Bad API nitrate test?

These last few weeks I've been worrying about possible high nitrate levels in my tank. I use the liquid API test kit. Whenever I test my tank water it always shows about 80 ppm nitrate which is pretty high. I tested my tap and it turned reddish and showed about 80 ppm after a few minutes as well. This seems outrageous for tap water. I tested some water out of a bottle and after 3 or 4 minutes it was red as well. I shake the bottles pretty violently for a minute, so that shouldn't be an issue. There's no way bottled water should have really any nitrate right? Thanks for the help.

 

We should probably ensure that there's no hiccups in the way you're performing the test;

Nitrate
Bottle 1 is 10 drops
Cap tube and invert several times.
Vigorously shake Bottle 2 for no more than 30 seconds.
Add 10 drops from bottle 2 to the same tube.
Cap tube and shake vigorously for 60 seconds.
Wait 5 minutes for the color to develop.
Check color.

 

If you haven't done so since you got the test, please smash the bottle against a countertop. It's possible the crystals are still in the reagent, giving you false results. After you do the smash 'em up thing, going forward, you only have to shake.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try smashing it on the table to see if that helps. I put those amounts in and invert the tube before I add the second bottle. I'll also try shaking it for just 30 seconds tonight and see if it changes. But even if it isn't shaken enough it still shouldn't react with bottled water should it?

 

IME the API test usually reads low if the solution bottles are mixed well enough.

Maybe your test kit is past it's experation date.

Also maybe your tap water is high in nitrates. Is it by chance well water?

 

I checked the bottles tonight and they don't expire till 2017 and 2018. I really hit the bottle 2 hard and shook it for 30 seconds, but still got the same results. I used some more bottled water as a control and it also showed up with supposedly about 80 ppm of nitrate. There's a picture of the test tubes, and the tank water is on the right. They look about the same. I don't know why the test wouldn't be working, but I just have a hard time believing that nitrates are that high, especially in bottled water..

 

Hmm... that is awfully odd for both tap and bottled water to show those results. If you test another brand of bottle water and get the same results, Id take that test kit back and get a replacement.

Also you can clean both the caps and test tubes with phosphate free soap or hydrogen peroxide. Keep them clean between uses.

 

Maybe you have some bad test solution. Contact API to see if they have a bad lot and to possibly send you some new solution.


Also, I hate to ask this, but how many drops are you adding. LOL