Managing your nitrates using a color chart is a j o k e

[ZoWhat]

Up until 4 weeks ago, I've been mildly managing my nitrates for years using this color chart that we're all familiar with

What an amateur subjective test relying on keen eyes to differentiate colors

I've been doing myself a major disservice relying on my eyes to play "the matchy match game" with colors. What a joke.

For the last year I thought I was hovering around 10-20ppm...cool I mostly have zias/palys

Didn't know I was actually DOUBLE that at around 40 to high 50s after purchasing a Hanna nitrate checker. Seriously??

I was unknowingly slowly poisoning my zoas/palys with as much as high 50s ppm of no3. Pure Ignorance bc of subjective tests.

Hope when I go in for cancer screenings the Lab Tech is NOT trying to differentiate between 5 color patterns

I'm not here to sell Hanna Checkers but man'o'man ISN'T KNOWING YOUR TRUE NO3 LEVELS A MAJOR COMPONENT TO SUCCESS?!?

I can't believe all the color chart test kits are structured in a way where it's oretty much up for subjective interruption of individual users. What a joke...

I'm now a huge Hanna nitrate checker believer. Believing their colorimeter can be accurate within 2% of my true no3 levels

Your thoughts?

.

 

[blaxsun]

Should’ve got a Nyos nitrate test kit. The problem with the Salifert kit is the range of 25-50 and 50-100. That and some of the tests you have to read from the side and others from the top - so it’s not consistent.

 

[MaxTremors]

Up until 4 weeks ago, I've been mildly managing my nitrates for years using this color chart that we're all familiar with

What an amateur subjective test relying on keen eyes to differentiate colors

I've been doing myself a major disservice relying on my eyes to play "the matchy match game" with colors. What a joke.

For the last year I thought I was hovering around 10-20ppm...cool I mostly have zias/palys

Didn't know I was actually DOUBLE that at around 40 to high 50s after purchasing a Hanna nitrate checker. Seriously??

I was unknowingly slowly poisoning my zoas/palys with as much as high 50s ppm of no3. Pure Ignorance bc of subjective tests.

Hope when I go in for cancer screenings the Lab Tech is NOT trying to differentiate between 5 color patterns

I'm not here to sell Hanna Checkers but man'o'man ISN'T KNOWING YOUR TRUE NO3 LEVELS A MAJOR COMPONENT TO SUCCESS?!?

I can't believe all the color chart test kits are structured in a way where it's oretty much up for subjective interruption of individual users. What a joke...

I'm now a huge Hanna nitrate checker believer. Believing their colorimeter can be accurate within 2% of my true no3 levels

Your thoughts?

.

While 50ppm isn’t good for any coral, IME it won’t have any major effect on Zoas or Palys (or most soft corals). Above 30-40ppm and you’ll see LPS struggle (it’s usually a slow decline). And SPS will generally won’t do as well above 10-15ppm. But sometimes corals just adapt and I’ve seen SPS thrive in 80+ppm, so while you should try to keep them relatively low or below 20ppm for a mixed reef, in a softie dominated tank 40-50ppm likely isn’t going to hurt anything

 

[TheWB]

Should’ve got a Nyos nitrate test kit. The problem with the Salifert kit is the range of 25-50 and 50-100. That and some of the tests you have to read from the side and others from the top - so it’s not consistent.

First test I did with my new Hanna Nitrate Checker was about double what the Nyos test kit was reading. Not saying one or the other was more accurate but my experience was similar to the OP between a color interpretation chart and the checker.

 

[mdb_talon]

My thoughts are I prefer the salifert nitrate tests you use. i have zero issue getting an accurate reasonably accurate result when using it in low range(reading from side). If it is zero i care. If it is less than 10 but not zero then dont really care.

I do have the new standard range hanna checker and it normally reads 0.0 or 0.2 at the highest, but I have much less faith in that. There was a time i thought I could trust the hanna checker but after getting wildly different results depending on the regeant batch i used for both phosphate and alk i do not rely in them at all any longer. I was able to get consistent results repeating the test with same regeant batch so it was not just testing error

 

[blaxsun]

First test I did with my new Hanna Nitrate Checker was about double what the Nyos test kit was reading. Not saying one or the other was more accurate but my experience was similar to the OP Between a color interpretation chart and the checker.

If/when I get a Hanna HR checker I’ll do a comparison. But all my digital and titration tests are within +/-2.5-5% or less of each other.

 

[mdb_talon]

Should’ve got a Nyos nitrate test kit. The problem with the Salifert kit is the range of 25-50 and 50-100. That and some of the tests you have to read from the side and others from the top - so it’s not consistent.

Reading from the side is for low range. From top is standard reading where results match card. Not a matter of inconsistency so much as a need to read instructions.

 

[blaxsun]

Reading from the side is for low range. From top is standard reading where results match card. Not a matter of inconsistency so much as a need to read instructions.

Some Salifert tests are both, some from the top and some from the side. Others like Red Sea and Nyos are more consistent for viewing.

 

[mdb_talon]

Some Salifert tests are both, some from the top and some from the side. Others like Red Sea and Nyos are more consistent for viewing.

All salifert color chart tests are from the top to correspond to the readings on the card. Some tests like nitrate give the ability to read from the side for an alternate reading. Just gives an extra option.

 

[blaxsun]

All salifert color chart tests are from the top to correspond to the readings on the card. Some tests like nitrate give the ability to read from the side for an alternate reading. Just gives an extra option.

Other than API, Salifert are probably the least accurate. But they’re relatively cheap so everyone uses them.

 

[Gtinnel]

I've never had an issues reading the salifert nitrate test. When I started using the HR Hanna checker it was within a reasonable amount for me to say they gave me the same reading (I'd give numbers but I don't remember what they were). The issue as I see it is how do you know it's the Hanna that's right?
I do agree that differentiating small color differences on some ttests is nearly impossible if you need an accurate reading.

 

[ZoWhat]

While 50ppm isn’t good for any coral, IME it won’t have any major effect on Zoas or Palys (or most soft corals).

I kindly disagree with your assessment. You have your views, I have mine.

I have personally seen (and have CURRENTLY been seeing) a good 1/4th to a 1/3rd of my zoanthids turn into tiny miniature pinheads, not bc of high light PAR, but bc my nitrates were well into the 50-60 range.

3 weeks ago with my new Hanna I was at 58ppm with my first Hanna reading.

Currently with my re-upstart of vodka dosing, I now have no3 at 19 and falling. The miniature pinhead zoas are starting to come alive again.

The plan is to stop and hover at 10ppm. If zoas pinheads continue to recover, I might go as low as 5ppm. My zoas will tell me where to stop and hover. But definitely no plans to zero out nitrates altogether


.

 

[X-37B]

I use Nyos, salifert for backup.
As long as both are <5 im fine.

 

[Gtinnel]

Other than API, Salifert are probably the least accurate. But they’re relatively cheap so everyone uses them.

I respectfully disagree with this. The ability to read from the side of the vial and divide the result by 10 makes it much, much better. If you could only look down from the top then I'd agree it isn't very good.

 

[blaxsun]

There’s less user error with the Hanna, or at least built-in steps to minimize it. At the very least you don’t have to try and figure out which color swatch it’s closer to and guestimate the amount.

 

[mdb_talon]

Other than API, Salifert are probably the least accurate. But they’re relatively cheap so everyone uses them.

Haha now you making up random "facts".

Salifert test kits accuracy it will blow your mind.

ReefHacks | Diving into the accuracy of the most popular Salifert water test kits. Guidingyou to accuracy - what to look for In water test kits.

www.reefhacks.com

 

[blaxsun]

I respectfully disagree with this. The ability to read from the side of the vial and divide the result by 10 makes it much, much better. If you could only look down from the top then I'd agree it isn't very good.

I’ll stack Nyos up against Salifert any day of the week for nitrate and phosphate testing. If you haven’t used both you won’t necessarily appreciate the difference.

 

[blaxsun]

Haha now you making up random "facts".

You mean paid product placement? There are very few honest reviews that don’t have some monetary aspect attributed to them. Yes, I’m looking at you BRS.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I use the salifert as a backup to the HR Hanna. I discovered API is utter garbage this time around.

 

[mdb_talon]

You mean paid product placement? There are very few honest reviews that don’t have some monetary aspect attributed to them. Yes, I’m looking at you BRS.

Lol you crack me up.