Phosphate test results don't match picture

[MonkeyMonk86]

I've done this test 2x and keep getting a lime color that doesn't match the card's colors. What is my phosphate level? ( I have brown algae problem so this number is important for me)


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[Tank Girl]

Fill the vial with water so that it is level with the white line and then add the reagents and test again. Too little or too much water will skew your results.

Also, when you take the photo, make sure it doesn't have a shadow over it. Hope this helps you!


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[MonkeyMonk86]

Thanks, Tank Girl, It was to the white line, but I spilt some b4 taking the picture. It looks lime green at first. Then turns to the color that shows here. Still in the lime green family, not the moss grey family, and no blue tint at all.

I don't have another sample b/c I just did a 50% WC and cleaned the brown algae off everything. It's less and less with each cleaning and I added phosguard today. I'm only going to leave it in for 36hrs or there abouts.


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[MonkeyMonk86]

I did a 50%+ PWC. I used the phosguard for 48hrs and it's been out for 48hrs. I redid the phosphate test and again it is in the lime color family and does not match anything. (I do not use any salt b/c I have cory in the tank. However, I did notice lime is a color family on the saltwater phosphate card.)


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)

 

[Tank Girl]

I agree it's not a perfect match. They never are. You're essentially comparing opaque ink on a solid surface to a transparent color in a tube. Light behaves differently in both of these situations which can make it difficult to be sure. I personally wish they'd make shade tabs out of clear colored plastic to better mimic the results in the tube. It would be much easier to compare them.

Your photo shows results that are extremely light in color and to my eye it suggests you have very little phosphate, probably 0 to .25.


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[MonkeyMonk86]

Thanks, Tank Girl! I agree! I'll record it as .25.


(Friend of Bill W., One day at a time)