Are water testing companies legit? Which one?

[AydenLincoln]

I want to send my water out to get an ICP
-OES/ICP-MS test done. I know the instruments themselves are highly reputable and highly accurate. Are the companies that do them also certified and accurate? It is only good if they do what they claim and the instrument is maintained and done by lab techs who knows what they are doing. I am somewhat familiar with the instruments through my work. But the companies that do it…are they legit? Are these labs accredited? Which one do you recommend? Note…I only want to do this on Hewbie’s tank to see if there is more I can do for him and what his overall water quality is.

 

[Saltyreef]

Tropic marin, ATI

 

[AydenLincoln]

I guess I should say if these labs are not getting preventative maintenance/calibration services done on these at instruments from an outside company (engineer) at least once a year then the results may as well be trashed as it is incredibly important for the accuracy and care of these instruments. Which is why I have not done one of these tests…that and because I feel like this is something that could easily be faked. And yes I know accreditation/certification is more a government level requirement. But I do know it is still important on these instruments no matter what. @Randy Holmes-Farley Please chime in!

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes, ask Randy Holmes-Farley what he thinks. I believe the most well regarded here on R2R is the tests from Oceanmo. R2R Member @Christoph is the head of that lab, and is often helpful here on R2R, which I very much apprerciate. I would give them a try

How's Hewbie doing? Last I saw you added him back to the display tank?

 

[AydenLincoln]

Yes, ask Randy Holmes-Farley what he thinks. I believe the most well regarded here on R2R is the tests from Oceanmo. R2R Member @Christoph is the head of that lab, and is often helpful here on R2R, which I very much apprerciate. I would give them a try

How's Hewbie doing? Last I saw you added him back to the display tank?

Little guy (more like big guy but little guy to me) is doing so much better! He is not 100% yet. But way better. I am fairly confident that he will continue to make a full recovery. I do want professional water testing to be part of his continued recovery plan so I can continue to do as much as possible.

 

[Fish Fan]

Little guy (more like big guy but little guy to me) is doing so much better! He is not 100% yet. But way better. I am fairly confident that he will continue to make a full recovery. I do want part of the recovery that I can contribute to be a full water analysis test.

So glad to see him doing so well! Hewbie's a stud

You put A LOT of effort into his recovery, you should a very proud mom

 

[AydenLincoln]

So glad to see him doing so well! Hewbie's a stud

You put A LOT of effort into his recovery, you should a a very proud mom

I am 100%!!! I am incredibly happy with him/his progress and his vet team. The day this fish dies which won’t be today or hopefully anytime soon will be a day I grieve and the day he gets a burial. He will never get flushed also he is too big to be flushed lol. He helped fill the gap of losing my dog suddenly and traumatically a few years ago which is one the reasons I love him so much.

 

[EnterName]

There was a recent thread about accuracy/precision or uncertainty of the measurements: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/w...ranges-and-what-none-of-them-publish.1166330/

I trust Oceamo and Christoph very much as they have been very transparent about pretty much everything they have been asked here on R2R. I have also used ATI and their results matched quite well when I sent out a second test shortly after adjusting trace elements according to the first test. The only thing I don't like about ATI is that they don't use photometry for phosphate measurement which is still the most reliable way.

I don't have any experience with the residual labs as they either don't offer ICP-MS or I have just not tried them yet. I'm sure there are some inaccuracies, but it's still the closest you will come to the truth and I doubt you can mess something up believing the results of the well-established labs.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Now that people are up. Any other thoughts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Others may be fine, but I have confidence in Oceamo, as folks have noted.

Christoph is the principle behind it and is an expert analytical chemist. He will come on Reef2Reef to explain technical issues when its called for. They have also published various sorts of error measurements of their analyses, which is not done by most others (at least that I have seen).

They also measure organics (plasticizers, toxins, antibiotics, medications, etc.) with a different test, and are the only ones doing so for reefers.

 

[exnisstech]

I've only done two tests. Both included tests of RODI so I pulled two samples from the same container at the same time. When I got my results the RODI results were totally different from each other. I didn't bother asking the company why the samples were so different. I also didn't bother reviewing the test results of the tank samples. I figured if they can't get rodi sample right there was no way i was going to believe the tanks water tests. That was my first and only ICP. I used ATI