Phosphate testing with hannah phosphate meter

[chew*]

Got my meter today just playing around with it.

Just wanted to make sure I'm doing this right however.

It says to convert PO 4 3 ion concentration to Phosphate P concentration, multiply by a factor of 0.33.

I'm assuming this is the reading I want.

I take my results of .08 x .33 gives me .026 which rounded out to nearest would be .03mg/L meaning my phosphates are in check......maybe this is contributing to the decent growth i've been seeing.

Some unlucky persons water got tested today also .77mg/L

 

[Aquaman_68]

Some unlucky persons water got tested today also .77mg/L

 

[SteveDola]

let me guess who.

 

[Aquaman_68]

let me guess who.

LOL

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm assuming this is the reading I want.

Almost all reefers in the US refer to ppm total phosphate, not ppm phosphate-P. IMO, 0.08 ppm total phosphate is a tad high, assuming the measurement is accurrate.

 

[Dave McReeferson]

I haven't been doing the math, just trying to keep my total phosphate reading ~.02 or under, certainly not over .03. Don't know if that is "right" or not, just the way I look at it FWIW.

Though I can not (obviously) conclusively say these things are directly linked, I have noticed SPS coloration seems to suffer at anything over .05ppm...

 

[MikeG]

I am trying to do the same as Dave. Keep the total phosphate levels as low as possible. Last time I measured with a Hanna Photometer a few weeks ago it was 0.00-0.01ppm depending on where I took water from in the system.

 

[Dave McReeferson]

Some unlucky persons water got tested today also .77mg/L

I am not saying that is a bad reading, but did you double check it? I have had a couple instances of eroneous readings on my meter, not sure what may have caused me to get these readings, but I have taken to double checking any reading that I find seems out of line with what I am expecting. A couple factors that may influence your readings, especially if someone is bringing you a sample and you are not yourself collecting it directly from the tank to be tested... How was the sample collected (ie. what was used to collect the sample and where was it collected from)? What was the sample transported in, and for how long did it remain in the container?

 

[Miller]

No clue what my Phosphate level is.....may or may not be scary to find out.

 

[stingythingy45]

I had mine checked twice on the hannah at the meetings.
Both times it was .07.

 

[chew*]

I am not saying that is a bad reading, but did you double check it? I have had a couple instances of eroneous readings on my meter, not sure what may have caused me to get these readings, but I have taken to double checking any reading that I find seems out of line with what I am expecting. A couple factors that may influence your readings, especially if someone is bringing you a sample and you are not yourself collecting it directly from the tank to be tested... How was the sample collected (ie. what was used to collect the sample and where was it collected from)? What was the sample transported in, and for how long did it remain in the container?

Oh it was quite accurate, collected right from the tank 2 secs prior to testing. The water after adding reagent turned blue, My water after tested was still clear.

 

[chew*]

So in answer to my question you guys are taking the face value displayed by the hannah meter as your phosphates reading......

Doesn't make much sense to me as the meter tests for P0 4 3 ion concentration.............not Phosphates in general.

If that was the case then the unlucky persons water I tested was actually 2.33mg/l before i multiplied by .33 which I find hard to believe...............

 

[Dave McReeferson]

Oh it was quite accurate, collected right from the tank 2 secs prior to testing. The water after adding reagent turned blue, My water after tested was still clear.

Again, I am not claiming the test was certainly inaccurate, just pointing out the possibility. I have gotten erroneous readings from samples taken directly from my tank in the past. I am not sure exactly how I got them, but three readings taken immediately after I got the suspect reading showed results dramatically different from that reading though identical to each other. All samples were collected in the same manner from the same spot in the tank.

Reagent is cheap, when you come up with an unusual reading, double check it, because it could be in error, and without double checking, you'll never know, that's all I am saying.

 

[JeremyR]

I could believe someone would have po4 that high, I've seen plenty of terrible water lol.

 

[skyedolphan]

I am sooooo very interested to see what mine is

 

[chew*]

allrighty, so it appears my frag tank does need a reactor then with .08, I tested my display that has had a reactor from day 1 and the reading is .03.

 

[penguinsix]

Oh it was quite accurate, collected right from the tank 2 secs prior to testing. The water after adding reagent turned blue, My water after tested was still clear.

I've tested many a water with the hanna meter, and never seen the water turn blue, even when the reading that came out was .50 or higher...

 

[skyedolphan]

LOL I seen it turn a slight blue

I think it was .56

needless to say added another 75g og feric oxide to the reactor

 

[chew*]

I've tested many a water with the hanna meter, and never seen the water turn blue, even when the reading that came out was .50 or higher...

the reading was 2.30..........Let the reagent sit for 3 mins.......Its a photometer....if the reagent didn't change color at all then it wouldnt work

 

[Greg Hiller]

FWIW, when I tested some of Dawn's water last night there was indeed a slight blue tint visable to my eye at the 3 minute mark.