FED UP with API products

[tank stalker]

So i had a problem with my nitrates a month ago and where the the readings were 40ppm so i did a wc retested and still at 40 ppm waited 2 days and did another wc tested and still at 40 ppm found a discussion on here about people having the same problem so i went and bought another test kit(API) this time it tested at 10 ppm so i was a little relieved. And now a month later getting the same thing it reading at 40 ppm 2 wc later and still the same:verymad: but im not to worried about it as my fish and coral are not stressing, but I am done with the API junk and i just ordered kits from salifert they had some good revues..Also i was wanting to know can anyone suggest a good brand of UV sterilizer i want to pick a couple up for my 65 and my wifes 75

 

[Steve L]

Wow, I've used API for years and never had a bad bottle let alone two separate ones that close together. Did you check the dates on the bottle to make sure your LFS isn't selling you very old test kits? An easy way to confirm if your test is way off would be to simply buy some of the inexpensive test strips for a few bucks to see if the 40ppm was in the ball park of what the API test was reading. I'm a little concerned that the new test kit registered 10ppm a month ago and now reads 40ppm. That tells me the test was probably correct and you have something in your system creating a lot of nitrate.

A lot of corals and almost all fish can handle nitrates up to 40ppm. The problem is that many corals will stop growing and die very slowly if your nitrates are that high, so while you may think the corals don't look stressed they might not be doing all that well.

 

[tank stalker]

Wow, I've used API for years and never had a bad bottle let alone two separate ones that close together. Did you check the dates on the bottle to make sure your LFS isn't selling you very old test kits? An easy way to confirm if your test is way off would be to simply buy some of the inexpensive test strips for a few bucks to see if the 40ppm was in the ball park of what the API test was reading. I'm a little concerned that the new test kit registered 10ppm a month ago and now reads 40ppm. That tells me the test was probably correct and you have something in your system creating a lot of nitrate.

A lot of corals and almost all fish can handle nitrates up to 40ppm. The problem is that many corals will stop growing and die very slowly if your nitrates are that high, so while you may think the corals don't look stressed they might not be doing all that well.

I actually prepared for it this time and bought test strips to double check it the strips said I was at 10 ppm so that's how I knew the bottle was wrong I didn't check the date on it though

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[saltfan]

Test strips are the least reliable...

 

[tank stalker]

Test strips are the least reliable...

I figured as much but I thought that if the two test were at least close that would mean the API was right but they weren't even close so out with the API

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[DaveK]

API does seem to have problems with their nitrate test kit, but I don't know the exact reason. I suspect it's because they sit around far too long on thew shelves of the LFS.

As for a UV unit, I recommend none at all, unless you have a very specific problem to solve. Save your money.

 

[tank stalker]

Ok thank you Dave for that input...so I take it they are not worth the money?

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[DianaKay]

I've used the API test kits without any issues. But I've always used the liquid drops...never the test strips
I still use API for some tests but have bought better ones for phosphate & magnesium.
I've never considered a UV sterilizer....just didn't like the idea that it might kill stuff I wanted to keep alive.
I'd say do lots more research before you buy one. They may be used more in freshwater set ups than SW?

 

[tank stalker]

Ok thank you DianaKay

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[DaveK]

Ok thank you Dave for that input...so I take it they are not worth the money?

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It's not a question of UV not being worth the money. It's that it can only solve some problems, if you don't have one of those problems, you don't need UV. The problems it dose solve are ones such as green water where the algae is actually in the water. It's also good at cleaning up bacteria blooms. In a LFS where you have many tanks running on a single filtration system, UV can do a lot to prevent the spread of diseases between tanks.

Things that UV is not good at include treating diseases in a tank, or stopping algae growing on the rocks.

Most people don't need UV on their SW reef systems. In spite of this, UV is still often sold as the be all end all device to add to your system.

 

[tank stalker]

Gotcha I appreciate every ones input in the UV

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[rufus2008]

Had the same problem with api. Bought a seachem and Salifert test kit and they both read zero. Never going back to api's nitrate test.

 

[StirCrayzy]

I've posted my nitrate test fails before, and API does seem more frequent than other kits, but I digress.

How to know your nitrate test is bad..
1. Test before WC (25% change or more, would be best.)
2. Test immediately after WC.

The exact percentage of water changed should be the exact amount lower, your test results read.
This of course assumes your source water and salt mix have no detectable amount of nitrate.

I still use API for standard testing because they are accurate until expiration, and is more cost effective to me for the small amount of testing I do before said expiration.

 

[DaveK]

I've posted my nitrate test fails before, and API does seem more frequent than other kits, but I digress.

How to know your nitrate test is bad..
1. Test before WC (25% change or more, would be best.)
2. Test immediately after WC.

The exact percentage of water changed should be the exact amount lower, your test results read.
This of course assumes your source water and salt mix have no detectable amount of nitrate.

I still use API for standard testing because they are accurate until expiration, and is more cost effective to me for the small amount of testing I do before said expiration.

This is a good method to verify a nitrate or phosphate test kit. I also recommend you test your new water, because that can also be a source of nitrates and phosphates.

Obviously if your tank water reads 20ppm nitrate, and your new water reads the same, no amount of water changes are going to change the test kit reading. Your still not out of the woods, but if your using RO/DI water to mix your salt, then it should mix to a close to zero level. It might also be a good idea to test the source of the new water. Sometimes the RO/DI that comes from the LFS isn't that pure. Otherwise, it's time to get another brand of test kit.