Trouble reading api master reef kit tests

mikst · Aug 1, 2024

Greetings. First, I'm not sure if chemistry is the right forum for this discussion and while I know api kits are not the fan favorite here, it's what I have right now. It's the api master reef kit. Calcium, hardness, nitrate, and phosphate.

I am having trouble differentiating colors. Please see attached picture of nitrate and phosphate. I am very meticulous about length of time to shake the when it says to shake and making sure bottle is vertical to drop out drops consistently. I just can't differentiate the colors well. Can I get some tips please? I read 10 to 20 nitrate and 0.5 to 1 phosphate.

Hardness and calcium seem pretty straightforward, drop, shake, look, repeat, until it turns blue to yellow or pink to blue depending on the test. I tested threshold by getting to what I think is the right color and continuing to add drops and shake to see if it changed further and it did not, so I know my color thresholds there.

jabberwock · Aug 1, 2024

I think your interpretation is right on. This is the nature of API tests. I have found them to be good for ball park numbers when first starting and testing a lot. I bought a new Hannah checker every month as things progressed to spread out the costs, and waited until I used up all my API tests to break the Hannah checkers out. I did do a little cross checking early on to the verify the API kit. It was close...

mikst · Aug 1, 2024

jabberwock said:
I think your interpretation is right on. This is the nature of API tests. I have found them to be good for ball park numbers when first starting and testing a lot. I bought a new Hannah checker every month as things progressed to spread out the costs, and waited until I used up all my API tests to break the Hannah checkers out. I did do a little cross checking early on to the verify the API kit. It was close...

Nice, I like that idea. Yes I imagine I will eventually get a few Hannah checkers, but like you said when I'm doing tons of tests I'd like to use the ball park test kit. I feel pretty confident that a few weeks ago it was 40ppm and now it's down easily to 20 and maybe 10 nitrates since I've been consistently carbon dosing and no water changes.