Salifert Phosphate Test

[ShaggyRS6]

Hey guys. To get a ppm ready do you have to divide by 3? On the chart I have been getting 0.25. I did a water change and it was still 0.25 on the color scale.

Not sure what’s going on.

 

[piranhaman00]

Salifert phosphate is very tough to use imo. That color change is minimal and our poor eyes cannot differentiate those super faint blues. I would highly recommend Hanna ULR phosphorous.

 

[ShaggyRS6]

K thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey guys. To get a ppm ready do you have to divide by 3? On the chart I have been getting 0.25. I did a water change and it was still 0.25 on the color scale.

Not sure what’s going on.

that result is not a kit Problem. a 100% water change will not drop phosphate100%. Maybe only 10%, but it will vary a lot.

the reason is the reservoir of phosphate on rock and sand is much larger than what is in the water. Replace all the water with new water, and some of this comes back into the water column.

 

[ShaggyRS6]

that result is not a kit Problem. a 100% water change will not drop phosphate100%. Maybe only 10%, but it will vary a lot.

the reason is the reservoir of phosphate on rock and sand is much larger than what is in the water. Replace all the water with new water, and some of this comes back into the water column.

Gotcha! Whats the remedy then? Just time?

 

[Duffer]

The blank slots, are those 2 hour time frames of the setting or are pumps off?

Gotcha! Whats the remedy then? Just time?

A number of ways

GFo
Carbon dosing
Phosbond

Personally I started months ago vodka dosing and it lowered by phosphates considerably

 

[ShaggyRS6]

Ok, cool. Well I am running carbon just in a bag right now. But I think the next purchase will be a GFO.

 

[ShaggyRS6]

So something I realized tonight. My resin chamber was orange! Never checked it. Thought I’d get much more out of it, so I have been using water with a TDS of 3.
Wonder if that would have an effect.

 

[PatW]

So something I realized tonight. My resin chamber was orange! Never checked it. Thought I’d get much more out of it, so I have been using water with a TDS of 3.
Wonder if that would have an effect.

It might. My tap water has .3 ppm phosphate vs .03 in my tank. I would think with 3 tds water, you should be good but.....

I use one of those BRS in line tds gauges for RODI systems. One is post DI and the second one is after my first DI canister. Generally my RO water is 2 tds and my DI water is 0. When my DI creeps up to 1. I take it off and repack it. RO canister number 2 goes into the 1 slot. And the freshly repacked canister goes into the 2 slot.