Cheeselady
New member
Ok I I'm using API test kits for most of my water testing and I'm getting a phosphate reading of ~0.25ppm as best as I can tell from the color chart.
Tank has been up for about a month, and cycled (ie no ammonia and no nitrite, barely a trace of nitrate per API)
Except for Mg, which is low at around 1140, all other values I am testing are in range.
There are snails, 1 hermit,1 emerald crab, and 1 small piece of green star polyp in there (growing like crazy)
I am seeing some cyanobacteria forming, also staring to see flatworms but they are small and few at this point.
The weird thing is that when I test phosphate in the DI water I am topping off with (store bought off brand) I'm also getting 0.25ppm which seems high, even for potentially low quality DI water.
sooooo Do I trust the API kit and hunt for "better" water? Or should I buy a new kit with more accuracy?
Tank has been up for about a month, and cycled (ie no ammonia and no nitrite, barely a trace of nitrate per API)
Except for Mg, which is low at around 1140, all other values I am testing are in range.
There are snails, 1 hermit,1 emerald crab, and 1 small piece of green star polyp in there (growing like crazy)
I am seeing some cyanobacteria forming, also staring to see flatworms but they are small and few at this point.
The weird thing is that when I test phosphate in the DI water I am topping off with (store bought off brand) I'm also getting 0.25ppm which seems high, even for potentially low quality DI water.
sooooo Do I trust the API kit and hunt for "better" water? Or should I buy a new kit with more accuracy?
