Testing Question

[gouramiguy]

I have 5 tanks - 2 of which are marine. I use R/O or D/I water with all my tanks and none are overstocked. I also limit how much I am feeding. The mix of fish and inverts I have seem to be doing alright. However, I've been using Jungle test strips and the results for all my tanks show over 300 ppm in the nitrate category. Everything else looks fine. Is it possible that there is something in the water that is making the test record a false measurement or are the nitrates really that high? What does everyone here use to test for nitrate?

[Orochimaru]

have you try salifert kits for nitrates? I normally find test strips are only good for ball-park range. Most people like and use salifer kits. Give that a try and see.

[bertoni]

I have used Salifert and FasTest nitrate kits, and they seem to agree with each other.

What kind of filtration is in use? Bio-balls and similar artificial biological media seem prone to causing this type of problem.

This article discusses nitrate problems:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm

[gouramiguy]

The 10-gallon tank has a bio-wheel hang-on filter. Recently I took all the bio balls and stuff out. What should I run through it, anything? All that's in there now is Purigen.

[gouramiguy]

The 10-gallon tank has a bio-wheel hang-on filter. Recently I took all the bio balls and stuff out. What should I run through it, anything? All that's in there now is Purigen

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wouldn't rely on a result like that from a test strip, although the nitrate may be high. if it turns out to be high, this article suggests ways to reduce it:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/august2003/chem.htm