Originally Posted by lew2000

API Nitrate Test Kit:
Bottle#1 is primarily HCL (Hydrochloric Acid and other proprietary ingrediants)
Bottle#2 is polyethylene glycol polyethylene glycol - this a reagent water soluble dye
The HCL exchanges nitrate ions for chloride ions. Bottle#2 reagent then reacts with chloride ions and provides a color for results.
This what i remember from chemistry (adding H/CL and NO3 together/ CL HNO3) and reading the MSDS of API Nitrate Test. So if you don't agitate the tube on step 1, it can/will affect the final result.

Originally Posted by lew2000

As long as my head isn't on backward when i recalled my college chemistry - many, many, many years ago. Where do you find all of those amusing emots that you use Shawnie?

Originally Posted by lew2000

Not to get any more confusing - i would think that shaking would actually provide more diffusement(even a word?) of HCL resulting in a larger scale reaction thus more color gradient, versus no shaking which would provide less color/gradient when bottle 2 added. Ahhhhhhhhhhh what do i know - i actually read articles again on the reagents in the bottles and ion replacement now my head is spinning - that is why we are supposed to follow instructions and not question the ingreidiants mfgr's use?

Originally Posted by Shawnie

this brunette is totally confused..but thanks for the hug chey!! back atcha

Originally Posted by lew2000

need sirdarksol on this.