Most reliable nitrate test kit?

[nicholas.babb@gmail]

Title says it all. Need a reliable, easy to read, test kit for Nitrates. I am using the Red Sea test and doesn't seem reliable.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Title says it all. Need a reliable, easy to read, test kit for Nitrates. I am using the Red Sea test and doesn't seem reliable.

Look into the Hanna Nitrate checker. It's digital and from what I hear, it's consistent?

 

[drawman]

I am a big fan of Salifert for Nitrate. Red Sea was very unreliable for me but I use them still for Ca/Alk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Look into the Hanna Nitrate checker. It's digital and from what I hear, it's consistent?

You sure you mean nitrate? Unless it is new, they do not have one for nitrate in seawater.

 

[reeferfoxx]

You sure you mean nitrate? Unless it is new, they do not have one for nitrate in seawater.

A member here pointed me to this http://hannainst.com/hi96728-nitrate-portable-photometer.html..
They suggested it was accurate and worth trying?

If it's freshwater specific, that would be great to know!? They don't specify on their site?

Edit: I've been saving pennies for this lol. Let me know if the suggestion was incorrect?

 

[Myka]

Title says it all. Need a reliable, easy to read, test kit for Nitrates. I am using the Red Sea test and doesn't seem reliable.

I get a consistent reading from Red Sea Pro, I also use Salifert. I find the RSP seems to be more accurate when reading less than 4 ppm since there are many colors to compare with. Salifert consistently reads very similar to RSP for me when near 0. I haven't used RSP for NO3 over 1 ppm though. I should try an experiment on a tank with higher NO3.

 

[mcarroll]

A member here pointed me to this http://hannainst.com/hi96728-nitrate-portable-photometer.html..

That's not a Checker™, the one you picked is from their regular line of testers.

I think you'd be best off calling or chatting with Hanna about it

 

[steveb]

from hanna website Q&A http://hannainst.com/hi96728-nitrate-portable-photometer.html

08/08/16
Q: Can this be used for testing Nitrate in Salt water.. for the Marine Hobbyist?

Answers (1)

08/11/16

A: Unfortunately the chloride in saltwater will interfere with the nitrate chemistry. Chloride above 100 mg/L will cause a negative
interference (read lower). We do not recommend the HI96728 for measuring nitrate in saltwater.

kind of a bummer... I like the Salifert test kit but really wish there was a budget friendly/compatible photometer..

 

[reeferfoxx]

from hanna website Q&A http://hannainst.com/hi96728-nitrate-portable-photometer.html




Answers (1)

kind of a bummer... I like the Salifert test kit but really wish there was a budget friendly/compatible photometer..

That is a bummer. Not sure what I think about that info being in the Q&A and not on the main page.

This is the thread where it was recommended to me? @david1980 should probably know that his nitrate meter isn't working.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hanna-checkers.265094/page-3#post-3178339

 

[reeferfoxx]

That's not a Checker™, the one you picked is from their regular line of testers.

Fwew! Good catch! That could have been bad.

FWIW and Randy can tell me i'm wrong but, I've been using Salifert for the past 2 years. I will say in the past year they changed "reference cards"? Not sure if that is the correct term @mcarroll. Although the test kit was older than the new, comparing colors were slightly off from each other. So, I do measure NO3 with the new kit as opposed to the old kit. That said, I get a "round about" measurement for nitrates. I will be looking into a new NYOS kit.

 

[mcarroll]

I'm still getting used to the Salifert Nitrate kit myself...it's definitely tiny gradients. Reading it in anything other than bright light is pretty hard. I wish I understood why there is no photometer to interpret a nitrate test like this.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I'm still getting used to the Salifert Nitrate kit myself...it's definitely tiny gradients. Reading it in anything other than bright light is pretty hard. I wish I understood why there is no photometer to interpret a nitrate test like this.

Agreed. Even something like a colorimeter that can take the test sample, look at the color and tell us more accurately. The main reason I didn't jump on the NYOS nitrate kit is because the colors are Yellow. Which inside my house the lighting is more tungstan and would add to the yellow hue? I don't know. Again, salifert is good for a round about measurement. IMO.

 

[jason2459]

From this thread is a link to the nitrate kit shootout I did

http://reef2reef.com/threads/big-3-...os-elos-salifert-api-hanna-triton-awt.234660/

From doing it I ended up going with Salifert unless I wanted more resolution (rare) then Redsea.

 

[nicholas.babb@gmail]

From this thread is a link to the nitrate kit shootout I did

http://reef2reef.com/threads/big-3-...os-elos-salifert-api-hanna-triton-awt.234660/

From doing it I ended up going with Salifert unless I wanted more resolution (rare) then Redsea.

Great stuff. Thanks!

 

[reeferfoxx]

From this thread is a link to the nitrate kit shootout I did

http://reef2reef.com/threads/big-3-...os-elos-salifert-api-hanna-triton-awt.234660/

From doing it I ended up going with Salifert unless I wanted more resolution (rare) then Redsea.

Which post shows the nitrate comparison? I was curious if it were the old or new Salifert nitrate kit?

 

[RandoReefer]

I like the Nyos kit because you compare a control AND the test vial, against the yellow color shades. [emoji106]

 

[jason2459]

I like the Nyos kit because you compare a control AND the test vial, against the yellow color shades. [emoji106]

Redsea is the same way. I found Redsea's much easier to read. I liked salifert for speed and a quick look in a general range with higher resolution then API.

 

[jason2459]

Which post shows the nitrate comparison? I was curious if it were the old or new Salifert nitrate kit?

Linked to in the first post in that thread.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Linked to in the first post in that thread.

I see it! lol
Nice work! @jason2459