Hagen PO4 test problems

[superstein61]

Anyone have problems with this test? I recall reading about it and remember someone (Len ?) saying to be sure the 3rd bottle of reagent is glass - which it is. However every test I take shows no change in color. I do not think the test kit is working.

I have even tried putting some tank water in the test tube along with several drops of fleet enema - and then testing. Still no change.

Any ideas? Any ways to make sure this is working. This is the first time I have used the Hagen kit (I usually prefer Seachems)

[Glenstorm]

I think that djlen was talking about the Nitrate test kit not the PO4 test.

He mentions it in this thread (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9147)scroll down to the 5th comment.

It seems that you have tested it yourself by dosing the test tube with the fleet. That tells me something is wrong. How old is the kit?

[djlen]

That was my error guys. The test kit that needs a glass bottle for the #3 re-agent is the Hagen's PO4 test.
If yours has the glass bottle for #3 I have no explanation for it not reading the phosphates unless, as Glenstorm says it's an old kit.
My nitrates test kit only uses 2 re-agents. Sorry for the confusion.
Len

[Skittyfish]

Try e-mailing Hagen. I did and they ended up sending me a new kit. They are very helpful.

My PO4 kit takes at least the 2 minutes to change color. And I have to be very sure that 3 drops actually come out of the bottle.
(and the third one should be glass.)

[superstein61]

Thanks - I just emailed Hagen - I will see what they say.

I don't know the age of the kit - I just bought it - it was delivered this past Monday. After ranting against BigAls, I decided to give them one more try - and yes, they blew it again. One of the bottles they sent me , while well wrapped in bubble wrap, had leaked. Amazing.

Anyway, if it turns out this test kit is old - well, just another black mark in their column.

After the leaking bottle, this time I am done with them forever. No more chances

[Skittyfish]

Funny, I got mine from BigAls too. I ordered a 4 liter bottle of trace and it had leaked about 1/4 of it out. I called and they are going to send me a small bottle to replace what was lost.

I had a lot of trouble with the first phosphate kit, one of the reagent's would not drip out, had something in it. They sent me one free. Then my pH didn't seem to measure right. It was always way different than what the LFS said and what an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test said. Ended up sending the whole master test kit back to them. Works fine now.

Maybe BigAls just got a bad set or something.

[superstein61]

Guess that is possible Skitty. Right now I will wait and see what Hagen says

On the leaking bottle - yea, mine was a big bottle as well - a 2L bottle of Excel. The smaller bottles of Seachem Potassium and Seachem Iron - they taped up the caps real good, had them in sealed bags and bubble wrap. But the big bottle, they didn't tape the lid nor have it in a bag - just bubble wrap. I can't figure that one out