Best Nitrate Test Kit?

[infinite0180]

Yes, I meant the control vial with no reagent.

Ok just making sure my kit wasn't missing something

 

[wickette]

My tap water contrains something that interferes with nitrates tests.

Every test strip give the max reading

Red Sea also gives the max reading, directions say wait 9min, the the results are stable for 5min. My just keeps getting darker the entire time.

Salifert also gets darkerbut doesnt max out. I get a color between 10-25ppm at 3 min, between 25 and 50ppm after another 3min

API's liquid nitrate test doesnt keep getting darker but the color is brownish like beer, not yellow-red like on card. Its tough to figure out the result, 10ppm is closest in darkness, but 30ppm is closer to the right shade.

A friend used an electronic tester on my tap water (idk which one but it was about the size of a VHS casette). The tester read 8.22ppm. The my towns reports 4.0ppm nitrates.

 

[rodney]

I like my Red Sea kits!

 

[zavosan]

For me Salifert is not easy to read. You can read it in 2 ways and you get totally different results..

 

[X-37B]

Nyos is easy to read.
I used salifert now Nyos.

 

[Adamantium]

For me Salifert is not easy to read. You can read it in 2 ways and you get totally different results..

That is by design. Your nitrates look to be about 10-15.

Have you read the directions? Reading it through the side needs to be divided by 10.

 

[Michael White]

I know the Red Sea kit is accurate, but I really despise the whole kit, and process of getting an accurate reading from it-> which means I rarely used it. Have used API and it’s super simple but has questionable accuracy. To me it came down to which test I would actually do. I just tried to keep my tank stable, and not chase number to levels I knew made the test more inaccurate, as proven by comparing results with the red sea test. Building a new tank and intend to try out the nyos kit and some others. Any recommendations are welcome.

 

[zavosan]

@Adamantium You are right! I did not read instructions correct. My fault

 

[Gordonm]

Unless i had a crappy salifert kit it was always reading high. I used nyos and a more reliable reading.

 

[SliceGolfer]

Nyos

 

[F4TALREEFER]

I've used Red Sea, Salifert, api, and switched to nyos about a year ago. I've wanted to try others just to try first hand, but don't think I will ever lol.

Personally, I find it easiest to read, most consistent, and probably the quickest.

 

[piranhaman00]

Salifert is the easiest and one I like.

NYOS works but the colors don’t match well above 12ppm and I hate shaking steps

 

[Big E]

For me Salifert is not easy to read. You can read it in 2 ways and you get totally different results..

Those two pics look pretty much dead on to me at 10ppm..............maybe slightly more than ten from above, but I've never had an issue reading Salifert's kit till the lowest levels

Under 5.0 I like to use the Red Sea Pro.

The lighting of the room can confuse readings........I like to look at them under white vs yellow light and if you can read it near a window with white lighting it's the easiest.

 

[ckalupa]

Salifert is my preferred nowadays. Red Sea I find to be challenging to match the subtle pink differences to their card. I like the 3 minute salifert vs 9 minute for Red Sea. Too. Easy to use the same sample sideways for the low range on the salifert test without needing to re-do the whole test

 

[Modest]

Macherey-Nagel for me.