Newbie Needs Help

Get a protein skimmer!!! Lose the bag/pad filter.

 

Ok. I want to start off by saying thanks to everyone who has helped me the last couple of days. I feel like a bother posting questions every few hours but it really helps when you guys give your advice. I may have had you all worried for nothing!!!

I went to LFS #1 today to have them test my nitrates again. They used an API kit like mine. I follow the test directions to the T. 5ml water in tube. 10 drops from nitrate bottle 1. shake bottle 2 for 30 seconds and add 10 drops. Shake tube for a minute. LFS #1 did not do that. He just added ten from each bottle and shook tube. The tube stayed bright yellow. He said I had little to be worried about. I asked him if he would follow the directions in the book. (he rolled his eyes but did what i requested) The test tube turned bright orange which is 20 ppm. Which is 1/4 of what my test kit was showing. He said "oh well i guess you have some nitrates." (thanks buddy)

So I went to the most second most reputable LFS in the area.(the most reputable is only open thursday-saturday) I had them test with their kit which was instant ocean. He said i was showing about 5 ppm but shouldent worry. I asked him to use his API kit alternately he did the same thing LFS#1 did by not following directions and just putting the drops in and this showed bright yellow or 0 ppm. Why do they do this and not follow the dirctions on the bottle is this ok?

I figured my test kit is in fact expired. It has no expiration date only a lot #. I feel like Ive worried for nothing but am still upset that i had to have my water tested 6 times and do not know who to trust now.
1.Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
2.Should I go back to feeding my fish once a day or wait just to be sure.
3. Any way to tell if my kit is expired.
4. What kits should I use to test in the future.

 

I believe I read another post on here that the expiration date for API is two years after manufacture which is the last four digits of the lot#.Example:lot#----0308 would expire this month.

 

mine says Lot No. 17B0407. So I guess the maufacture date is April 07 two years would mean it expired 11 months ago. I hope thats why my results are so outta whack. Still no explination on why the LFS are getting so many different results. Thanks for the info!