:-( My LFS tested my water and it contradicts the tests I did on my oen

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’ve tested my water several times at home and the results were good. Went to my LFS today and they let me know I need to wait a few more weeks and get my water tested again. I’ve now lost complete trust in the tests you buy from the store. In one of my threads from last week I posted my results with photos and if I would have followed the results from that test, I would have placed fish in my tank. I’m fine with being patient and waiting for the right time to introduce fish to the tank, but I’m not fine having paid $35 for the tests I did several times last week that apparently gave false results. Ugh! Sorry guys, I had to rant somewhere. Lol! The photo attached is my LFS results from today. I’ll be back in a few weeks to get my tested again.


Last Week Test Results

039DD4BC-9970-40EB-B8C1-A5A27094A4E5.jpeg
 

LRT

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
10,196
Reaction score
42,133
Location
mesa arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I regularly have my results verified when I test. Same place. Use red sea and salifert kits. She does good job and typically matches my kits as well as Hanna checker for alk.
That being said I did bring in water once and her results where all over the board. I went home grabbed another sample and brought back and test results where good. Not sure what happened maybe something was in water Sample cup idk.
Have them re test and verify own results if too many discrepancies
 

OREGONIC

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Messages
785
Reaction score
1,053
Location
PDX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Have you tried testing the same parameter multiple times back to back yourself to see if you are getting consistent results? You should be able to replicate consistent results. There is a bit of a learning curve to testing and takes a little practice to be able to produce repeatable results. Also if you test with one brand test kit then test with another brand you may get slightly different results. That being said you are looking for trends not exact numbers in my opinion. For example I use a hannah for alk, if it is off 1dkh from another test kit I could care less because I am measuring the trend in my tank not the exact number. I have tried many test kits from different manufacturers and now know which ones I prefer for each parameter. Also looking at your other thread your tank is really new, parameters are going to kind of jump around as things settle and cycle. This is a good time to practice testing but don’t expect things to be consistent day to day till cycle is completed and things settle down for a few weeks.
 

Dbichler

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 14, 2019
Messages
2,274
Reaction score
3,433
Location
Menomonee Falls
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Those are some crazy numbers 1.023 with that high of alk mag low with high calcium and no you couldn’t have 1.6 ammonia with 0 nitrites but have nitrates.
What salt brand are you using?
You paid a lfs to test or is 35$ all you spent on your test kits?
 

dvgyfresh

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2020
Messages
4,132
Reaction score
9,829
Location
SoCal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Mfw you realize the LFS was using the same test kits or worse , the strip color strip you put in water for 5 seconds. Ive had water tested at petco once due to curiosity and they used the color strip smh
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I regularly have my results verified when I test. Same place. Use red sea and salifert kits. She does good job and typically matches my kits as well as Hanna checker for alk.
That being said I did bring in water once and her results where all over the board. I went home grabbed another sample and brought back and test results where good. Not sure what happened maybe something was in water Sample cup idk.
Have them re test and verify own results if too many discrepancies
Sigh....guess I could take another sample. I’m going to do 10-25% water changes weekly and go back in 2-3 weeks. The LFS is a good hump from my house and I’m not typically on that side of town. Next time I can take 2 samples. I’m so bummed but I understand that patience is a part of the saltwater aquarium game.
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would be concerned with those results. Not sure you can have that much ammonia and some nitrate with zero nitrite
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Not sure if I have another choice but to believe their test. The LFS closer to my house does the basic api test, which is the test I did at home that gave different results. I drive a great deal further to get a more detailed result. I may buy my own tester if the cost isn’t too ridiculous.
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Have you tried testing the same parameter multiple times back to back yourself to see if you are getting consistent results? You should be able to replicate consistent results. There is a bit of a learning curve to testing and takes a little practice to be able to produce repeatable results. Also if you test with one brand test kit then test with another brand you may get slightly different results. That being said you are looking for trends not exact numbers in my opinion. For example I use a hannah for alk, if it is off 1dkh from another test kit I could care less because I am measuring the trend in my tank not the exact number. I have tried many test kits from different manufacturers and now know which ones I prefer for each parameter. Also looking at your other thread your tank is really new, parameters are going to kind of jump around as things settle and cycle. This is a good time to practice testing but don’t expect things to be consistent day to day till cycle is completed and things settle down for a few weeks.
All good info. Basically, I need to learn to be patient. Lol!
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Those are some crazy numbers 1.023 with that high of alk mag low with high calcium and no you couldn’t have 1.6 ammonia with 0 nitrites but have nitrates.
What salt brand are you using?
You paid a lfs to test or is 35$ all you spent on your test kits?
Salt Brand: Imagitarium Pacific Ocean Water

I paid $5 for the test and $35 for my own home tests. $35 into the trash. I tested several times last week and personally, since I don’t get exact numbers...it’s really more like a ballpark result in my opinion. My results were the same each time. Exactly what you see in the link from the original post.
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just looked at your other posts and you have a living hermit crab. That proves the lfs is wrong. No way you would have a hermit survive that much ammonia for that long.
But aren’t invertebrates much more tolerant of abnormal water conditions?

3 hermit crabs and an emerald crab to be exact.
 

Dbichler

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 14, 2019
Messages
2,274
Reaction score
3,433
Location
Menomonee Falls
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Honestly I don’t think you wasted 35$ I think you wasted 5$ at the lfs. Yes you will want to get better test kits for nitrate mag cal and alk but honestly after cycle no need for ammonia or nitrite. API is just known for .25 when actually 0. Theirs at 1.6 had to be an error unless you dosed ammonia or had something big die in the tank.
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Honestly I don’t think you wasted 35$ I think you wasted 5$ at the lfs. Yes you will want to get better test kits for nitrate mag cal and alk but honestly after cycle no need for ammonia or nitrite. API is just known for .25 when actually 0. Theirs at 1.6 had to be an error unless you dosed ammonia or had something big die in the tank.
Nothing abnormal has happened in the tank. I have been dropping a pinch of food, twice a day for the crabs. I was told today to reduce that to once every other day. Perhaps that was the problem?

The sucky thing for me is, I have no idea what a good test or a bad test is. Online, most of them have good ratings.
 

ZoWhat

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
9,897
Reaction score
17,530
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't know how anyone can comment on anything on this post beeeeeecause....

...the OP is not revealing key-facts as to the Mfgr'ed brand of his tests, how old the tests are, how they were stored.

Same goes fir the LFS testing. Description of "some digital thingy" needs to be clarified

Past that I truly believe the true test results are somewhere btwn his readings and LFSs
.
 
OP
OP
mistergray

mistergray

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
721
Reaction score
375
Location
NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't know how anyone can comment on anything on this post beeeeeecause....

...the OP is not revealing key-facts as to the Mfgr'ed brand of his tests, how old the tests are, how they were stored.

Same goes fir the LFS testing. Description of "some digital thingy" needs to be clarified

Past that I truly believe the true test results are somewhere btwn his readings and LFSs
.
I ran the tests the day I bought them from the store. Screenshots in URL I attached to the top of this thread gives the test results and photos of the tests I used.
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.8%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 33 16.8%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 35 17.9%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 96 49.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
Back
Top