low alk with new tester

[saltyfins]

I agree, but for a new reefer, a good ball park reading is very useful that is somewhat correct, with experience you can go with an incorrect reading and adjust but at the start its not that helpful to just say it's all about stability, especially what the tests the OP is using will give very acceptable results.

Far easier in many cases to tell the person how to carry out the test correctly than to say just to go for a consistent reading.

well. to be fair, I am not new. been with this for 15 yrs, but just finally figuring it all out, and trying to grow with it. would love to have a tank, like so many on here, and have been adding frags slowly. they're growing now ;Jawdrop and apparently using up the goods!! lol

 

[nereefpat]

sorry. that was funny.... but I understand. so that's an element you would ignore? are there any others?

I would ignore the alk portion of an ICP test. Others? I'm not sure. It kind of depends on what you are trying to accomplish by utilizing ICP testing. If you are trying to do no/minimal water changes, and you are trying to determine if any specific elements are being used up or building up, then ICP would be good for that. Using ICP to determine which brand of Alk test kit to trust, that is a bad idea.

 

[saltyfins]

I would ignore the alk portion of an ICP test. Others? I'm not sure. It kind of depends on what you are trying to accomplish by utilizing ICP testing. If you are trying to do no/minimal water changes, and you are trying to determine if any specific elements are being used up or building up, then ICP would be good for that. Using ICP to determine which brand of Alk test kit to trust, that is a bad idea.

oh I'm not trying to do a no water change. I actually enjoy that part of it... I just am confused as to what I need to do, and the best way of doing it. Like, that's why I am trying to buy Hanna checkers...easier to read. Now I am thinking I messed up on that too.

 

[saltyfins]

This is my tank. sorry about the reflections etc... now I see those arent the best shots. sorry about that

 

[anthonygf]

Yes.



ICP takes your water sample and decomposes it into individual elements, and then detects how much of each element is present. For example, your carbonate is broken down into carbon and oxygen. ICP can't tell molecules apart.

ICP doesn't (can't) measure alkalinity. To use a bad analogy, it's like trying to weigh yourself with a stopwatch. It's not the right instrument.

Maybe they use a different instrument to check alk. I will inquire about that.

 

[anthonygf]

Maybe they use a different instrument to check alk. I will inquire about that.

OK! Just got of the phone with ATI ICP testing and they say they use the same method we use only a more lab grade than hobby grade, titration not ICP. So you can be sure the ATI test results for dKH are good results.

 

[anthonygf]

I would ignore the alk portion of an ICP test. Others? I'm not sure. It kind of depends on what you are trying to accomplish by utilizing ICP testing. If you are trying to do no/minimal water changes, and you are trying to determine if any specific elements are being used up or building up, then ICP would be good for that. Using ICP to determine which brand of Alk test kit to trust, that is a bad idea.

OK! Just got of the phone with ATI ICP testing and they say they use the same method we use only a more lab grade than hobby grade, titration not ICP. So you can be sure the ATI test results for dKH are good results.

 

[anthonygf]

wow thats crazy! not sure, I really thought Hanna would be best for me, as the colors are hard to see, and the titration is hard for me to get my head around. the last thing I want to do, is screw something up, and crash my system.

The ICP testers say that the Hanna checkers are not as accurate as the titration method. The only Hanna I will use now are phosphate & phosphorous testers.

 

[Reef.]

well. to be fair, I am not new. been with this for 15 yrs, but just finally figuring it all out, and trying to grow with it. would love to have a tank, like so many on here, and have been adding frags slowly. they're growing now ;Jawdrop and apparently using up the goods!! lol

to be fair I didn't say you were new, I was making the point that someone that doesn't know about these things, such as a new reefer or someone with 15 years experience in the hobby that is 'just figuring it out' (not sure what the practical difference is between those two) a somewhat accurate reading would be useful....sorry I thought that was a point I already clearly made to be fair.

 

[anthonygf]

I would ignore the alk portion of an ICP test. Others? I'm not sure. It kind of depends on what you are trying to accomplish by utilizing ICP testing. If you are trying to do no/minimal water changes, and you are trying to determine if any specific elements are being used up or building up, then ICP would be good for that. Using ICP to determine which brand of Alk test kit to trust, that is a bad idea.

I don't think that is a bad idea. If that were the case then you should not trust ICP testing! Yes my alk, cal and others has been building up over time but my tester has not detected the change. So when I get a conflicting reading like this I would assume the test kit that reads the same as ICP should be better than the other misleading one. Correct? I like Hanna but when I get 8.2 with it and ICP tests 9.3 and I use Salifert and get 9.3 I am going to change and use Salifert.