accuracy
and she told me it was within the resolution. In other words, if the
color
of the test says 10ppm and the next higher and lower tests were 5 ppm and
20
ppm she said in her tests the color was accurate for 10ppm.

After reading your post, I performed my own test. I created a solution
of
3 teaspoons of KNO3 in 500 ml of water. I then diluted that as 1ml
solution
in 1000 ml of water which should result in 20 ppm nitrate.

I asked my wife to then judge the color against the Tetra color chart and
she said 20 without any input on my part.

Maybe the tetra test sold here in Australia is different to the one in
North
America?

In any case it seems accurate enough for me :-)


Graham.


Lamott test kits are one of the few worth while kits out there. Cost a
lot more, but if you want something that actually measures the levels
in a meaningful way, then it's worth it.
Cheap NO3 and PO4 kits are, well, cheap. If you need to see if there's
presence or absense, they are not really good there either.

Seeing if a kit is any good is not too complicated, make a known
solution with the weight of KNO3 to a known volume of water, then you
can figure out how much NO3 is in there.

Lamott held up well, I have not found others that do well in the
ranges folks need for planted tanks, many times people think they have
enough NO3 bwecause the kit reads 15ppm or something, when they are
really at 0.0ppm and this can cause algae indirectly and other issues.

Regards,
Tom Barr