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Re: High phosphates (Kati/Ani vs. RO)
>4 mg/l of PO4 is a staggering amount of PO4. Is this from a test kit, or
>from an analysis provided by your water utility?
The NO3 value was provided by the local treatment plant, but I measured
the
PO4 using Aquarium Pharmaceutical's PO4 kit. They did supply me with a
phosphourus level = .7 mg/l. (as phosphourus)
I have been using phosguard in my main plant tank which is helping
considerably but I don't want to rely on this for a long term solution.
> silica causes false positive
>readings in color tests for phosphate. I have a lot of silica in my tap
>water. Most of us have some - 10 to 20 mg/l is pretty normal.
I am aware of this, but I have no idea what the silicate levels are in
my tap water,
or how high they would have to be to cause a significant error in the
reading.
>So, maybe your PO4 isn't really that high?
Without using Phosguard in the filter, I get a long, dark colored,
phosphate - loving type of algae that grows from the filter output return
pipe. I get other types
of PO4 - loving algae as well, some growing on the plants and tank walls.
(BBA) The algae growth seems to confirm my high PO4 levels.
> KATI is rechargable with HCl, which is commonly
available. And there is no waste water.
>This sounds too good to be true. Is there a catch?
There does seem to be one catch:
>There have been reports in the German aquarium literature that water
>that stands in a column overnight leaches something deleterious from the
>column and has to be discarded. Its not so much the volume of water
>lost, as the bother.
I wonder what exactly is leaching into the water and is it deadly to
fish/plants?
The water can be flushed out, which is a bother, but IMO it's a bother that I
am required to use a system like this to begin with.
Thanks to all that responded,
Andrew