Phosban media replacement

Johnny Reefer · #1 10-30-2007, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasond

....I am guess salifert is the best one to use?

I prefer Elos for phosphate testing. I could never figure out how to get one level spoonful of the fluffy granular compound the Salifert kit has. The inevitable rounded spoonful always left me doubting the results.

Delphinus · #2 10-30-2007, 03:01 AM

Do you guys really get differing results from colour based test kits? I've never gotten a difference from tank water to reactor output. And I use a photometer now because I started to doubt my results from colour based test kits. And .. well .. in the end even those things I kind of have trouble deciding what my "real" value is because the error is 0.04 (so a true value of 0.04 could read as 0.00 or vice-versa, a true value of 0.04 could read as 0.00).

What kind of numbers do you guys get when testing for phosphate?

andresont · #3 10-30-2007, 03:13 AM

Considering the cost of the testing and measuring equipment, it might be better just to change the media once a month.
That’s what I do, keep it simple unless you want to get technical,
Do I really care what the value of the PO4 is, or do I care how my tank and corals feel like ?

Delphinus · #4 10-30-2007, 03:18 AM

Maybe. The cost of GFO maybe has come down a bit. When it first came out it was like $100 for a little jar of it. At that price, you want to make sure it's being used effectively. I guess at the prices we pay now we can be a little more judicious, but nevertheless it's just ingrained into me that if I pay for media that I want to see the results. But having said that, I can't really tell a difference when my tank reads 0.01 or 0.1. So I'm curious what other people see when they test.

andresont · #5 10-30-2007, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Maybe. The cost of GFO maybe has come down a bit. When it first came out it was like $100 for a little jar of it. At that price, you want to make sure it's being used effectively. I guess at the prices we pay now we can be a little more judicious, but nevertheless it's just ingrained into me that if I pay for media that I want to see the results. But having said that, I can't really tell a difference when my tank reads 0.01 or 0.1. So I'm curious what other people see when they test.

To be honest i'd like to know that too.

jasond · #6 10-30-2007, 04:49 AM

The most accurate are probably the digital/electronic's if you have the bucks. I just changed out the media, kind of a PITA, good thing my girlfriend only see's about half the water I spill

Delphinus · #7 10-30-2007, 04:52 AM

I'd go with "precise" over "accurate". At least IME.

Doug · #8 10-30-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Reefer

I prefer Elos for phosphate testing. I could never figure out how to get one level spoonful of the fluffy granular compound the Salifert kit has. The inevitable rounded spoonful always left me doubting the results.

I once read a thread on the Salifert forum where Habib said level as opposed to rounded did not matter to the end readings. However I have not tried the two at once to see.

surgeonfish · #9 10-31-2007, 03:10 AM

I just bought the Hanna LR meter because I was skeptical about the readings from the color based tests. My Merck and Salifert test were reading in the range of 0.015-0.03 but I was still having problems with hair algae and some cyano. My RO/DI water reads 0 with the Hanna meter. However, water from my tank and the phosban reactors (250 ml Rowaphos and 300 ml PhosGuard) ranges from 0.03-0.05. I'm not sure what to make of all this.

jasond · #10 10-31-2007, 04:49 AM

That hair algae and cyano are a pain! I have a lot smaller system, but my cyano seems to have disappeared after months of fighting, but my hair algae has increased. There are some good articles on reefcentral about using a phosban which is what originally sold me on it, but I have yet to see great results. That being said, without me knowing my media may have been exhausted, which is....my fault