Hanna Phosphate checker,,,, PPM or PPB??

[aquablizz]

Looking into purchasing one of the Hanna phosphate testers. How important is it to check parts per billion as opposed to parts per million.

Not trying to cheap out but PPB is about 1/3 more money and could go towards the purchase of more regent for testing..

Blizz

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The phosphate checker has fairly high uncertainty of +/- 0.04 ppm. So all values between 0.00 and 0.08 ppm could essentially be the same water.

I'd get the phosphorus checker.

 

[aquablizz]

Thanks Randy

phosphorus checker?? have to look into that. if the acceptable range is .05 ppm that means I could potentially have a value of .09 and not be aware of any problems. does the phosphorus checker have a better tolerance as far as accuracy?

 

[Potatohead]

The ppb checker (phosphorous checker) is superior for what we are using it for.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The phosphorus checker is just Hanna's name for their higher sensitivity meter (HI736):

https://hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html

It's uncertainty is +/- 0.015 ppm phosphate (+/- 5 ppb phosphorus)

 

[sghera64]

The ppb checker (phosphorous checker) is superior for what we are using it for.

+1

Also, BRS did a nice comparison. The Hanna ULR did a great job of matching the standard and the Hach analyzer. There is an earlier post in this thread with the results.

Post #18:
With regard to Po4 how low is too low?

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?posts/4132793/

 

[billw]

Not trying to cheap out but PPB is about 1/3 more money and could go towards the purchase of more regent for testing..

Blizz

They cost the same new ($49).

 

[aquablizz]

thanks Bill, I saw that on the Hanna site and ordered the phosphorous ultra low checker...
blizz

 

[rkpetersen]

It's easy to do a rough conversion in your head, of phosphorus as read by the Hanna ULR checker, into phosphate. Just multiply by 3 and shift the decimal three places.

Example:

Hanna checker reads 7. Phosphate is 7 x 3 /1000 = .021
Hanna checker reads 20. Phosphate is 20 x 3 /1000 = .06

 

[Krzydmnd]

I just got low range checker and ran 10 x years in a row. Results were
4,3,0,0,1,6,4,2,1,0

That's a range of zero to. 018.

 

[aquablizz]

just go my Hanna checker from UPS.. my reading came out to 22PPB. using the math that mean .066 PPM.. Is that correct??

 

[saltyhog]

That is correct.

 

[aquablizz]

Thanks Salty
is that a harmful level to try adding corals??

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's fine to add corals.

 

[rkpetersen]

Yup, corals won't have any problem with that level. Ideally maybe a bit lower. I try to keep my phosphorus between 7 and 20.

 

[aquablizz]

now my problem is keeping the nitrates in check... I can't get them lower the 20ppm.. I've started dosing vodka but would rather have done it naturally. I like my Tito's and don't like throwing it into a fish tank. LOL

 

[sghera64]

now my problem is keeping the nitrates in check... I can't get them lower the 20ppm.. I've started dosing vodka but would rather have done it naturally. I like my Tito's and don't like throwing it into a fish tank. LOL

I stopped dosing carbon and implemented a macro algae refugium with a 100W grow LED light. It's a 180G system. The algae is in an 20G Tupperware tote. My NO3 is non-detect (Red Sea Pro) and phosphate is 0PPB (Hanna ULR). I feed 2x/ day flakes and 2-4x/wk frozen cubes (3 cubes in a feeding)

 

[Fudsey]

I thought the conversion of phosphorus to phosphates was "reading x 3.066 / 1000? Is this wrong? It's what BRS said in that video comparing the 2 checkers

 

[aquablizz]

I thought the conversion of phosphorus to phosphates was "reading x 3.066 / 1000? Is this wrong? It's what BRS said in that video comparing the 2 checkers

those number are right,,, I used a multiplier of 3 instead of 3.066.. the difference is next to nothing, .067ppm as opposed to .066 ppm .

 

[aquablizz]

Hi Fudsey, thanks for jumping in... I'm running a fuge with great macro growth and only feed fish 5 times a week what can be eaten in 2 min. Still struggling with the nitrates though... Always fine tuning things and going to give it another month while running GFO.