Nitrate Issue

Geradmg513

New member
My tank has been up and running for awhile now and all of my levels are spot on: Ammonia, Nitrite, PH, Salinity, and temp are all stable. My nitrate readings are what has me kind of baffled. I can use the API test tube kit and it shows 80-140 off the chart levels however if I use the Seachem Nitrate test it shows 5ppm. I have used 2 different API nitrate solutions and both showed the same result and both do not expire until 2017-2018. I am almost inclined to believe the Seachem because I have not lost any crabs, shrimp, snails, star fish, or fish. Everything appears active and happy and eat very well. Any thoughts?
 
I've had api kits that say they don't expire until 2 years. I was testing my alk and I kept getting 5. I knew that couldn't be right. I went to the lfs and theirs said 8. I think once they are opened and not used for a long time they go bad. Just my exp.
 
API ready kits need to be shaken really well before use and even then I question there accuracy.
 
Yeah I shake it very well before I use it. Our local fish shop that's open is a small chain and they use those Tetra and API all in one strips which really are no better.
 
Do you have corals? They would be a good indicator. Sps vs mushrooms.
+1 on the no3pox4. Algae scrubbers an option too.
Daniel. :idea:
 
Try taking it to the store just to see what the strips are reading as well?
They can be pretty wonky but itll give you a small clue as to what extreme your water might really be
 
My experience with API's nitrate test kit is it's very unreliable. I used to test with them and it started to read crazy numbers out of no where a steady 100ppm or more raise in nitrates over 3-4 days. At first I was trying to figure out what was going wrong in the tank, dead fish, rotting snails, to much food. I started doing water changes thinking the tank was crashing until I ended up bringing water to my LFS which they tested with API dip strip then salifert and the salifert was .25 needles to say I bought all salifert test kits that day and don't consider api liquids very reliable any more
 
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