Nitrate Readings for SPS

Guerry · Feb 24, 2014

I'm wondering how my fellow SPS keepers are getting their nitrate readings, the reason I ask this is that I see these super low numbers but in my mind don't know how they are getting them. I use a LaMotte 3110 nitrate test kit which the lowest reading I can get is 1.1 nitrate or .25 nitrate nitrogen yet I see people post their readings below this level such as .85ppm, .50ppm and so on. Am I not under standing something here or is there a test kit that will read lower than the LaMotte? Just trying to figure out what I'm missing here.

Thanks Guerry

mike007 · Feb 24, 2014

My experience is you will get different results with every brand test kits.

Guerry · Feb 24, 2014

mike007 said:
My experience is you will get different results with every brand test kits.

I believe you missed my point here, What test kits will give you a reading below 1.1 nitrate No3 not No3n

Reefing Madness · Feb 24, 2014

From what I know, you've got the best low range Nitrate reader out there.

mike007 · Feb 24, 2014

Reefing Madness said:
From what I know, you've got the best low range Nitrate reader out there.

I totally agree. My question is why are you concerned about levels being that low? Anything under 10 ppm for sps is fine.

Guerry · Feb 25, 2014

I'm not my tank is normally around 8ppm I'm just trying firgure out where people are coming up .o numbers is it typo or do they really think their numbers are that low

Reefing Madness · Feb 25, 2014

The liquid test kits show a 0 color on the chart.

Pete polyp · Feb 25, 2014

I use red sea pro. It has increments of .25 until it reaches 1.

This was my last test

Guerry · Feb 25, 2014

Red Sea is one of the test kits that I believe are giving miss guided readings, I've searched for info on what type nitrate they are testing for and would think it was nitrate nitrogen. I would hate to know I was dealing 0.00ppm nitrate if thats what your showing me on the above test as my coral would not be happy and would need to dose nitrate to get my balance corrected, my coral do best between 5ppm & 8ppm No3 and Po4 is normally .o3 to .06

Pete polyp · Feb 25, 2014

I have checked with the lfs and they get consistent readings. I have to feed very heavily to show any noÂ³, and that's what I'm doing. I have always had an issue with low nitrate in this tank.

KoleTang · Feb 25, 2014

Why do you need an ultra low range test kit if you keep your nitrate at 5-8 anyway?

bobstir · Feb 25, 2014

i use salifert. Basically, for low range readings, you look from the side of the vial instead of top down. Looking from the side, you divide the number of the matched color by 10. Since the lowest number on the scale is 2, the lowest reading you can get is 0.2 (which is right around where mine is). Sometimes i get up to 0.5.

Guerry · Feb 25, 2014

here's my thought and I may be wrong which is the reason for starting this thread but I think that all the low range nitrate kits are testing nitrate nitrogen not No3 and if you are getting a reading of 2 on your lowest scale that would mean you need to 2 x 4.4 = 8.8 No3

I guess this where I'm confused if I have the best low range kit on the market ( LaMotte 3110 ) which will read 1.1 No3 as it's lowest reading do these other test kits really read true readings below this?

bobstir · Feb 25, 2014

not a chemist, so i'm just going by what the box says it's measuring... NO3

Salifert Nitrate Test Kit

Note the low range test -- 0.2 - 10 ppm

Lowest reading is 2, but for low range test, you divide by 10 which gives 0.2

Guerry · Feb 25, 2014

I'm not chemist either for sure LOL and guess it doesn't matter if other test kits state a lower reading, my kit test in the range I'm working with so I guess thats all that really matters. I was just wondering where these super low numbers were comng from and not that I would want my Nitrate that low any way.

thanks for the replies
Guerry

bobstir · Feb 25, 2014

and btw, i looked around and it appears the salifert is testing NO3, NOT NO3-N

tvoydan · Feb 25, 2014

Interesting thread. I use salifert thru the side of the test vial as mention by bobstir and get .25 (or what I call 2.5). So I'm below 10. Didn't know there was another ways to measure nitrates. I guess this is something like the Hanna meter for both phosphates and the UL meter for phosphorus test?

I would be intersted to run both test simultaneously and if the match.

API nitrate basically gives me zero by the way.