Greg Hiller
New member
Randy,
Any suggestions for a kit that is reasonably priced and can get down into the low measurement ranges?
Any suggestions for a kit that is reasonably priced and can get down into the low measurement ranges?
Phosphate test kit recommendation
- Thread starter Greg Hiller
- Start date
How low?
I've not used many besides the Hach, but this thread has mroe info on the "best" kits:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=722922
I've not used many besides the Hach, but this thread has mroe info on the "best" kits:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=722922
I wouldn't. Some folks have had issues that may relate to dropping phosphate too low. This article has more:
Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm
Iron Oxide Hydroxide (GFO) Phosphate Binders
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-11/rhf/index.htm
All I was able to determine is that since I have HA then I really don't need to test as I must have Phosphates.:lol:
Greg Hiller
New member
>How low?<
Good question. I have the Hach kit and got it out for the first time in about 3 years the other day. The reason I'd not tested in years is I could never get a reading in a tank that had much meaning to me. Every time I tested I'd get around 0.03-0.06 ppm, which to my eye was even pretty hard to distinguish between.
Well, of course the little packets are expired when I got it out, but I got the same answer as in the past on the two tanks I tested. I tested one frag tank because it seemed lately like the growth rate of some Acropora was quite slow, and the color was also poor for some. Prior to the testing I'd also checked calcium, alkalinity and magnesium and all were good ( >400 ppm, >2.5 meq/l, >1300 ppm respectively).
It is possible that some of the corals were still in a VERY slow recover from a low alkalinty event in the tank from a plugged Ca reactor several months ago. I'm also having a lot of cyano growth in some growout trays attached to the tank. The tank is poorly skimmed (my fault of course), but I'd figured I'd get a reading on the PO4 kit.
Good question. I have the Hach kit and got it out for the first time in about 3 years the other day. The reason I'd not tested in years is I could never get a reading in a tank that had much meaning to me. Every time I tested I'd get around 0.03-0.06 ppm, which to my eye was even pretty hard to distinguish between.
Well, of course the little packets are expired when I got it out, but I got the same answer as in the past on the two tanks I tested. I tested one frag tank because it seemed lately like the growth rate of some Acropora was quite slow, and the color was also poor for some. Prior to the testing I'd also checked calcium, alkalinity and magnesium and all were good ( >400 ppm, >2.5 meq/l, >1300 ppm respectively).
It is possible that some of the corals were still in a VERY slow recover from a low alkalinty event in the tank from a plugged Ca reactor several months ago. I'm also having a lot of cyano growth in some growout trays attached to the tank. The tank is poorly skimmed (my fault of course), but I'd figured I'd get a reading on the PO4 kit.
I agree that the Hach gets pretty subjective below about 0.05 ppm.
I would have expected them to be over a low alk problem that was months ago.
I would have expected them to be over a low alk problem that was months ago.
