ICP testing... why aren't you doing it!?

[Jesse Sunday]

If you're like me, you thought it was super complicated and expensive... well, it's neither!

~$45 and it should be completed in a few days.

No excuses! Buy a kit and start monitoring your water! :)

 

[rtparty]

Why?

Because after doing well over 60 of them, they have serious flaws and reliability is suspect at best.

 

[Jesse Sunday]

Why?

Because after doing well over 60 of them, they have serious flaws and reliability is suspect at best.

You certainly sound like you've done your fair share! Since this is my first, I'm looking forward to at least having a baseline of my water vs what my Trident ACM/NP and Hanna testers tell me.

Have you tried Reef Labs or what was your lab of choice?

 

[purpfish]

I will always use oceamo

 

[areefer01]

I will always use oceamo

Probably one of the more expensive ones for sure. I understand some like the lower levels ICP-MS provide but most are also offering that type now which is nice. Fauna Marin one can find on sale for 16 or so USD.

Whatever one a hobbyist chooses if it is something you are going to be doing often or on a cycle use the same vendor. Easier to correlate results.

No excuses! Buy a kit and start monitoring your water! :)

It is a tool no doubt but not mandatory by any means.

 

[rtparty]

You certainly sound like you've done your fair share! Since this is my first, I'm looking forward to at least having a baseline of my water vs what my Trident ACM/NP and Hanna testers tell me.

Have you tried Reef Labs or what was your lab of choice?

All of my own were done by ATI. If I were to do another, I would only use Oceamo at this point. Cristoph is the only one showing their protocols and procedures.

I have been sent results from loads of them including people pulling multiple samples at the same time and sending them to the same vendor. Some results are close and others are horribly different.

 

[rishma]

All of my own were done by ATI. If I were to do another, I would only use Oceamo at this point. Cristoph is the only one showing their protocols and procedures.

I have been sent results from loads of them including people pulling multiple samples at the same time and sending them to the same vendor. Some results are close and others are horribly different.

I have an ATI kit not yet used. I’ll probably do it in June. After that I’ll do a periodic Oceamo. Agree they are definitely not mandatory, I kept many reefs before ICP was a hobby thing.

It is the only way I am really able to check on trace elements, which is why I do it I suppose.

 

[slingfox]

I have done a few ICPs. I would like to to more but the ICP tests are pretty pricey (particularly if shipping is not included in the price). Hobby is already expensive enough so not sure I can justify doing a monthly test when tank is just chugging along.

 

[rishma]

I have done a few ICPs. I would like to to more but the ICP tests are pretty pricey (particularly if shipping is not included in the price). Hobby is already expensive enough so not sure I can justify doing a monthly test when tank is just chugging along.

Yes, I definitely never saw a need to do it monthly, though I also accept a wide range of trace element levels. I seem to do it about every 6 months or so. I suppose if I had a problem needing correcting I’d do a few back-to-back to make sure I was sustainably maintained the target levels.

 

[Miami Reef]

All of my own were done by ATI. If I were to do another, I would only use Oceamo at this point. Cristoph is the only one showing their protocols and procedures.

I have been sent results from loads of them including people pulling multiple samples at the same time and sending them to the same vendor. Some results are close and others are horribly different.

I'll note that the largest magnesium errors came from the now defunct ICP analysis. My recommendation for ICP is to use oceamo for magnesium for a variety of reasons, some of which Christoph addresses here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/c...of-icp-ms-seawater-measurements.997436/page-3
The higher the concentration, the more signal you are having, the smaller also the error. Typical error for macroelements is this in the 2-3% range, if performed well. For us this is still too much - this is why we are measuring Na, K, Mg and Ca in addition with cation chromatography since several months, which is even more robust and brings error down to the 1% range. We are also having a control sample (SST, system suitability test) we are measuring there in every sequence.

Oceamo is much different than the other ICP companies.

 

[Idech]

I am doing some right now, with Fauna Marin.

 

[Jesse Sunday]

Alright, I recieved my @ReefLabs results back! (below)

And, I also ordered another ReefLabs kit along with an @ATI North America (ATI Lab) kit to do a side by side...

Overall ReefLabs expeiece was super easy and quick.

Thanks to all for their feedback!

 

[CHSUB]

I’ve done 2 FM and found results interesting, especially nutrient levels that your test does not provide. Made an increase on trace elements additions too…

I like the science but not sure how much it will impact my aquarium?

 

[Dan_P]

If you're like me, you thought it was super complicated and expensive... well, it's neither!

~$45 and it should be completed in a few days.

No excuses! Buy a kit and start monitoring your water! :)

You seem to be having so much fun, I am not going to respond with my usual ICP Grinch reply. Enjoy…though buying two or three books on coral husbandry would be money better spent.

 

[Jesse Sunday]

You seem to be having so much fun, I am not going to respond with my usual ICP Grinch reply. Enjoy…though buying two or three books on coral husbandry would be money better spent.

By all means, please share! I was simply saying that in my reefing experience (as brief as it's been) that I always thought ICP was something super hard to do and very expensive.

And, I love learning, so please Grinch-away so I can learn the other side of ICP! :)

 

[areefer01]

By all means, please share! I was simply saying that in my reefing experience (as brief as it's been) that I always thought ICP was something super hard to do and very expensive.

And, I love learning, so please Grinch-away so I can learn the other side of ICP! :)

Ignoring the fun, easy, and data point of view, the one area keyed on I am guessing is comparative analysis between ICP vendors. Besides being exhausting it has already been done a couple of times now and the data is out there. Probably one of the earlier ones being 2014 if I remember correct and again more recently in 2024.

I don't want to speak for them but if truth be told cross checking who is mother (accurate) is a waste of both time and money. Whoever you end up using stick with it so you can correlate your data over time.

Edit: Is there a general consensus of ones typically recommended? Yes. One to rule them all? No.

 

[Jesse Sunday]

I don't want to speak for them but if truth be told cross checking who is mother (accurate) is a waste of both time and money. Whoever you end up using stick with it so you can correlate your data over time.

Edit: Is there a general consensus of ones typically recommended? Yes. One to rule them all? No.

That's my plan... I'm going to stick with the one that I feel has the best qualities for me. (likely going to be Reef Labs, since they're only a few miles from my house)

Then, watch my water as I test every few months.

At this point, it seems like I might need to look at supplementing some macro and trace elements. :)