Phosphate Test

[SerranidTerror]

Curious as to what you guys think is the most reliable brand/test kit for phosphate. I used two different brands of phosphate tests on my tank today and got two slightly different measurements (aquarium pharmaceuticals and nutrafin)

 

[mbbuna]

i would say none of them. your trying to test at such a low level that these hobby test kits really don't cut it. if you have the $ Hach or LaMotte (sp) would be your best bet then Salifert

 

[kaptken]

what range where your results in? a couple ppm? since you have a fish only tank right now it may be high. but chris is right, for reef tank levels we like to have them below detection level. because besides growing algea, phosphates inhibit calcium deposits for coral growth. our tap water can vary , depending on when they add the phosphate anti rust to the water. sometimes it spikes to like 3-5 ppm.

so most of us try to keep phosphates out of the tank first by not putting them in. RODI for clean water, absorber media like ferric oxide hydroxide, or poly pads, or refugium plants to eat it. and deep sand beds to diguest it.

how high are your readings?

i have a red sea PO4 test kit. ive hardly used it. but it gets down to a 1/10th ppm . ive never had a zero reading. usually around 0.1 ppm.

 

[SerranidTerror]

One test was telling me 1 mg/L (aq. pharm.) and the other 0.5 mg/L (hagen/nutrafin). I may have a fish only tank but I do enjoy those pretty pink and purple spots that grow on those annoying chunks of matter, that get in the way of my fish viewing, that you all call live rock Hence why I want to keep phosphates down. (well one of the reasons)

:sigh: I go away for one weekend and my motor blows on one of my filters. Its sorta fun balancing the eco-system back to where you want it though. You always learn new stuff.

 

[jdieck]

I would recoment either the Merck/Deltect test kit (I tried Hach, Salifert and Red Sea) or again if you have the money, a Hanna LR phosphate colorimeter is my recomendation.