Water testing results - (need help interpreting)

K

kyle

[I bought the Salifert test kits and tested my water Feb 13. My 40g tank has been up 7 weeks. The water was tested at the LFS on Feb 5 and everthing was fine except for pH and we treated twice with some stuff they recommended. I added 20# of LR last Saturday and 30# of additional LR on Feb 12. I have 3 blue damsels, 1 clown, and 1 goby. Tank is at 79F. Here are the results...

Date Feb 12 Feb 13
Tester LFS me
pH 7.7 8.3
NH3 0 0.25
Nitrite 0 0.1
Nitrate trace NT- Kit missing one of the reagents
Salinity 1.021 NT- I don't have instrument yet
kH/Alk NT 2.51

I'm obviously concened about the spike in ammonia. How excessive is the reading? Nothing to do but ride it out, right?
TIA!]
 
[The ammonia spike is likely due to the additional live rock. Just ride it out and you should be fine. If you are going for a reef tank, you should probably work on bringing the Alk up and get a calcium test kit.]
 
[Could be things from the live rock dieing off. How cured was the rock? Is there any white patches on it? Did you notice it smelling bad as you put it in the tank?

As long as it doesn't get any higher and the fish don't look distressed your probably ok. If your worried or if it gets much higher I'd consider a water change to help bring things back down.]
 
[The fact that you have any Nitrite is an issue.

And you have to get something to check salinity, even if it is a simple floating hydrometer.

You are going to replace that NO3 kit, right?]
 
[A refractometer is now on order.

All of the Salifert Nitrate test kits at Fish Gallery only have two of the three reagents. They're missing #3. The instructions tell you that only #1 and #3 are required but, of course, what's included in the box was #1 and #2. I bought another brand and will test tomorrow.

The LR looked fine. No unusal oder. I'll watch ammonia closely.

Thanks for the responses.]
 
[The two reagents you need for the NO3 test is the two powders. The drops are unnecessary. I'd ask them to let you trade the kit for one with the missing ingredient.]
 
[Received my refractometer today and ran a full suite of tests.
All of the chemical tests are with Salifert kits except for the Nitrate test, which is Nutrafin (Hagen).

pH 8.3
Sal 1.025
Amm < 0.25
Nitrite 0.1
Nitrate 10-15
Alkal 2.63
Cal 490
Mag 1425
Phos 0.5

I don't like the NH4 test on the Salifert kit. <0.25 on the test card is basically white(no color) while 0.25 is starting to show faint yellow. The water in my test vial is opaque and it is very difficult to distinguish between <0.25 and 0.25. Becuase can't see any tinge of yellow, I'm calling it <0.25.

Also, I don't like the Nutrafin Nitrate test kit. The final step in the procedure calls for adding 3 drops of Reagent #3. Rather than a plastic squeeze bottle with a nozzle tip, #3 is housed in a glass bottle with basically a small hole in a plastic stopper. I can't get it to drip consistently. Just kind of "slops" out.

Anybody else have similar experiences?

I like fooling around with the refractometer. I wish all the other tests were as precise.]
 
@Marc wrote:
[The two reagents you need for the NO3 test is the two powders. The drops are unnecessary. I'd ask them to let you trade the kit for one with the missing ingredient.] said:
[I have a Salifert nitrate test kit recently purchased from Fish Gallery and it also is missing number 3. However, the 2 that are there are powders, so based on what Marc said I don't know if I am missing something that is needed or if they changed the label on the reagent bottle but forgot to change the instructions. I am planning on stopping by Fish Gallery tomorrow after work. We shall see.]
Click to expand...
 
[All you need for that test is the two powders and the small salifert spoon. Put 1 ml of tank water in the vial, add one level scoop of each powder, and agitate the vial for 30 seconds. Wait 3 minutes and read your results.

I have never used the bottle of liquid drops, as my NO3 is never that low.]
 
@Jdaddy3boys wrote:
[I am planning on stopping by Fish Gallery tomorrow after work. We shall see.] said:
[They were clueless about this when I was there last weekend (Feb 13). Hopefully, they've checked it out. Let us know what they say. I sure don't like the brand I'm using now.]
Click to expand...
 
[I found this reply from Habib (CEO and founder of Salifert) on ReefCentral dated 02/02/2005.

"We have included by mistake in some of the nitrate kits the wrong instruction.

There is no NO3-3.

Where it says to add NO3-3 it should read NO3-2.
Besides that everything is correct.

Sorry for the inconvenience."

Hope this helps.]
 
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