How many of you are LAB TESTING your water parameters?

[alexandre4100]

I do 4 times per year. For me it is VERY important.

It is basically to show me what I'm not looking at. I do test every other week Ca, Mg, KH, Phosphate, Nitrate... But the rest?

The last test showed me a big lack of iodine, then I started to dose exactly as instructed in ICP results and my corals became a lot more coloured. - I wasn't never going to test or dose iodine if I didn't got that results...

 

[David S]

If you dose individual trace elements (Reef Moonshiners) then occasionally testing with ICP is essential.
Triton and ATI give results that seem quite reasonable. They also get back to you, if you should have any questions.
Disadvantage is slower turnaround and a bit more expensive.
ICP-ANALYSIS.COM offers quicker results and when on sale - considerably cheaper, however, results are far less reliable and customer service is terrible.

 

[Tastee]

I haven’t used a lab test yet but do plan to do so every now and then in future. I have a 3 1/2 year old 65g tank and a 1 year old 130g tank based on AquaForest products with 24x7 dosing and run low water changes (15% every 6 weeks). I trust the AquaForest products and their Reef Salt is now ICP tested (each batch). I test for Alk, Ca, Mg, PO4, NO3 reasonably regularly and occasionally test for I2, K and Fe. As I am running low WCs however I do plan a lab test on the older tank soon and depending on the results will plan a schedule for both tanks. If everything is looking good it may be as infrequently as once every year or two.

 

[Lasse]

I run without any regular WC. Have done it for more than 3 years now without any WC. I would never dare to do this without using ICP tests on a regular schedule - around 3 - 4 times a year. I normally use Triton but I also use an Austrian firm (Oceamo) for parameters that's not basically are ICP tests (real analyse of ions like PO4, NO2 and NO3) Let us say that I spend around $ 200 a year for this but on the other hand a weekly WC of 10 % ( 31 L/week = 1612 L a year) cost the same. The salt I use cost around $95 for 660 L - it means that I would pay around $ 230 a year for the salt and still not know some parameters

I have notice that many will not use ICP when all looks good but for me - when all looks good - it is the most important analyses to do - because you get a base line for your aquarium and when it start to go downhill - you can compare your analyses with the old good days and maybe exclude some parameters because they was high/low even when it works well.

But the ICP analysis is only a tool - you can´t automatically trust them in absolute figures - you have to see trends over time and use your own head when you valuate your result.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Tamberav]

Nope. Never had a need to in a mixed reef.

I probably would if I stopped water changes.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

After having tank setup for over 4 years no water changes. I did Triton test. Everything was inline nothing to adjust so I never used it again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

After having tank setup for over 4 years no water changes. I did Triton test. Everything was inline nothing to adjust so I never used it again.

It is somewhat surprising that you could blindly nail every trace element. Most people cannot. My tank certainly did not, even with water changes.

Is getting every trace element exactly right needed? No. But some understanding of it can certainly be useful.

 

[Idoc]

Is it really worth the cost?? I mean, come on, it's going to change regularly if you perform water changes.

I can see if you can't figure out a problem and you come to the conclusion that it might be the water source... then maybe check.

But regularly? There are so many posts on people reporting their water parameter test results and going crazy because one unknown element from the periodic table is a bit out of whack! Yep, it's gotta be that one element why a specific coral isn't opening fully! Lol

Now if you want to have anxiety...Do one of those water tests that home depot has sales reps selling all the time! Then look at all those chemicals you personally are drinking that only a chemical engineer can pronounce! Now that water test should give you anxiety!!

 

[ReefPig]

After having tank setup for over 4 years no water changes. I did Triton test. Everything was inline nothing to adjust so I never used it again.

Explain what you mean by “everything“?
I would go as far to say that it’s impossible after four years for everything to be in check. Majors, sure, minors, possibly, trace, nope.

Vanadium? Zinc? Lithium? Boron? Bromine?

I do ICP’s at least once a month, and running Triton and supplementary dosing extra bits, but still I can be low of strontium and a bunch of others.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

Explain what you mean by “everything“?
I would go as far to say that it’s impossible after four years for everything to be in check. Majors, sure, minors, possibly, trace, nope.

Vanadium? Zinc? Lithium? Boron? Bromine?

I do ICP’s at least once a month, and running Triton and supplementary dosing extra bits, but still I can be low of strontium and a bunch of others.

Everything that triton test for was within their range. This was a 300 gallon system. I did have to make up two to three gallons a week to make up for what went into skimmer. I used a calcium reactor, tank was bare bottom, used regular instant ocean salt. Only thing I dosed regularly was red sea A and B. You can can call it impossible but it was their testing not mine.

 

[fade2black]

These tests are new since the last time I kept a reef tank, about 3-4 years ago. At least I don't recall seeing them being widely available like this. I guess I could see doing this once to get a baseline to compare my own testing kits, but not much use outside of that. I do regular water changes so that should in theory keep everything in line, correct?

 

[Lasse]

But regularly? There are so many posts on people reporting their water parameter test results and going crazy because one unknown element from the periodic table is a bit out of whack!

Regularly because it is not the absolute value that matters - is trends that matter.

I do regular water changes so that should in theory keep everything in line, correct?

Depends on how much your corals need - they can for sure deplete a tank of trace elements if they use more than you add in every WC. If WC not is enough for withholding the Ca, Mg and alkalinity levels - it is probably not effective in adding trace elements either

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Laith]

I do an ICP test every three months on both the tank water and my RO/DI topup water (ATI Marinelabs). I do water changes using a continuous AWC system.

I agree with Lasse, I'm looking for trends.

 

[mvbrandt]

Definitely. Thought my water was perfect. It was nearly perfect, save for dangerous Chromium levels, which led me to dig through the back of my sump, where I found a rusting stainless screw that had somehow gotten in there.

No harm done to the tank, thanks primarily to the ICP test.

 

[jsbzcmcdaniel]

I send a ICP test every month. I just started reef moonshine program so I am dialing in my dosage parameters. I used to do a 10% water change monthly but haven’t in three months.