Water testing practices

[scheurerj]

Having trouble finding this info from a search. I had someone tell me the proper way to compare a water sample to a color chart is straight down the tube with cap removed. How does everyone here test? Option 1 or 2?

[Paul Sabucchi]

Although not specified on the instructions it is general wisdom that you read the API tests from the side, there are other brands that are designed to be viewed top down like JBL and Sera, in their charts there is a semicircle for each colour. Anyone knows if API has sorted the old problem of one of the reagents in this nitrate test crystalusing in the bottle and making it unreliable? I used to keep mine strapped to the air pump so it was constantly shaken.
Or get Hanna checkers and you can't go wrong as it reads it for you

[Enrgizerbunny]

As far as I know you have to shake the daylights out of nitrate part 2 still.

I've never tested my pond apart from gh, Kh, and pH. I probably should but my test is so old it's probably inaccurate at this point.

[Paul Sabucchi]

I think the issue is due to the fact that some form of zinc is required for the reaction, in the API reagent 2 it must be some form of (not very well) disolved salt. In the tests by Sera there are actually 3 liquid reagents and a small vial of metallic filings. Unfortunately as far as I am aware Hanna does not make a freshwater nitrate checker, just a much more expensive spectroscope that I can't justify forking out for as high nitrates are usually not much of an issue and in my pond they are barely detectable because of all the plants

[aquaholic]

I use your photo 1 (vial sideways) but align the tube ninety degrees so it's parallel with the long colour chart . Slide the vial over the chart. When I can’t detect any difference between the top part of vial (against white background) and bottom part of vial (against colour chart) THAT is the reading I use.

When the vial colour is a bad match, you will still see the colour chart box show through the vial. So slide to next colour chart box until this difference literally disappears.

[coolwon]

Accept it sideways, back to front,you don't look down the neck of the bottle for discoloration in your beer?

Sideways, you get an all over average color down the the length of the test tube,

Not concentrated.