“Best” ICP test?

[TX_REEF]

Can some of the veterans please opine on best brand of ICP test for reliability? I have been unable to diagnose myself why my corals and BTA are not thriving, so would like to order a chemistry test.

Thanks!!!

 

[anthonymckay]

As far as I know the OES-MS test is supposed to be the most accurate currently. It's the only one that can detect many trace elements at levels that are undetectable by other ICP tests.

 

[Dan_P]

Can some of the veterans please opine on best brand of ICP test for reliability? I have been unable to diagnose myself why my corals and BTA are not thriving, so would like to order a chemistry test.

Thanks!!!

The hobby ICP test industry are not using validated methods, which means they cannot tell you how accurate and precise their results are. That being said, the ICP test result is not a list of random numbers either. Element concentrations above 1 ppm are likely to be measured well. Element concentrations below 1 ppm, the one we call trace elements, are not going to measured as accurately. ICP-MS is more sensitive than ICP-OES, but not necessarily more accurate. It will be more likely true that a very low concentration element is detected with ICP-MS than with ICP-OES. ICP Analysis.com seems to do less well than other vendors in measuring element concentrations.

ICP results seem to be useful for detecting the presence of toxic metals and as a litmus test for the presence of reauired elements. Aquarists also use the results to decide whether to dose trace elements.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’d recommend Oceamo as I have confidence they know what they are doing. A quality measurement requires both a quality instrument and a suitable protocol.

 

[KStatefan]

As far as I know Chris from Oceamo is the only company that has come here and answered questions about the process. That is one of the reasons i went with them. I also like the very simple pdf results you get and the visualize over time you can look at.

 

[Colemansreef]

I’d recommend Oceamo as I have confidence they know what they are doing. A quality measurement requires both a quality instrument and a suitable protocol.

Currently my tank is struggling everything was good for a while I was having algae issues and my zoas didn’t look as good some days but after struggling to get my nutrients down I finally got phosphates to stay below .06 settling around .04 and nitrates around 5 first my zoas all started closing and melting away although a couple of my colony are doing well still just no longer growing. Then all my hammers started having the tissue band dissolve then bailing out my torches are all still fine and some of my zoas and shrooms are fine but lots of my zoas shrooms have bleached and died a couple of my acros are turning super dark and one died but all of my hammers are bailing out/ dissolving away. I think it might be nutrients too low but I brought them back up to phosphates .15 and nitrates 20 but only difference I’ve seen is some zoas ar opening up better now but my hammers are continuing to die. I am going to get an ice test because I don’t want to keep losing coral do you think I need the more accurate ms one in this situation or just the oes since I’m looking for major issues. Also if it was low nutrients that caused this would my hammers continue to die after bringing them back up maybe they were too far gone or something. I feel like one or two of my torches are starting to show signs of deteriorating flesh bands but nothing like my hammers. Hammers started dying weeks ago phosphate has been back up for over a week.