Nitrates

Neil Cohen · Oct 28, 2021

Is this even possible? I invested in Hanna testers because I was struggling with other kits. With a nutrafin test, I got what I am reading as 50 for nitrates. However, using the Hanna hr nitrate, I got a flashing 75, every time. So I did a 20% water change and then a 50% water change with Redsea black bucket and rodi, a week later(was afraid of too big of a move and everything was looking healthy.). Still getting the flashing 75. Diluted the sample with 50% rodi and retested. Got 65.9, so I doubled it. Can I really have 132ppm nitrate and the tank is not crashing?

Alk is 10.3
Ph 8.4
Salinity 1.026
Calcium 550 (haven’t been dosing for a month to bring down ca and mg, just dosing Redsea b)
Phos ULR is flashing too.

Mixed reef tank (mostly softies) is 100g plus sump. Dose nopox daily. Lots of growth, but I know that the softies like it dirty.

Thanks for any help

T-J · Oct 28, 2021

So, it sounds like one of your test kits is wrong. I'd take a sample of tank water to the LFS and have them test it and that would be my tie-breaker.

KyOsIBa515 · Oct 28, 2021

The Hanna HR nitrate tester out of all the Hanna tester IMO is the only one not worth the money. They have had a lot of issues with it. They brought out the LR finally which is hard to find right now. However, it is a two part reagent solution and is accurate. I am assuming it is the Hanna that is incorrect.

Rickybobby · Oct 28, 2021

personally i like using salifert for nitrate and phosphate, very simple and i trust them

homer1475 · Oct 28, 2021

KyOsIBa515 said:
The Hanna HR nitrate tester out of all the Hanna tester IMO is the only one not worth the money. They have had a lot of issues with it. They brought out the LR finally which is hard to find right now. However, it is a two part reagent solution and is accurate. I am assuming it is the Hanna that is incorrect.

Not exactly sure you got that right? The high range kit came out AFTER the low range kit. The high range kit is one simple powdered packet. The low range kit has several steps, and 3 different solution you add to a sample.

The high range is the one everyone is buying now, and the reagents are a little tough to find.

As far as the OP, I would assume the hanna is incorrect, but would get a salifert, or red sea kit to confirm the hanna is actually wrong.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 28, 2021

Neil Cohen said:
Is this even possible? I invested in Hanna testers because I was struggling with other kits. With a nutrafin test, I got what I am reading as 50 for nitrates. However, using the Hanna hr nitrate, I got a flashing 75, every time. So I did a 20% water change and then a 50% water change with Redsea black bucket and rodi, a week later(was afraid of too big of a move and everything was looking healthy.). Still getting the flashing 75. Diluted the sample with 50% rodi and retested. Got 65.9, so I doubled it. Can I really have 132ppm nitrate and the tank is not crashing?

Alk is 10.3
Ph 8.4
Salinity 1.026
Calcium 550 (haven’t been dosing for a month to bring down ca and mg, just dosing Redsea b)
Phos ULR is flashing too.

Mixed reef tank (mostly softies) is 100g plus sump. Dose nopox daily. Lots of growth, but I know that the softies like it dirty.

Thanks for any help