Red Sea Nitrate Pro - Can’t Decipher Results

[PeterG]

Anyone else having issues reading the Red Sea Nitrate Pro color results? It seems like my colors are deeper shades than the shades of pink the wheel shows.
My test showed NO3 higher than the 4ppm on the wheel so as per instructions I diluted 15ml RO/DI water to 1ml tank water and tested again. My color still shows deeper in tone. The shade of pink is evident when I look at it thru the glass but once I place it in the holder I just can’t judge. My LFS used a test strip to check NO3 and told me while he got a reading it was “fine”.

Any suggestions on how to interpret my results? Tried taking photos to share but none adequate to illustrate my issue.

I was using the Red Sea Marine Care basic kit but ran out of Solution A for testing both Nitrates and Nitrites. So I figured I’d replace it with the “ Pro Level” Nitrate kit. Thought I could use the Solution “A” from the pro kit to test my NO2 as I still have powders “B” & “C” left but Red Sea support said that solution “A” was not the same in the two kits and therefore not usable.

Switched from Salifert to Red Sea and other than having trouble fitting all the bottles into the box I’m fine with RS Reef Foundation for CA & MG. Using Hanna for ALK and Phosphorous. Just this RS Nitrate Pro is giving me fits.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If you hold them in good light , squint your eye a bit and look for the contrast between the colors rather than the difference in the shade of color.

 

[sghera64]

I use the LED light on my phone and place it in between (and just above) the two vials. The light travels down the vials nicely to get a good read.

You have to wait the full 9 minutes so that the fizzing is all gone, or it is hard to read.

I find the Red Sea Pro kit very reliable and easy to read.

Sounds like a lighting problem. If you don’t use their holder and simply put the pink sample vial on the center and look down through the opening, what would you estimate your ppm NO3 to be. Sounds like it might be 15x the upper reading of 4 (90ppm). Do I have that right?

 

[PeterG]

If you hold them in good light , squint your eye a bit and look for the contrast between the colors rather than the difference in the shade of color.

I'm viewing them under a skylight in the kitchen. Not sure of the difference between how the colors contrast and their shades.

 

[PeterG]

I use the LED light on my phone and place it in between (and just above) the two vials. The light travels down the vials nicely to get a good read.

You have to wait the full 9 minutes so that the fizzing is all gone, or it is hard to read.

I find the Red Sea Pro kit very reliable and easy to read.

Sounds like a lighting problem. If you don’t use their holder and simply put the pink sample vial on the center and look down through the opening, what would you estimate your ppm NO3 to be. Sounds like it might be 15x the upper reading of 4 (90ppm). Do I have that right?

Will try the iPhone light and see if that helps.
I am waiting the full 9 min and also do the full 15 sec and 60 sec shakes as instructed.
The high range of the 4ppm is 64ppm (per the card). If I just look at the color thru the glass vial rather than looking down thru it I'd estimate the color between the .75 and 1ppm (or 12-16ppm on the high scale. One problem for me is I don't really see much difference between the colors using the low range test or 15:1 high range ratio.
Think I'll try mixing up one vial of each and compare them to each other. Might even be able to get a decent photo to share.
I sent off a sample to ICP-Analysis.com after testing all my parameters but was disappointed that they don't test compounds.

 

[pdiehm]

i would love for someone to have a digital nitrate test. deciphering colors sucks.

 

[PeterG]

i would love for someone to have a digital nitrate test. deciphering colors sucks.

+1 for digital. Must be pretty complicated or Hanna would have already come up with one.

 

[PeterG]

Now I'm really scratching my head. Just took two tests - one Low range with 16ml tank water and one with 15ml RO/DI and 1ml tank water. Was expecting to see both tests show darker pink BUT my low range test clearly looked similar to the 2ppm color circle and the high range test showed zero. Can't believe I was making some sort of error in earlier tests. Only thing I can think of is that I was dosing NoPoX for the past three days as my PO4 was also high. Could the dosing have made such a dramatic change since my last test yesterday?
Wish I had taken photos of the sample then but here is the comparison from the most recent test. Vial on the left is Low Range, right side is High Range

 

[AdamNC]

With my recent reagents I’m finding that after the full 9 mins it’s still filled with bubbles, so I just shake it a bit more until the bubbles dissipate.

 

[sghera64]

Now I'm really scratching my head. Just took two tests - one Low range with 16ml tank water and one with 15ml RO/DI and 1ml tank water. Was expecting to see both tests show darker pink BUT my low range test clearly looked similar to the 2ppm color circle and the high range test showed zero. Can't believe I was making some sort of error in earlier tests. Only thing I can think of is that I was dosing NoPoX for the past three days as my PO4 was also high. Could the dosing have made such a dramatic change since my last test yesterday?
Wish I had taken photos of the sample then but here is the comparison from the most recent test. Vial on the left is Low Range, right side is High Range

Ah now it is starting to make sense and come together. Your last results jive with the LFS numbers. There had to be something else in the first round of samples to throw them off.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm performing the test incorrectly since I can't get any color reaction. ..ever. I keep saying my nitrates are undetectable, but can't help but question the process.

I have the Pro and I'm following the instructions on the card.

However I watched a video just today and saw that someone was shaking the crap out of the solution A for 30 sec saying that it was suspended solution thus shaking is needed. And the 1 spoon of B and C to following with the shake and wait periods. Still zero.

Does anyone else shake the A and any other tips?

 

[Michael Small]

im having the same problem but its showing the opposite its showing a dark purple color 50 plus . I can do 100% water change and it doesn't change anything. I vacuum a large amount of my sand still no change. I have 2 API test that i was using before i started using Red Sea. So today i did a test using the 2 API test , and i was surprised with the results 1 showed 0.0 and the other was 0.5 . The 0.5 was closer to 0.0. So im not sure but i think my Red Sea test is bad . but i wounder if i was not doing the test correct when i first started using the Red Sea test kit

 

[pdiehm]

I started using NYOS. If it reads 0, I test with Red Sea. RS is better at lower levels, NYOS better at higher levels

 

[pdiehm]

duplicate

 

[Saltyanimals]

I can say since I've have my tank running and started measuring...I've had undetectable Nits on the Pro kit. I doubt the reality of this as I believe I'm overstocked and overfeed. I do have a little algae in the tank and cheato growing well.. so has to be something in the water. My kit is likely bad although the dates are fine on the bottle. I just haven't see anything negative happen in the tank to run out and buy a replacement kit.

Ignorance is bliss? lol