I'm using the API kit and shake the 2nd bottle very well.

I never seem to get any nitrate or nitrite readings. I do 50% wc every week.

I have lots of plants and my stock level on fish/snails is probably about 60%.

Is this ok? I read that small levels are the goal. Should I go longer between wc? I started ei ferts last week.

40g breeder tank, no c02, just excel daily.
Aquaclear 70

If you just started EI last week, I'd give it one more week and then check just before the next water change.
Planted tanks need nitrates. Your plants may be using all that is available to them.
But the EI does take a couple of water changes to build up. You can see this by going to the calculator and after using it to find the correct amount(for example)of KNO3, you will see on the right..."Want to know the long term effects of..." and just enter the
PPM amount from the list it gave you on the right hand side above the "Want to know".
You will see that it gradually increases to a certain point.If you mess/w it before it has time to raise as high as it will you will likely need to adjust it again.
Fish/shrimp only tanks like zero nitrates but/w plants it is kept between 5-20 ppm.
I personally can't tell the difference between the 10-20 colors on the chart.
I also can't tell the difference between the 40-80.
So I use what someone on here told me.
Yellow is too low.
Orange is right. (I try to keep it just where the Orange starts to take over the yellow)
Red is too much.
On the first bottle I shake it for 10 sec.
On the second bottle I do 40 sec. and I use a clock and don't guess.

If you started EI ferts last week , keep up with your water changes. Also keep checking your nitrates. They should go up using the EI dosing. You should have a 10 to 20ppm nitrate reading. But that may be different with ei dosing and the large water changes. See what it does over the next few weeks. Are your plants doing well?

ok, great - thanks so much!

My plants are doing fine, I think some could be growing a bit more but all in all I think they are good.

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it has been a long time since I have used the nitrate test, but dont you also have to shake the first bottle?

Shook and shook! The only time I've ever had a nitrate reading was while cycling so I know it works

Does your tank show any ammonia or nitrItes?

You need to shake the #2 solution a lot BEFORE adding the drops to your test vial. Then shake for a minute after adding.

Originally I just barely shook the solution bottles before adding the drops and then I shook the vial for a minute and got zero readings. But once I started shaking Bottle #2 for the required 30 or 45 seconds first, I noticed that I would start seeing readings starting around 40 seconds into the 1 minute shaking of the vial.

I shook it plenty

Coralbandit - none of either

Calibrate your test kit.

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=83545

You can also use a fert calc to make the stock solutions, if you have a good scale.