Carbon testing

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There certainly are places where one can get total organic carbon tests, and one could track the effects of, say, a new skimmer or GAC over time.

But if one gets a number of, say, 2 mg organic carbon per liter, what would a user do with that?

 

[Subsea]

There certainly are places where one can get total organic carbon tests, and one could track the effects of, say, a new skimmer or GAC over time.

But if one gets a number of, say, 2 mg organic carbon per liter, what would a user do with that?

Sophisticated test need to break apart the total carbon into groups. I don’t know the cost yet. It’s very similar to using a PAR meter for a total number or using an oscilloscope to break apart the different spectrum.

My first job after Marine Engineering degree was to work with Dow Chemical research scientist in the field to pioneer using a coordinated phosphate scale to protect heat exchanger surfaces and to discontinue using chromate for corrosion & bacteria control. It was a blast.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sophisticated test need to break apart the total carbon into groups. I don’t know the cost yet. It’s very similar to using a PAR meter for a total number or using an oscilloscope to break apart the different spectrum.

My first job after Marine Engineering degree was to work with Dow Chemical research scientist in the field to pioneer using a coordinated phosphate scale to protect heat exchanger surfaces and to discontinue chromate corrosion & bacteria control. It was a blast.

POC vs DOC is easy by TOC of filtered vs unfiltered.

Individual organic chemicals (or by class somehow) is very hard and expensive per molecule tested. I know one company is considering this for a few molecules, but its a considerable endeavor.

 

[Subsea]

POC vs DOC is easy by TOC of filtered vs unfiltered.

Individual organic chemicals (or by class somehow) is very hard and expensive per molecule tested. I know one company is considering this for a few molecules, but its a considerable endeavor.

Because I have focused on biodiversity by using diver collected live rock, I expect POC to be high in my systems with few fish and dosing with ammonia & organic kelp concentrate. Last week, LFS tested zero on both inorganic phosphate and inorganic nitrate.

PS: I know that I am running high nutrients by what I see in the system. I just can’t measure them individually.