Could my test kit have gone bad?

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Dispatch273

Dispatch273

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jul 22, 2011
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My test kits always test my water as perfect. I use the liquid ones, maybe by API? I usually test my water right before and right after my weekly 50% WCs. My ammonia, nitrites and nitrates are always zero on my established tanks before and after the WC. My Ph is always 7.6-7.8 This seems impossible to me. Could there be something wrong with the test chemicals or am I just the Queen of clean tanks???:screwy:


p.s I've also tested the water right out of the tap too. Same results!
 
fish n chips said:
they can go off, but i think you just queen of the clean tanks lol,, ur water a tad hard tho imho
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Lol thanks! Is having hard water bad? My fish have spawned in it so I assumed it was ok.

sross said:
I thought I had a bad test kit a few months ago for the same reason you do. I got a new test kit and the readings are still the same. Turns out I just do a realy good job at keeping the water clean. My older test kit was probably about 2 - 3 years old.
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Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only one this happened to. The testers for my Ammonia and Nitrite lvls are old but the Nitrate ones are only a few months old. I'll keep using them unless something obviously wrong with my water. Thanks!
 
Your Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0. Nitrates should register something? You need to follow the instructions very carefully on all the tests but especially the Nitrate test as it is sensitive to how you shake it.

\I get a 1ppm ammonia reading from my tap water due to chloramine.
 
have your local LFS test it... if you get the same results you are pretty safe to say your test is good.. if not... well there you go.
 
[[[Lol thanks! Is having hard water bad? My fish have spawned in it so I assumed it was ok.]]]

sounds good to me if u fish spawin and lookin good then maybe im wrong,,,i was only goin by my water here from the tap its 6.8,so i get fish to suit my water
 
brooks said:
Your Ammonia and Nitrite should be 0. Nitrates should register something? You need to follow the instructions very carefully on all the tests but especially the Nitrate test as it is sensitive to how you shake it.

\I get a 1ppm ammonia reading from my tap water due to chloramine.
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I do follow the instructions carefully, I'll try bringing a water sample to my lfs. Also I'm on well water if that makes any difference.
 
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