Can anyone actually read the Salifert Phosphate test?

jasonrusso · Jun 4, 2018

JVU said:
The Hanna ultra low range phosphorus checker is much easier and more reliable to read than any of the colorimetric manual tests I’ve tried for the low range that most of our tanks are at. For me it’s a night and day difference; the difference between it being useful to check phosphate vs not. If I couldn’t use the Checker anymore I would probably just stop routinely checking phosphate.

What is the range?

JVU · Jun 4, 2018

The Ultra-Low Checker reports phosphorus (as opposed to phosphate) in ppb. The reported range is 0-200 ppb phosphorus (0-0.61 ppm phosphate), and reported accuracy is +/- 5 ppb phosphorus (0.015 ppm phosphate). Reading is given in 1 ppb increments.

In my use I feel like it is at least more precise (reproducible) than that listed variance, hard to assess accuracy since it is the most accurate test I have.

jasonrusso · Jun 4, 2018

JVU said:
The Ultra-Low Checker reports phosphorus (as opposed to phosphate) in ppb. The reported range is 0-200 ppb phosphorus (0-0.61 ppm phosphate), and reported accuracy is +/- 5 ppb phosphorus (0.015 ppm phosphate). Reading is given in 1 ppb increments.

In my use I feel like it is at least more precise (reproducible) than that listed variance, hard to assess accuracy since it is the most accurate test I have.

This sounds like a viable option. I'm going to try the 2 bottle approach, I'll try the double reagent approach as well

mckinney0171 · Jun 4, 2018

i find the salifert phosphate test kit a good cheap easy method to know if my phosphates are creeping up. i use the hanna checker much less frequently since you get a lot less tests for your money. when i do the salifert test I do the double liquid method to increase the accuracy.

Edit - just realized that the hanna test kit reagents are cheaper than the salifert test kit LOL

jasonrusso · Jun 4, 2018

mckinney0171 said:
i find the salifert phosphate test kit a good cheap easy method to know if my phosphates are creeping up. i use the hanna checker much less frequently since you get a lot less tests for your money. when i do the salifert test I do the double liquid method to increase the accuracy.

Edit - just realized that the hanna test kit reagents are cheaper than the salifert test kit LOL

Double the liquid and double the reagent, correct? I guess you are just looking through more of liquid.

The Hannah refills are $8, but you get 25 tests. I think you get 60 with salifert

mckinney0171 · Jun 4, 2018

correct. so you get half as many tests when you do it that way. i do find the salifert test to be a lot easier / less stressful though. the hanna test drives me crazy having to cut the little packets just a certain way and then make sure i get all the powder out.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 4, 2018

jasonrusso said:
This sounds like a viable option. I'm going to try the 2 bottle approach, I'll try the double reagent approach as well

That checker (736) is my recommendation if the goal is to measure phosphate is the sub 0.05 ppm range.

rkpetersen · Jun 4, 2018

JVU said:
The Hanna ultra low range phosphorus checker is much easier and more reliable to read than any of the colorimetric manual tests I’ve tried for the low range that most of our tanks are at. For me it’s a night and day difference; the difference between it being useful to check phosphate vs not. If I couldn’t use the Checker anymore I would probably just stop routinely checking phosphate.

Truth. Whether the phosphorus is 10 or 20 can be very useful in management. Other tests don't give me quite the same confidence that the number I'm getting is valid. In part that is because this human's eye is just not as good at colorimetric measurements as an electronic sensor.

rkpetersen · Jun 4, 2018

mckinney0171 said:
correct. so you get half as many tests when you do it that way. i do find the salifert test to be a lot easier / less stressful though. the hanna test drives me crazy having to cut the little packets just a certain way and then make sure i get all the powder out.

I really wish Hanna would just include one of these with each kit. It would cost them next to nothing and would make the test as easy for everyone as it is for me.

Also extremely handy for use with the calcium and copper checkers.

MTBake · Jun 4, 2018

rkpetersen said:
I really wish Hanna would just include one of these with each kit. It would cost them next to nothing and would make the test as easy for everyone as it is for me.

Also extremely handy for use with the calcium and copper checkers.

Hanna really should include one. Thanks for the link too.

To the op, I use the Hanna low range phosphorus checker and recommend that to anyone that asks. I had the same issue as you with both the Red Sea and Salifert test kits.

jasonrusso · Jun 4, 2018

I just ordered the ultra low Hannah checker and a pack of refills.

I did the high resolution salifert test when I got home and it still came up 0.0. My SPS are retracted, but algae is dying. I guess I have to say that vibrant works. I have seachem Phosphate (freshwater planted tank) coming tomorrow. I'll dose a little bit of that. Hopefully it helps.

I think that is part of the way vibrant works.

JVU · Jun 4, 2018

rkpetersen said:
I really wish Hanna would just include one of these with each kit. It would cost them next to nothing and would make the test as easy for everyone as it is for me.

Also extremely handy for use with the calcium and copper checkers.

Thanks for the link! I’ll try them out.