Should I get the Phosphurous Checker?

[tytown]

Agree on the Elos PO4 kit, that thing is a total waste of money.
So Wheelman and Craig, what are some typical values your phosphorus checker reads? And what do you expect it to read when you test?
Running GFO I would hope to see 10 and below but going by their rated accuracy there's no way I guy can even rely on that.
Just trying to gauge peoples phosphates and their expected reading from their ULR phos checker....
Thanks for all the replys so far

[Craigdillman]

Well for example last week my reading was 0.06 and this week (water change week and GFO change time) it was 0.09 so it just started to rise

[lastlight]

i previously owned the regular tester and always got zero which i never believed. i certainly had algae which apparently IS possible with real zero readings lol. i now use the ULR and for a while i couldn't get back-to-back consistent readings.

now i do a few things that seemed to have made testing reliable and i now like the device:

- only use one of the glass containers. zero the unit and add reagent to same one. avoid differences in glass/scratches etc between containers.

- store ro/di in container between uses then rinse well before use

- made a decent paper funnel to ensure i can more accurately get all or almost all the reagent into the container

- always rotate the glass to the same orientation in the device

[mikellini]

This thread is making me feel better about getting the phosphate checker vs phosphorus. As it is, I think there's too much number-chasing going on in this hobby.

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by mikellini

This thread is making me feel better about getting the phosphate checker vs phosphorus. As it is, I think there's too much number-chasing going on in this hobby.

if you like zero readings i highly recommend the phosphate checker =)

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by lastlight

if you like zero readings i highly recommend the phosphate checker =)

Agreed. As long as mine says 0, I don't worry about it.

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Agreed. As long as mine says 0, I don't worry about it.

you're running a sand bed right?

[mikellini]

Originally Posted by lastlight

if you like zero readings i highly recommend the phosphate checker =)

If you're doing it right, a zero reading is good enough. Even if it's actually 0.04 (which is possible with a zero reading), that's low enough. If I knew for a fact it was 0.04, I wouldn't try to chase numbers and lower it to 0.03. And as long as you have fish and are feeding enough, there will always be enough trace phosphorus in the water for hard corals.

My point is that if phosphates are a problem, it will read above 0, and if it doesn't and I'm having a problem, then phosphates aren't the problem.

[mikellini]

Wow there's gotta be a better way to say that haha