A good test, but in this case Salifert is better
Written: Apr 26 '05 (Updated Jul 07 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheaper than Salifert, accurate up to 100ppm.
Cons: large increments on test make detecting below 10ppm difficult. expiration date.
The Bottom Line: Great for monitoring for problems, not accurate enough in low range(0-10ppm) for advanced testing. Cheaper than Salifert when refills used.
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| colstudent69's Full Review: Fastest Nitrate Test Kit |
Nitrate is a somewhat toxic chemical in saltwater aquariums, especially to fish, and in high enough levels(30ppm ) it can inhibit growth of some corals, stress fish that allow diseases to take hold and cause unsightly algae growth.
Many small polyped stony(SPS) coral keepers believe that high nitrates will inhibit the coral growth and cause browning of the SPS. This is still being debated in scientific literature, but there seems to be some merit to this.
Regardless, having too high a nitrate concentration is detrimental to the health of your SW tank inhabitants and testing nitrates is important to keep track of this. Too high of a test and it is time to do a water change or take other steps to reduce nitrates.
The Good:
This appears to be a fairly accurate test as I have tested my water with this test kit and then took my water to a local fish store and the nitrate readings were identical.
Foil packets keep the chemical test agent fresh much longer than other test kits. I have used these test chemicals over 1 year past their expiration date and they are still accurate. However, at two years past the expiration the powder got considerably thicker and clumpy and the test was no longer accurate.
WARNING: This is not recommended for most test kits and when using expired test kits, you should always double check occasionally with a new test kit or a trip to a trusted local fish store to verify accurate readings.
This test is good for seeing if your tank is approaching danger levels of nitrate(30ppm ) as the scale goes up to 100ppm and an easy half dilution could raise the detectable range to 200ppm. Of course if your nitrates are above 100ppm, you need to do a water change IMMEDIATELY!
The Bad:
The test chemicals expire after 18-24 months, but since this test should be used every 1-2 weeks, this isn't really a problem.
This test cannot show accurately below 10ppm. If you really want to monitor your nitrate closely below 10ppm, you will need a different test kit. This is not necessarily a bad quality of this test, as it is not designed to detect 0-10ppm, it just isn't capable of doing it.
The Nitrogen Cycle:
The Nitrogen Cycle is when ammonia is converted to nitrite to nitrate to nitrogen gas and the gas bubbles out of your saltwater aquarium. The nitrogen cycle is most critical to test when starting your tank(new tank syndrome) or when you have a major problem with the tank that results in a lot of death to inhabitants.
Ammonia:
Produced by animals when they eat and poop. Fish are typically the biggest source, but snails, shrimp and crabs all contribute. Also uneaten decaying food can be a major source of Ammonia. Ammonia is very toxic in saltwater aquariums, starting at levels of .5ppm and and especially at or above 1ppm. It is VERY important to test Ammonia in saltwater tanks when starting them up and if you ever have any major death events. Luckily, ammonia is typically converted to nitrite after 2-4 weeks of starting an aquarium. This function is performed by Nitrosomonas bacteria(a good bacteria!).
Nitrite:
Nitrite is far less toxic to fish in aquariums than ammonia. How if affects other SW reef inhabitants is less well know. However, nitrite is rapidly converted into nitrate by Nitrobacter bacteria(yet another good bacteria). Nitrite is typically only detectable in the first 2-4 weeks of a tank being established and then drops to zero after that.
In an established SW tank that has a stable biological filter, nitrite is not detectable on commercially available tests. So testing Nitrite after your tank is established(assuming no major problems) is a waste of money.
Some reports have been published that show that nitrites in up to 100ppm is not harmful to some saltwater fish. Don't take my word for it though, for further reading, pick up: Stephen Spotte's book "Captive Seawater Fishes" that has an excellent discussion of nitrite toxicity in SW fish.
Nitrate:
Nitrate is even less toxic to SW fish and most other inhabitants(the most notable exception is small polyped stony corals(SPS) that can be quite sensitive to high nitrates). I recommend that nitrates be tested every 1-2 weeks and more frequently if levels higher than 10ppm persist. Unfortunately the conversion of Nitrate to Nitrogen gas by bacteria is a slow process and nitrates will build up to detectable levels in most SW fish tanks, especially if the fish are fed frequently with too much food.
Summary:
In my experience an accurate test that is cheaper than most other test kits. However, it cannot display below 10ppm and so you cannot measure it accurately. Good SW aquarium keepers strive to keep their nitrate at zero, so not being able to test between 0-10ppm is a negative for this test kit.
It is still a good test kit for heading off problems and should be done every 1-2 weeks.
Recommended for users who don't care below 10ppm, not recommended for those that want to know below 10ppm. Otherwise you'll need another test kit, either Salifert that reads (0, 5ppm, 10ppm, etc) or a low-range Nitrate test kit(Such as the SeaTest low range Nitrate test kit that tests 0-10ppm in 1ppm increments).
I prefer the Salifert test because it can show 0, 5, and 10ppm ranges and is just a little more expensive than this test. The Salifert test can also read low-range 0.2-1.0, but the way it is done is not as accurate as a true low-range kit. Still a good compromise and more flexible than this FasTest kit.
My Other Aquarium Related Reviews:
Testing Equipment:
Salifert pH test kit
Salifert KH/Alkalinity Test Kit
Salifert Calcium Test Kit
Salifert Magnesium Test Kit
Salifert Phosphate Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT pH Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Ammonia-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Nitrite-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH Test Kit also called the Multi-Master Test Kit now.
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Nitrate-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Systems SeaTesT Hydrometer
Pumps:
Hagen AquaClear Power Head 201
MAG-DRIVE PUMPS
Rena Air Aquarium Air Pumps
Skimmers:
CPR Aquatic Cyclone Bak-Pak 2R
Aquarium Systems SeaClone Protein Skimmer SCPS-100
Aquarium Supply Stores:
Marine Depot Aquarium Supplies
Drs. Foster & Smith Online Store
Aquariums:
All-Glass Standard Size Aquariums
All-Glass Large Size Aquariums
My Aquarium Advice:
The top 10 things you NEED to start a saltwater aquarium
Recommended:
Yes
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colstudent69
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Member: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 127
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Instructional Technology Educator
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