Tropic Marin PO4-Test

Tropic Marin's PO4 test is a test for checking the phosphate content in marine and freshwater aquariums. All test cuvettes, reagents, dosing syringes and colour charts are included in the kit. The reagents can be bought as refill packs after they have been used up.

The phosphate content of water

Phosphate is an essential plant nutrient and As an extremely important plant nutrient and a vital mineral, phosphate in water is irreplaceable: it is essential for every living organism. While plants can get by with small amounts of phosphate, algae in particular enjoy it excess concentrations. Too much phosphate on the other hand can harm aquarium dwellers.

Therefore, the phosphate content in the water must be checked regularly. Irregular water changes, uneaten food in the water, decomposing plant remains and the digestion process of fish lead to high concentrations of phosphate, which can lead to algal blooms. Iff an aquarium is densely stocked, the aquarium inhabitants consume more of it, which can lead to phosphate deficiencies.

The optimal phosphate content differs depending on the stock and the water:

► In freshwater aquariums, a phosphate value of up to 0.4 mg/L is suitable. A value above 1 mg/L is too high and must be reduced. For aquatic plants, a phosphate value of 0.02 mg/L is sufficient.

► Natural seawater has a phosphate content of approx. 0.06 mg/L. In coral reefs, this value is much lower, between 0.01 and 0.02 mg/L. Higher concentrations can have negative consequences on corals!

Instructions for use:

1. Shake the dropper bottle before use and assemble the comparator.
2. Rinse the glass cuvette first with tap water and then with aquarium water.
3. Fill 5 ml of aquarium water into each glass cuvette. Use the dosing syringe for this. Set one of the water samples aside. This will serve as a reference.
4. For saltwater: Add 10 drops of test reagent A to the test cuvette, close the stopper and shake the sample.
   For freshwater: Add 12 drops of test reagent A to the test cuvette, close the stopper and shake the sample.
5. Add 4 drops of Reagent B to the sample, close the cuvette and shake.
6. Let the sample rest for 2 minutes. Then open the sample and place it in the comparator along with the reference cuvette (with the water sample). Place the comparator on the colour chart. The reference cuvette must be on the coloured field and the test cuvette on the white field.
7. Compare the opposite fields by looking into the open cuvettes from above. Move the comparator on the colour chart until the colours match.
8. Now read the phosphate value. If the colours do not match exactly, use an intermediate value.
9. When you have finished measuring the phosphate level in the aquarium, rinse the glass cuvettes and syringe thoroughly with tap water.

Included:

• 1 x 18ml Reagent A
• 1 x 8ml Reagent B
• 2 x glass cuvettes 10 ml
• 1 x dosing syringe 5 ml
• 1 x colour chart
• 1 c comparator
• 1 x instruction manual

Our expert Oliver Knott recommends:

Regularly checking the water parameters of your aquarium is extremely important!