Salifert No3 test kits!!!!Help

[thereefshop]

I test customers water all day long,With salifert test kits I tested my mates water last week he keeps a Sps tank. Last week his No3 was 10ppm so I said to him its up a bit.That was about 10 days ago yesterday it was reading 80ppm???? So we tested it with a different test kit and the reading was about 15ppm????. He went to 3 other fishshops and all read from 0 to 15ppm
So I opened a new kit and 80ppm again????
I have been told it measures the o2 content in the water and this could change the results even times them buy 4?? umm.
But he does use alot of garlic in his tank could this change the results???
I use the same kits on my tanks in the shop and always get good readings and get good readings on customers water.
I've never came across it before!

Any help would be more then appreciated

Ian

[MR Teee]

Possible old test kit(s) even though they were unopened?

What were the batch numbers on the kits? as these indicate the age.

[thereefshop]

I checked this they all ok! i use the kits myself and get normal results!

[MR Teee]

I just had a look on reefcentral and couldn't find anything in the salifert section that would suggest o2 affects the reading.

To test the garlic theory could you test some other tank water that hasn't been treated with garlic, then add some and test again. I think it would show up any differences.

Other than that I cannot help any more Ian, I'm a bit out of my league with chemistry (why I dropped it at A Level).

[thereefshop]

I just added some garlic to water makes the test a little darker but not much?

[Blue]

I know James has been using salifert nitrate test kit, I use tetra in our shop.

[MR Teee]

I just added some garlic to water makes the test a little darker but not much?

that would rule out the garlic making such a large difference.

[Leon]

that would rule out the garlic making such a large difference.
hi why would you put garlic in your tank :confused:

[MR Teee]

It is beleived that adding garlic to the food of the fish is beneficial to their health.

I'm awaiting a bit more evidence before I fully beleive it.

[moorish]

i have used a few salifert test kits and have found some to be very unreliable even the new ones.you can open 3 different test kits and each one will give you a different reading.i dont bother testing now i just look at the fish and if they all look healthy ,feeding ok i dont bother.derek

[Tangman]

I have not had very good results with Salifert kits at Aquarius so we use the Hanna electronic one which up to now has been spot on. HTH. Eic

[thereefshop]

Thanks guys for the help maybe one day i'll find out :rolleyes:

[MR Teee]

Eric do you think aqaurius would mind testing a sample of my water next time I am there, Just to confirm some things?

Would even pay a fee if they needed me too!

[Chris, Reef Ranch]

Apart from Merck Salifert Profi tests are currently the most accurate on the market. We use them at our store. Never get hung up on test kit results. If things look right they are right. None of the aquarium test kits apart from Merck are analytical tests that you would use in a laboratory. They are not that accurate!

Chris