Testing Organic vs inorganic elements

[islander84]

Do hanna checkers test a total combined of organic and inorganic elements? Is there even a way to test them separately? PO4 and NO3 specifically....

 

[sixty_reefer]

If I understood the question properly, You may want to reed on N-Doc from Triton

 

[islander84]

Do you have a link?

 

[GlassMunky]

Do you have a link?

N-DOC

The most experienced in solution based water chemistry in the industry. Continuing to revolutionise reef keeping worldwide since 2008.

www.triton-lab.de

 

[islander84]

Not exactly what I was asking but that helps. My question was more geared towards, is there a difference in testing organic vs inorganic. Some people claim corals consume/uptake organic elements but not dissolved inorganic? So what exactly are the hanna checkers testing in the water?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, the only way with a kit to detect organophosphate is to use a long tedious process that digests the organics to inorganic phosphate, then detects it . Hach has a kit for that.

There is no kit for organic nitrogen.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Not exactly what I was asking but that helps. My question was more geared towards, is there a difference in testing organic vs inorganic. Some people claim corals consume/uptake organic elements but not dissolved inorganic? So what exactly are the hanna checkers testing in the water?

Folks claiming that are wrong. Corals can most definitely take up ammonia, nitrate, and inorganic phosphate, as well as some, but most definitely not all organics.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is the step by step description of the Hach total phosphate kit, PO-24:

https://www.hach.com/asset-get.download-en.jsa?id=7639982670

 

[islander84]

Folks claiming that are wrong. Corals can most definitely take up ammonia, nitrate, and inorganic phosphate, as well as some, but most definitely not all organics.

Is Nitrate from dosing KNO3 the same as the Nitrates from Ammonia conversion via a large dead shrimp?

 

[Dan_P]

Is Nitrate from dosing KNO3 the same as the Nitrates from Ammonia conversion via a large dead shrimp?

The nitrate is the same but the effect on the aquarium is different. Adding nitrate just boosts nitrate to the exact level you want immediately. Rotting shrimp is generates a complex mess in the aquarium over time, part of which is ammonia that is oxidized by bacteria to nitrite and nitrate. The level of nitrate achieved is generally not predictable.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is Nitrate from dosing KNO3 the same as the Nitrates from Ammonia conversion via a large dead shrimp?

exactly the same chemical. Dan notes other differences. Also, some organisms take up ammonia itself before it becomes nitrate from foids or shrimp.