Water testing · Liquid test kit

API Nitrite NO2 Test Kit

Tests nitrite only, 0 to 5 ppm.

Liquid drop test for nitrite from 0 to 5 ppm in fresh or salt water.

Consider: Nitrite only. The Freshwater Master Test Kit includes it with ammonia, nitrate and pH.

US version. Check what’s in the box before you buy.

Drawing of a water test kit (not a photo of the API Nitrite NO2 Test Kit)

What it tests

Tests for
Nitrite
Reading range
0 to 5 ppm
How to read it
Add the drops to a sample in the capped test tube and compare the color with the card.

Before choosing this model

  • Nitrite harms fish even at low levels; while a new tank cycles, test it with ammonia.

What API doesn’t publish

  • API doesn’t print how many tests the bottle holds.

In a new tank the readings that matter most are ammonia and nitrite, so check the kit reads both, or add a test that does: see how to test your water.

Have a reading? See what it means for your fish and what to do today.

Included items & upkeep

  • 1 nitrite bottle
  • 1 capped test tube
  • instruction manual
  • color card

Plan for the routine work

  • Test every other day while a new tank cycles, then weekly once the filter is established (in about 4 to 6 weeks), as API advises.
  • Rinse the test tube with water right after each test, as API advises, so the reagent doesn’t stain it.

Check the use-by date printed on the pack before you trust a reading: old test solutions and strips can read wrong. Replace the kit once it is past that date.