Can Anyone Help Me Make Sense Of My Nutrafin Test Kit?

[hanny93]

Right, so I tested my tank earlier today afer receiving a Nutrafin test kit I bought off ebay.

I can understand the pH reading (7.5) and the ammonia reading (0 mg/L)

But the nitrite and nitrate ones are really strange.

On both I got the lowest reading, but that is 0.1 mg/L (nitrite) and 5mg/L for nitrate!

This seems REALLY high from looking at other peoples tanks on here.

And yes my tank is cycled, it has been set up for more than 6 months!

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Are the tests measured in mg/L or ppm? (parts per million.)

 

[hanny93]

mg/L on all of them, thats why i cant make sense of it, especially where the lowest reading you can get is 5mg/L

 

[Joshwainwright]

It probably would have been better to buy the API Freshwater Master Test Kit...

 

[hanny93]

Yeah I know but I didn't and I have this one until it runs out. Any idea on how it works?

 

[Joshwainwright]

Did it come with a manual?

 

[hanny93]

There was booklets for each test saying what the safe levels should be etc, but no complete manual no.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Unfortunately you're just going to have to take what the little booklets say for granted...

 

[Rogue4Fish]

With the API one, to measure Nitrites & ammonia, you have to mix 2 bottles into 1 test tube to get the right result. Are you doing that? If you've got 2 Ammonia Bottles etc.

Otherwise you'll get no results.

 

[fishlove75]

I use the API kit my self not overly familiar with the Nutra fin. However, i did some research, from what I can gather with the nitrAtes, if you get a yellow colour it is 0, if you get anything other than yellow refer to the card. 5 for nitrates is not that bad. Check your tap water and see if you have nitrates in your plain tap water. As for the nitrites I haven't been able to find out anything with that, but will update if I come across any further information.

 

[hanny93]

Aha I know, it was just 5 being the lowest result, it threw me off a bit!

And yes I'm mixing 2 bottles for nitrites and 3 for nitrates.

I have read the instructions, and I have got results but I couldnt work out whether they were bad or good!

And fishlove I was just about to do that, especially as I've just found out we have VERY soft water
Thanks for taking the time to research though!

 

[Essjay]

I've only ever used the API testers, so I can't help with the nutrafin.

Are the tests measured in mg/L or ppm? (parts per million.)

But I can help here. For our uses, mg/l and ppm are the same thing.