API Nitrate NO3 Test Kit

High nitrate levels in your aquarium indicate a build-up of fish waste and organic compounds, resulting in poor water quality and an increase in algae growth. Contrarily, maintaining a low nitrate level improves the health of fish and invertebrates.
Use the API® NITRATE TEST KIT to ensure that the nitrate levels in your tank are safe and healthy for your fish. The NITRATE TEST KIT reads parameters from 0 to 160 ppm and may be used for both fresh and saltwater aquariums.

Contains 90 tests and includes 2 test solutions, easy-to-ready instructions, test tube and colour chart.

Instructions

Please click here for instruction manual

FAQ

• Are high nitrate levels harmful to fish?

High nitrate is harmful to fish, but is significantly less toxic than ammonia or nitrite. Effects of high nitrate levels are more gradual if parameters go untreated – fish will eventually lose their appetite and grow sluggish and inactive over time. High nitrate also contributes to rapid algae blooms in aquariums.

• How often should I use API NITRATE TEST KIT?

Use API NITRATE TEST KIT weekly or bi-weekly to ensure your nitrate levels are safe for fish, or whenever you suspect you may have high nitrate levels in your tank.

• How do I care for and clean my test tubes?

Once the test has completed, it is important to rinse the test tube with water right away so that the contents don’t stay in the test tube. This will make sure that the reagents don’t cause anything to stick to the sides of the test tube, which could cause staining over time. 

Simply run the water, open the test tube gently (do not twist the cap), and allow the water to dilute and rinse the contents out of the test tube. Avoid getting the contents of the test tube on your skin.

If you find that you have forgotten reagent within your test tube for a long period and the color is sticking to the tube, you are able to use a small bottle brush (and some API Safe & Easy cleaning spray) to gently wash the inside of the tube. Avoid the use of soap, as soap residue could be introduced back into the aquarium when filling the test tube at next use, which is something that could be harmful to your fish.

Replacement test tubes are also available for purchase from online retailers, should you need additional test tubes.

• How hard do I shake the test tube when performing the tests?

While it is important to shake the indicated reagent bottles very vigorously, you should be gentler when shaking the test tubes during testing. Before shaking, make sure that the cap is closed tight.  Place a finger or thumb on top of the cap, to make sure it cannot come undone during use.  The goal of this shaking step is to mix the contents of the tube together and this can be accomplished by simply inverting the test tube, back and forth every 1-2 seconds, for the indicated amount of time.