Best test for high phosphates?

[Swampwoman]

Hi there. I'm not necessarily drinking the "phosphate kool aid" but I do want to track my numbers since I'm adding a lot of jack's magic pink stuff for iron weekly and I am curious to see if at super high levels my staining is exacerbated or not, etc. Used my husband's aquarium kit and through triple dilution the sample was still a deepest of purples at the equivalent of 1500 ppm. Hubby claims I can't reliably test beyond that with his kit.

I'm not worried about algae as I'm using BBB fully, (yes, with bleach) etc. I suspect the pool guy, prior to his demise at start up, added pool magic and possibly phosfree -- this is our first year with this pool, which had been a foreclosure.

So, if someone wanted to monitor their HIGH phosphate levels, what kit would you recommend? I am a frequent reader and know that in the majority of cases, very high phosphate levels will not promote algae if proper chlorination is maintained (I am just sparing you from typing this to me ) and that right now there is a pool store selling frenzy associated with phosphate shenanigans. This fact has the by-product of causing me to distrust any related testing products that gasp, show omg your phosphates are higher than 100!

I want a way to test in the 5,000 -10,000 range with reasonable convenience. Any suggestions?

As usual, thanks in advance for existing and all that!

 

[chem geek]

The Taylor K-1106 only tests to 1000 ppb, but I don't see why you couldn't use 10:1 water dilution to use your husband's test kit or the Taylor one. Just make sure to dilute with water free in phosphates. Some municipal water districts add phosphates to the water for corrosion control.

 

[JasonLion]

There is nothing that is really great in that range. The standard Lamotte phosphate test strips are alright with dilution, but lack in precision (which dilution makes worse). You can use the Lamotte phosphate high range strips, but they have an even more dramatic lack precision. Lamotte also has a $100 drop based kit for measuring high range phosphate levels for process control applications, which I have never tried.

 

[Swampwoman]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I didn't quite buy that he *couldn't* dilute it further either but he was not happy to be doing it, I suspect. (I was breaking the "You do the pool, I do the aquarium" separation of church and state rule

Perhaps I will get the straight of it if I ask him to order me the $100 pro kit Or I will try it myself to see if I can find something accurate enough to dilute to such a small ratio. Eg. Maybe a medicine mml dropper? Perhaps I could use distilled water. We tested our source water first last time but I'm not sure how consistent well water is...