RODI Question
- Thread starter apexreefer203
- Start date
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No it should be 0.
apexreefer203
Community Member
Thanks for the response. I checked the phosphate in my tank and they were extremely high and decided to check the RO water itself and came back with that reading of .06. I’m using a Hanna checker. I’ve heard they’re inaccurate for testing fresh water. Do you know if that’s accurate?
To be honest I have never tested on RODI, but I just ran my RODI water through ICP and P was 0. What RODI are you using, and was it brand new? Might as well test your incoming house water, it may have a super high P.
How are you checking the water? Reef tests probably need salt water for an accurate result and new salt mix can have phosphate in it, so yes it is normal and probably doesn’t mean your rodi is faulty but worth checking it is that and not an issue with it.
I am getting more Hanna reagents today, I'll test my RODI just for the heck of it...
Was searching threads and came across this one. I’m having similar problem with my Hanna checker. Phosphates in my tank have been reading high in the last couple weeks. I thought it was from dosing Red Sea AB+. Stopped dosing and checked about 5 days later and phosphate went up. Was reading about .30, now is reading about .40. Started thinking what other causes there could be. Checked my rodi with the Hanna checker and it read .18. Here’s the kicker. TDS coming out of rodi reads 0. I have another handheld tds checker and it also reads 0. Is it possible to have 0 tds and have phosphate readings or do I have a bad Hanna checker? I have a Red Sea phosphate test kit I could check against, just haven’t done it yet. It’s out of date though.
Shirak
Valuable Member
Well I would certainly suspect the Hanna. Can't hurt to try the Red Sea kit even if it's out of date. But I think one way or another you need to confirm the phosphate. I wouldn't try testing the RODI with any test kit designed for saltwater testing. Mix up a small batch of saltwater with your salt to the concentration you normally run and let it sit for a couple hours then test it.
What else are you feeding besides the AB+ ? How big is your system? How much do you feed and how often? What kind of livestock etc... Could just be the food your using.
Nitrate levels? If nitrate is 0 that could be an issue as algae and other organisms need nitrate to use phosphate as well.
My system has been up and running for 4+ years. It’s a 75g display with 40g sump. I estimate total water volume at 80-90 gallons. I have no current issues. Tank is running really well and have never had nutrient issues. I’ve actually had to dose sodium nitrate to get nitrate up from 0. Usually try and keep it around 5ppm. And try to feed enough to keep phosphate at .08-.12. I feed once a day and sometimes twice. I feed lrs reef frenzy or fish frenzy once a day. Does very well for me. I feed one cube of reef plankton every other day or so. 10 fish total in system, biggest being a fox face.
Shirak
Valuable Member
Sounds like things are going well then. Hanna makes a test kit to check the meter. Try a different vial too and see if that helps. I am guessing it's been working for a while and giving consistent results previously?
