API Nitrite readings weird?

[Wadikus]

Happy Mondays everyone

I'll preface this by saying I have 3 pretty well seasoned tanks. I am pretty diligent on water testing and changes etc, definitely not a lazy fish keeper.

As part of my Monday morning routine maintenance, I tested for nitrite with the API kit and its sort of a dark-er blue instead of sky blue which according to the chart is ~.25PPM in the 29 gallon which the oldest of my tanks and the one with the most stable stocking. The coop strips show nothing at all which would make sense since they are 1ppm.

I did a 25% water change and ran the test again and it still show that darker blue and not the sky-blue, there is no real hint of purple. But when I check my 9 gallon flex it comes back sky blue. So I changed another 25% in the 29 gallon and got the same thing again. I checked my 20 gallon multifasciatus tank and it came back somewhere in between the 2. So I changed the water in that one and it's result stayed the same.

All other readings, ammonia at 0 PPM, Nitrate ~20 ppm, PH stable across all 3 tanks, hardness as well.

Has anyone ever had the nitrite test from API return 3 different but consistent results despite water changes? I feed reasonably and on a set schedule. None of the fish seem stressed and all activity level is normal, am I being too paranoid?

Thanks!
 

[Whitecloud09]

Can we see pics and also, are you doing everything correctly. Adding 5 drops and shaking for 5 seconds and then letting it sit for 5 mins before checking, @Wadikus.

[Wadikus]

@Whitecloud09 Yessir, doing exactly as instructed. I'm not at home at the moment when i get in I will run the tests.

[Wadikus]

@Whitecloud09 Here you go - one on left is the flex 9 gallon and the one on the right is my 29 gallon.

Its not quite .25PPM coloured but its picking something up, the thing is.. if i do a 25% water change and retest it will stay that darker blue.

really confused. As I mentioned earlier, it is the oldest and longest running of my tanks with no real changes in stocking.

[Whitecloud09]

So odd. It does look like it has a hint of nitrite. On the right. I am so confused lol. Btw like your bulbasoar in the background lol. Interesting….. add prime just in case for some reason it is present.

[Wadikus]

I put some prime in and a maintenance dose of Fritzyme 7. I'm gonna give it a few days just dosing prime and no water changes to see if it happens to clear itself. Even weirder is it never gets darker.. It just stays that blue.

Thanks! I 3d printed him - 3d printing is very useful as an addition to the aquarium hobby.

 

Edited July 30 by Wadikus

[shawnkissed]

Have you tested your tap water? Or whatever water you're using for your changes? Sometimes if you have well water you could potentially have some nitrite in it.