number20121 2,663 Posted November 22, 2016 What is a great source of nitrate to test if your API freshwater master test kit nitrate test is working? I recently finally got a new test kit again (expiration date late 2018) and every singe tank I test, shows 0ppm nitrate. Yes, I do follow the instructions although I am well familiar with them after nearly a decade. I do a hella maintenance but 0ppm all across the boards seems a bit too good to me. I wonder if there is something wrong with the test, so I would like to test something that definitely should have some nitrate reading in it? What would be a good source for this? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fantailfan1 26,742 Posted November 22, 2016 Go to your nearest chain store and ask for a water sample. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Butterfly 485 Posted November 22, 2016 You could get some potassium nitrate. It is sold in hardware stores in the garden section to decompose stumps. It is also sold as aquarium plant supplement but that'd probably be more expensive. As a gross test you could probably just use little all purpose garden fertilizer as their N is usually a mix of nitrate > ammonium. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Butterfly 485 Posted November 22, 2016 Or even grosser maybe some hotdog juice. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shakaho 6,312 Posted November 23, 2016 Fertilizer? 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number20121 2,663 Posted November 23, 2016 Fertilizer? Oh that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that myself... duh. I'll give it a try, thanks guys! 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number20121 2,663 Posted November 23, 2016 Go to your nearest chain store and ask for a water sample. Yeah if that doesn't give me a deep red example then I don't know what will 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
