Nitrate Testing
- Thread starter stanleo
- Start date
Yes, the reagents are the same for the sw version but the color scales are different. I don't have the charts in front of me right now, but my recollection is that the sw readings are about 2x what it says for fw on the lower color blocks (10ppm sw still looking like the very yellow 5ppm sw, etc. - it's hard to get low-range accuracy for that reason with API kits in sw).
OP
OP
Thanks Donya, I actually have a card for the SW nitrates which is lucky.
So did all my tests and 2 things have me concerned. One is the phosphate test. I can't seem to get a reading. 0 is yellow but the water looks clear to me. 0.1 is supposed to be a light blueish green. Am I doing something wrong? Could the kit be old?
Second is that my pH is 7.8. Is that too low? I have a KH bottle but the directions and chart were lost. my SP is 1.025.
Thanks for all your help. You prolly think I am a lost cause by now lol
So did all my tests and 2 things have me concerned. One is the phosphate test. I can't seem to get a reading. 0 is yellow but the water looks clear to me. 0.1 is supposed to be a light blueish green. Am I doing something wrong? Could the kit be old?
Second is that my pH is 7.8. Is that too low? I have a KH bottle but the directions and chart were lost. my SP is 1.025.
Thanks for all your help. You prolly think I am a lost cause by now lol
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
Hope this helps-
1. Fill a clean test tube with 5 ml of water to be tested (to the line on the tube).
2. Add 10 drops from Nitrate Test Solution Bottle #1, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops.
3. Cap the test tube and invert tube several times to mix solution.
4. Vigorously shake the Nitrate Test Solution Bottle # 2 for at least 30 seconds. This step is extremely important to insure accuracy of test results.
5. Now add 10 drops from NitrateTest Solution Bottle #2, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops.
6. Cap the test tube and shake vigorously for 1 minute. This step is extremely important to insure accuracy of test results.
7. Wait 5 minutes for the color to develop.
8. Read the test results by comparing the color of the solution to the appropriate Nitrate Color Card (choose either Fresh water or Salt water). The tube should be viewed in a well-lit area against the white area of the card. The closest match indicates the ppm (mg/L) of nitrate in the water sample. Rinse the test tube with clean water after use.
1. Fill a clean test tube with 5 ml of water to be tested (to the line on the tube).
2. Add 10 drops from Nitrate Test Solution Bottle #1, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops.
3. Cap the test tube and invert tube several times to mix solution.
4. Vigorously shake the Nitrate Test Solution Bottle # 2 for at least 30 seconds. This step is extremely important to insure accuracy of test results.
5. Now add 10 drops from NitrateTest Solution Bottle #2, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops.
6. Cap the test tube and shake vigorously for 1 minute. This step is extremely important to insure accuracy of test results.
7. Wait 5 minutes for the color to develop.
8. Read the test results by comparing the color of the solution to the appropriate Nitrate Color Card (choose either Fresh water or Salt water). The tube should be viewed in a well-lit area against the white area of the card. The closest match indicates the ppm (mg/L) of nitrate in the water sample. Rinse the test tube with clean water after use.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
There is no color card for GH or KH tests.
Directions for Testing Carbonate Hardness (KH)
Read thoroughly before testing. Do not allow Test Solutions to get into aquarium.
-- To remove childproof safety cap: With one Q hand, push red tab left with thumb while unscrewing cap with free hand,
1. Rinse a clean test tube with water to be tested.
2. Fill the test tube with 5 ml of aquarium water (to the line on the test tube).
3. Add Carbonate Hardness Test Solution, one drop at a time, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops. After first drop is added, solution will turn blue. If the water sample contains only 1 'dKH, the solution will turn from clear to its yellow endpoint ofter the first drop is added.
4. Cap the test tube and Invert several times after each drop. Keep count of the drops being added. Do not hold finger over open end of the tube, as this may affect the test results.
5. The test is completed when the water In the test tube, after having been shaken, turns from blue to yellow. If you have difficulty discerning the color after the first drop of test solution is added, remove the cap from the test tube and while holding it over a white background, look down through the tube.
6. The Carbonate Hardness value is determined by the number of drops of the reagent that must be added to turn the water in the test tube bright yellow. Each drop is equal to 1 'dKH or 17.9 ppm KH,(see the chart).
Test measures KH in German degrees ('dKH). To convert 'dKH to parts per million (ppm), multiply 'dKH x 17.9.
Directions for Testing Carbonate Hardness (KH)
Read thoroughly before testing. Do not allow Test Solutions to get into aquarium.
-- To remove childproof safety cap: With one Q hand, push red tab left with thumb while unscrewing cap with free hand,
1. Rinse a clean test tube with water to be tested.
2. Fill the test tube with 5 ml of aquarium water (to the line on the test tube).
3. Add Carbonate Hardness Test Solution, one drop at a time, holding dropper bottle upside down in a completely vertical position to assure uniformity of drops. After first drop is added, solution will turn blue. If the water sample contains only 1 'dKH, the solution will turn from clear to its yellow endpoint ofter the first drop is added.
4. Cap the test tube and Invert several times after each drop. Keep count of the drops being added. Do not hold finger over open end of the tube, as this may affect the test results.
5. The test is completed when the water In the test tube, after having been shaken, turns from blue to yellow. If you have difficulty discerning the color after the first drop of test solution is added, remove the cap from the test tube and while holding it over a white background, look down through the tube.
6. The Carbonate Hardness value is determined by the number of drops of the reagent that must be added to turn the water in the test tube bright yellow. Each drop is equal to 1 'dKH or 17.9 ppm KH,(see the chart).
Test measures KH in German degrees ('dKH). To convert 'dKH to parts per million (ppm), multiply 'dKH x 17.9.
Usually 8-12dKH is what people aim for, but some tanks run a bit higher and I have also found some discrepencies with the API kits and others' readings. For example, water that was supposed to be 12dKH according to some other kits gave a reading of 15dKH on two different API KH kits I tried. Unfortunately I don't know which was the "right" reading out of those; rather I've only observed that the API kits seem to consistently give the highest value when I've been trying to debug KH problems with marine tanks.
That's on the low side. Have you been adding buffer to the tank? High KH-low pH is a relatively common problem with marine tanks and often due to one of two things: poor ventilation in the tank and/or room(CO2 buildup) and/or calcium and magnesium being out of whack. Sometimes salt mixes also mix badly, particularly if mixed with tap water. What does your newly mixed saltwater test at?
Something sounds off. That said, I am not a big fan of the API phosphate kits; it's a big pain about giving reliable readings on some of my tanks. However, I have never seen a totally clear result, even on things like RODI water. Zero should still be yellow after a few minutes. Do you have both reagents for the kit? That's the only thing aside from contamination/expiration that I can think of that might give a lack of color.
It's always better to ask copious questions than to plunge ahead without doing so.
That's on the low side. Have you been adding buffer to the tank? High KH-low pH is a relatively common problem with marine tanks and often due to one of two things: poor ventilation in the tank and/or room(CO2 buildup) and/or calcium and magnesium being out of whack. Sometimes salt mixes also mix badly, particularly if mixed with tap water. What does your newly mixed saltwater test at?
Something sounds off. That said, I am not a big fan of the API phosphate kits; it's a big pain about giving reliable readings on some of my tanks. However, I have never seen a totally clear result, even on things like RODI water. Zero should still be yellow after a few minutes. Do you have both reagents for the kit? That's the only thing aside from contamination/expiration that I can think of that might give a lack of color.
No worries.
OP
OP
I have this buffer solution : Kent Marine Pro Buffer dKH. It says it increases alkalinity and maintains pH at 8.3. I put the recommended dose in today. Did I do the right thing? I figured I would keep doing that and test it again in a couple days.
The KH test that I have is API. I would love the Sailfert tests but I really can't afford that.
As far as ventilation, should I put an air stone in the tank? I have it but my husband thinks it will spray salt everywhere and won't let me put it in the tank. If you say I should than I can talk him into it hehehe.
The phosphate test is Red Sea Marine and freshwater Test Lab. It is about 3 years old. I think it is the kit because I tested my freshwater and the water looks clear to me. It does have a slightly yellow tinge. Dumby that I am I have tested my tap water and R/O water but never thought to test the salt mix that I use when I do a water change. I will definitely do that on the next water change.
Thanks again.
The KH test that I have is API. I would love the Sailfert tests but I really can't afford that.
As far as ventilation, should I put an air stone in the tank? I have it but my husband thinks it will spray salt everywhere and won't let me put it in the tank. If you say I should than I can talk him into it hehehe.
The phosphate test is Red Sea Marine and freshwater Test Lab. It is about 3 years old. I think it is the kit because I tested my freshwater and the water looks clear to me. It does have a slightly yellow tinge. Dumby that I am I have tested my tap water and R/O water but never thought to test the salt mix that I use when I do a water change. I will definitely do that on the next water change.
Thanks again.
If the KH is already high, adding buffer won't necessarily help and can actually make the problem harder to correct if it's related to calc and mag being out of whack*. Test the pH and KH on newly mixed water first to see if that's where the problem is. If the new water has a low pH, then you'll need to fix the problem there rather than in the tank.
All marine tanks need surface agitation. If there isn't enough, you won't get good gas exchange. Air stones do make salt spray and it is annoying. An open end of airline tubing is usually a bit better about that while accomplishing the same thing. Do you have a powerhead pointed roughly at the surface? If not, try that first. That's not really the same as ventilation though. By ventilation I mean new air circulating around the room and tank. Although an air pump will add some, it's such a tiny amount that it usually has no impact on that. It also sounds like your tank is open-topped (the situation for which salt spray is an issue), which would mean that air issues would be related to the room more than the tank itself. Does the room get stuffy easily, or is it pretty open and well-connected to the rest of the house's air?
Ah. I've never used those kits so I can't help with any color issues there, sorry.
*EDIT: sorry I'm being dumb today it's not just calc and mag - those are the two most common ions that will throw off readings when the problem is inside the tank rather than the water source, but sometimes the issue stems from other organic pollution dragging the pH down (dead animals, die-off on LR, etc.) and can also come from the carbonate content in tap water if you're using tap instead of RO for your saltwater mixes. That's part of why it's important to test a bucket of new water and figure out where the source of the problem is before trying to correct it, since the fixes will be very different depending on what's causing the issue.
All marine tanks need surface agitation. If there isn't enough, you won't get good gas exchange. Air stones do make salt spray and it is annoying. An open end of airline tubing is usually a bit better about that while accomplishing the same thing. Do you have a powerhead pointed roughly at the surface? If not, try that first. That's not really the same as ventilation though. By ventilation I mean new air circulating around the room and tank. Although an air pump will add some, it's such a tiny amount that it usually has no impact on that. It also sounds like your tank is open-topped (the situation for which salt spray is an issue), which would mean that air issues would be related to the room more than the tank itself. Does the room get stuffy easily, or is it pretty open and well-connected to the rest of the house's air?
Ah. I've never used those kits so I can't help with any color issues there, sorry.
*EDIT: sorry I'm being dumb today it's not just calc and mag - those are the two most common ions that will throw off readings when the problem is inside the tank rather than the water source, but sometimes the issue stems from other organic pollution dragging the pH down (dead animals, die-off on LR, etc.) and can also come from the carbonate content in tap water if you're using tap instead of RO for your saltwater mixes. That's part of why it's important to test a bucket of new water and figure out where the source of the problem is before trying to correct it, since the fixes will be very different depending on what's causing the issue.
OP
OP
Hey I did point one of the powerheads up to the surface a couple days ago. So yay me doing something right! But I did it cause I noticed a film on the surface. Isn't the protein skimmer supposed to take care of that?
The tank is in the main room of the apartment about in the middle against the wall however there aren't many windows in this place, just a sliding glass door to the back that is hardly ever left open and a small window on the opposite end of the kitchen. Would putting a fan near the tank help?
I stopped with the buffer and will test the new mix on the next WC (in about five days.) And I use RO for my mixes.
Its interesting that you said that about dead animals causing pH to drop. My lawnmower blenny died very recently and I never found the body. Also about 3 of the snails I put in died. Could that be part of it?
YOur pretty awesome for helping me BTW.
The tank is in the main room of the apartment about in the middle against the wall however there aren't many windows in this place, just a sliding glass door to the back that is hardly ever left open and a small window on the opposite end of the kitchen. Would putting a fan near the tank help?
I stopped with the buffer and will test the new mix on the next WC (in about five days.) And I use RO for my mixes.
Its interesting that you said that about dead animals causing pH to drop. My lawnmower blenny died very recently and I never found the body. Also about 3 of the snails I put in died. Could that be part of it?
YOur pretty awesome for helping me BTW.
Protein skimmers sometimes need a surface-skimming attachment* to get rid of stuff on the surface if there's a lot of gunk in the water. The only skimmer I use is air-driven so I can't help much with the details of the skimmer setup if it's a more powerful skimmer (which are the only sorts that can really stand a chance at getting rid of those films anyway). It may also be that it's not pulling as much out as it could if valves need to be tweaked. They can be fiddly things to get operating well.
If the room is pretty open it may not be air-related at all, particularly given what you said about the animal deaths. That kind of thing will definitely do it; I didn't realize the tank was experiencing other problems like that. In all likelihood that will be the culprit and you'll see the pH improve slowly over time. Do test just mixed saltwater though even though you're using RO, just to make sure the problem is in the tank and not being added to the tank.
*Another edit: aaaaghh I need more coffee today. Although I've seen some skimmers with a surface extracting part on them, I think the surface-extracting add-ons I'm thinking of are actually meant to go on other things like canisters and whatnot. It's been ages since I've looked at those sorts of things and my brain is making a mess of it. My preferred strategy for surface films is a bit of airline, but my tanks are either closed-top or in places where I don't care about hefty salt crusts building up.
If the room is pretty open it may not be air-related at all, particularly given what you said about the animal deaths. That kind of thing will definitely do it; I didn't realize the tank was experiencing other problems like that. In all likelihood that will be the culprit and you'll see the pH improve slowly over time. Do test just mixed saltwater though even though you're using RO, just to make sure the problem is in the tank and not being added to the tank.
*Another edit: aaaaghh I need more coffee today. Although I've seen some skimmers with a surface extracting part on them, I think the surface-extracting add-ons I'm thinking of are actually meant to go on other things like canisters and whatnot. It's been ages since I've looked at those sorts of things and my brain is making a mess of it. My preferred strategy for surface films is a bit of airline, but my tanks are either closed-top or in places where I don't care about hefty salt crusts building up.
OP
OP
Ok, so I just tested my freshly made saltwater. The pH is 8.2 and the dKH is 12. It took 12 drops to turn the test sample yellow. Although, after 10 drops it started to turn yellow. At 10 it was a greenish yellow and at 12 drops it was bright yellow. Which one do you go by? When it starts to change color or when it is bright yellow? SG is 1.023
I also tested my tank again and pH was still 7.8 but this time the dKH was 10. Same as the freshly made stuff, 8 to start turn and 10 to turn bright yellow. I know API test kits kinda suck but its a rough idea.
So I made 15gl and am going to change that in a 55gl tank. Am I doing the right thing to start getting the pH where it needs to be?
BTW way the SG right now in the tank is 1.025.
I also tested my tank again and pH was still 7.8 but this time the dKH was 10. Same as the freshly made stuff, 8 to start turn and 10 to turn bright yellow. I know API test kits kinda suck but its a rough idea.
So I made 15gl and am going to change that in a 55gl tank. Am I doing the right thing to start getting the pH where it needs to be?
BTW way the SG right now in the tank is 1.025.
Usually I only see three distinct colors with the API KH kit, and if I don't I run the test again. I'm happy with the result when I see these three steps, although sometimes only the first and last: blue of some intensity (up to 1-2 drops before the end), something ranging from blue-green to green but not anything I'd call yellow (1 drop before, if it even occurs), and then yellow that is definitely yellow. If one were to keep adding reagent, the yellow would get less transparent, but with titration tests you're looking for a sudden, dramatic change to the end color rather than exactly how bright/etc. the end color is, since the turning points on a low reading can look less intense than for a high reading just because of the amount of reagent added so far. A KH reading of 2-4 will be so faint it's hard to see that it's even yellow at times, while a reading of 15 will be very bright yellow. If the solution isn't mixing well then you can end up with a case where it will seem like it's gone yellow through most of the tube but then it starts to green up again rapidly. When that happens, it needs to be mixed up thoroughly and should go back to an obvious non-yellow in the process. If that happens to me more than once I scrap the test and do it again with another clean tube, since fuzzy turning points can happen when the tube has gotten carbonates build up inside it that slowly dissolve as you're doing the test.
If drop number x does not turn the solution yellow and drop x+1 does, then the dKH value should be x+1.
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