Two ICP and Home Tests

[Ken S]

If anyone cares....

I just tested my water with every single kit I have (no expired reagents!) with the plan to take samples to send to API ICP and Reef Moonshiners ICP-MS.
Below are the home test kits results. I followed ALL manufacturer directions.... TO.... A.... T.
I also took some probe readings at the same time and included those. The water samples are taken, packaged, and will be taken to the PO as soon as I'm done with this post.

Salinity 1.026 (Hydros probe and optical refractometer)
PH 8.27 (Hydros probe) 8.3 (Salifert)
KH 10.2 (Hanna) 11.5 (Salifert)
Ammonia 0 API
Nitrite <.10 Salifert
Nitrate 13.9 (Hanna) 10 (Salifert)
Phosphate .17 (Hanna) <.03 (Salifert)
Calcium 385 (Salifert) 481 (Hanna)
Magnesium 1170 (Salifert) 1430 (Hanna)
Salifert Iodide .01 - Iodate .01 - Iodine <.03
Silicate .10 (Hanna) 0 (Salifert - dumb test, I've never seen this test show anything but a colorless result)
Dissolved Oxygen 8 (Salifert)

Off to the post office. I will post results of the ICP tests once available.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Phosphate .17 (Hanna) <.03 (Salifert)
Calcium 385 (Salifert) 481 (Hanna)
Magnesium 1170 (Salifert) 1430 (Hanna)

That, in a nutshell, shows the huge problems reefers face testing water, and why I do not recommend testing magnesium at all. I also have not ever measured calcium on my tank, and do not intend to based on my way of adding alkalinity (AFR). If one maintains alk (easily tested at home) and uses AFR or kalk only, then calcium will follow along just fine.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/

 

[Ken S]

Randy, Agree. I am using your (and Miami Reefs) Balling method with the MG Hexahydrate (I think that's how it's spelled ) in with the TM Part C. Im also adding the trace's to the CA & ALK.

According to some of the tests, my ALK & Phos are high, but I wanted to ICP check it as my tank has never looked better! I am getting great growth, my SPS has colored up like I've never seen before & the PE is nothing like I've seen before either. Five LPS torches are doing great (a 6th one however is not, it's never liked my tank since day 1), the flesh bands are growing way down the stalks & are very fleshy & new heads popping out all over. Zoas multiplying like crazy. Ritteri Nem, star of the show, is getting absolutely YUGE! Im not doing anything until I get these results & I still may not do anything different after

 

[Ken S]

Exactly 12 hrs later.... all Hanna

KH 10.1
Nitrate 16.5
Phos .13

 

[Ken S]

Haven't received results from either yet.

ATI says they have not received the sample yet. Oceamo just says it's been submitted. Both arrived at their US destinations July 7. Hopefully soon.

Probably not the smartest thing sending these in the week of the 4th holiday. They were both dropped off at USPS at 11am July 1.

 

[Ken S]

Not sure how much I trust any of this either

I just checked salinity, it's reading 1.026.

We'll see what Oceamo-Ms has to say.

 

[rtparty]

How do you calibrate your refractometer?

Quite a few of the home tests line up with the ATI results.

However, when doing my ultimate salt test I often found salinity from ATI to be incorrect

 

[Ken S]

I just took salinity readings. The Tropic Marin glass hydrometer in a graduated cylinder is calibrated using Randy's standard solution. The optical is calibrated with Brightwell 35ppt & Randy's solution. Both showing 1.026. Even my little Hanna pen is showing 1.026 at 77.2 degrees.

Everything is showing 1.026, except this ICP.

 

[Ken S]

Here is the Oceamo ICP.

Both show low salinity & high Alk. Alk has always run on the high side. I'm dosing BRS 2 part with Miami Reef's DIY Balling C + Mg. I'm dosing 150ml of each per day with 200ml Trace A & K. Should I back down my dosing to get the Alk down? My Hanna checker has never shown over 10.5. PH is steady 8 2-8.3 according to Hydros & Pinpoint probes.

In spite of these ICP results, the tank has never looked better. It's been up & running about 15 months now. Everything is showing good color & growing, especially the torches. They are adding heads like mad & flesh bands are thick & meaty & growing way down the stalks. The few SPS I have are growing very well & have the best color I've ever seen in any SPS that I've ever kept. The Mag Nem basks under the midday lights & gets absolutely huge. The water is crystal clear all the time. I run 1 cup of carbon in a reactor every 4 weeks for about a week. I have an Ozone generator, but it's not online yet, waiting on a part from Octo. The fish are all healthy & fat.

I do AWC with dosing pumps & change 4g per day over 2 weeks, then I refill the reservoir, add salt the next day, mix & aerate 24 hrs, calibrate the pumps & start it over again the next day. Through trial & error (not math ) I have found that keeping the AWC water at 1.024 offsets the rise in salinity from the Balling C, but maybe I need to work on that I am switching over to Hydros AWC system in the near future. It works off of water levels in the sump instead of relying on dosing pumps to remove/replenish the exact same amounts of water. Seems like a better system.

Any critique or advice is appreciated R2R! Im not too proud to admit that I am wrong, or doing something wrong. I'm relearning every single day after being out for 15 years!

 

[Ken S]

How do you calibrate your refractometer?

Quite a few of the home tests line up with the ATI results.

However, when doing my ultimate salt test I often found salinity from ATI to be incorrect

RT, care to elaborate on your ultimate salt test?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Not sure how much I trust any of this either

I just checked salinity, it's reading 1.026.

We'll see what Oceamo-Ms has to say.

As long as you understand that ICP does not measure Salinity or Alkalinity.

They use some other method (which many ICP vendors do not specify) which may well be a Hanna Checker :-)

 

[Ken S]

Not sure how much I trust any of this either

I just checked salinity, it's reading 1.026.

We'll see what Oceamo-Ms has to say.

As long as you understand that ICP does not measure Salinity or Alkalinity.

They use some other method (which many ICP vendors do not specify) which may well be a Hanna Checker :-)

Really??

 

[rtparty]

RT, care to elaborate on your ultimate salt test?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-ultimate-salt-test.949805/