Red Sea...Bad Test Kits?

I thought I was due for a new test kit when my Red Sea NO3 kit gave me a reading of...nothing. Not even 0. There was no color change to the water. So I did my test again but with API test and I get a reading of 20.

I am now having the same problem with my Red Sea test kit. But this time it is with my PO4. I did the test as it said to on the card...12ml water, 8 drops of bottle A, 2 drops of bottle B. I shook it and then waited 5 minutes. No color change...no reading what-so-ever.

What's wrong?

 

You have to shake one of the reagents in the Red Sea NO3 kit really well. It's the one that says it contains cadmium. Make sure there's no precipitate still on the bottom of the bottle.

 

But what about the PO4? I had the same problem.

 

OK, I looked and see now that my NO3 kit has gone bad. Bottle A liquid separated and part of the solution solidified. I could try to mix it, but I think it's too far.

 

The PO4 isn't exactly a sensitive test. Hardly ever will you see significant enough numbers on it to register on that test. The first step is .1, which looks the same as 0 IMO.

 

Sorry, that was me being stupid. I was looking at the side instead of down into the tube. I have a reading of 0.2ppm PO4.

I am very confused by the Clac. test. Never tested Calc. before.

 

All the Calc test says on the front is...

Start = [red]

End = [orange]

What's that supposed to mean? No numbers?

 

Nope, but it's a pretty obvious change between red and orange. The only thing I don't like is that it's 50ppm resolution, which isn't exactly super accurate.

 

OK, well then when it turns orange, I'm done. But what does that mean? All the other kits have numbers to tell what the parameter level actually is...

 

Read the instructions next time, they make it clear how to use test kits.

You count the number of drops in the "one drop, shake + repeat until it turns orange" step, add the number used in the beginning of the test (4?) and you multiply that by 50 to get your calcium number.