Has anybody else had this problem with their api test kit?

So I have had my api master test kit for almost a year, almost finished cycling 3tanks(10gallon, 25gallon and a 50gallon, twice almost lol) so it has definitely been worth every cent i would say.
My problem is now I have plenty of ph liquid left, then more nitrite liquod then ammonia, and I am almost out of the liquid to test nitrate, as i test nitrates more frequently in a cycled tank then any other level.
Do you guys have this problem? Can I buy "refill" bottles for my kit? Obviously I would get like the two bottles for nitrate and not just one for obvious reasons. But I would also assume It would need to be the same lot number in order to make sure the colors are accurate. Or should I just buy a whole new kit? My concern is I will have a lifetime supply of the others just to keep up with nitrates.

I have the same kit. The reason why the nitrate and ammonia run out faster is because they require more drops per test. The nitrate requires 10 drops per test, the ammonia 8, the nitrite only 5, the high range Ph 5 as well, and the low/regular range Ph. only 3. See the nitrate and ammonia take more per test, thus, they run out faster.

API® Ammonia Test Kit - Fish Care - Fish - PetSmart

For ammonia ^

API Nitrate Test Kit for Freshwater/Saltwater Aquariums at PETCO

For nitrate ^

Hope this helps. -Seth

You should be able to buy the individual kits, but not bottles. My LFS sells NH4, NO2, NO3, KH and Cl2 test kits individually, and you can get all of them on amazon (at least in the UK you can!)

Same here in Aus - you can buy separate bottles on eBay or at the LSF but seems more expensive that way

Thats what I figured that it may still be cheaper to buy the kit then inidividual. I mean I paid 29$ on sale for the whole kit.

I find though that some of the bottles have more in them to compensate for the extra drops. But I use the nitrate one more often.

Exactly the same here. I had to buy a brand new kit solely because I ran out of nitrate and ammonia testing liquids - my PH, Nitrite and High Range PH kits were practically still full! (I also had to buy a new test kit because I broke two test tubes by accident and this topped me back up to a full set. I was getting annoyed doing two tests, cleaning them out and reusing them for the next two tests).

I worked out that buying the liquids individually from Amazon would cost around £12 apiece, whereas a brand new kit would cost £24. Which was how much a new nitrate and ammonia kit would cost me individually. So it seemed like a no brainer really in my situation.

Also, does anyone else find the nitrate kit really hard to read? I often can't tell whether my readings are concerning (40ppm, for example) or simply a very dark orange, which would be 20ppm. Apparently API says their nitrate kit can be the most tempermental and is one of the hardest to get right; which is why it comes in two separate solutions with such complicated instructions.

I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one that can't read that damn color chart. I usually test it, but really the way I know it's time to do a water change is because Jack's gills start curling a little. (I'm such a loser, I know.)

I just end up doing water changes every weekend. About 25% each time. The damn color chart is so wonky. I got a color that's like not purple or not red when I was cycling and I just gave up and did water changes instead.

Twice in the past few weeks I've got a really dark orange - AFTER my water change, and I've had to do about two more to get it down to lighter orange. I'm the same, Layna, if it's dark, I'm like, 'water chaaannngeee!' And the axolotls look at me like, 'really? We just got comfy!'
It's because they've got to be in the water for another week and I don't like thinking they've started the week off at 40 ppm.

I'm glad it's not just me. I'm long-sighted but I thought I was becoming a bit of a short-sighted mole too >.<

:rofl: I thought it was just me needing my eyes tested !