Hanna 93713 LR (low-range) Phosphate Photometer

This is a fantastic, accurate, very easy to use and reasonably priced handheld meter for Phosphate.

Without question, Phosphate is the most damaging "essential" compounds in a reef aquarium, especially as it takes as little as .03 mg per liter to start Cyanobacteria growth, nuisance algae and inhibit the skeletal growth of corals. Because such low levels can begin to cause trouble, accurate Phosphate testing is absolutely essential.

Testing for Phosphate can be frustrating because many of the forms Phosphate takes do not show up on tests accurately. One of the most common scenarios is that many aquarists assume that their Phosphate levels are low because the tests read zero or very low. What is extremely critical to understand is how little Phosphate it takes to cause a great deal of havoc in the reef aquarium. It is also important to understand that Phosphate is also essential for life. It is used by all DNA for reproduction.

Accurate Phosphate Testing is absolutely critical because Phosphate is almost literally everywhere. It is:

• In the food you feed your tank
• In the algae that grows in your tank
• In all the waste material generated by all the living creatures in your tank
• Is very common in tap water
• One cannnot truly have "zero" Phosphates, (nor is it healthy)