Which brand ICP test

[Scrubber_steve]

The various brands give different results, apparently.

Are the discrepancies across the board, or just with particular parameter(s)?

Red Sea
API
Triton

any other brands, & which one's the best?

cheers

[bertoni]

The issues with trace elements are going to be an issue across the board. I don't know of much data on the relative accuracy of the different services, but Triton got reasonable reviews in one test vs a more expensive testing service.

[Scrubber_steve]

The issues with trace elements are going to be an issue across the board. I don't know of much data on the relative accuracy of the different services, but Triton got reasonable reviews in one test vs a more expensive testing service.

Ok, thanks.

[bertoni]

You're welcome.

[coralcruze2020]

FWIW... O have used tritons and Coralvue and they borh tested very close...

[Scrubber_steve]

FWIW... O have used tritons and Coralvue and they borh tested very close...

Thanks for the feedback.

Can I ask how each compared in regards to po4, & how they varied from your po4 test kit values?

[coralcruze2020]

Thanks for the feedback.

Can I ask how each compared in regards to po4, & how they varied from your po4 test kit values?

Po4 can not be tested by ICP... thats one I wish was tested not sure why?

[Scrubber_steve]

TRITON give values for po4 ( I'm not sure about the others)

[Scrubber_steve]

This thread shows ATI ICP results & they also give a value for phosphate.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2704061

This other forum thread - SAMPLE STORAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON PHOSPHATE MEASUREMENT​
In a discussion on R2R BigJohnny posed a question about why his Hanna ULR Phosphorous test results were significantly lower (2-3 times) than his ICP test results…. Here is a link to the discussion

[Big E]

I got results back yesterday from ATI

They had a zero reading for P04.

I tested twice before I sent the sample out and got .01 and .006 with Hannah 736

Due to such low Hannah results recently I was curious, so I sent out a sample.

I don't know what type of device each service is using for P04 tests. It's my understanding this isn't an ICP measurement we get.

[Scrubber_steve]

I don't know what type of device each service is using for P04 tests. It's my understanding this isn't an ICP measurement we get.

You'd expect their measurement would be of a high quality laboratory technique. Having said that, a value of zero would question that assumption, but having said that, po4 levels drop significantly in only a few days while in sample vial.

[Big E]

In retropect with my sample so low with a Hannah it's likely that it would be below the LOD of any quality lab device.

Is that thread on this lowering of P04 during transit on RC or the other forum? I remember reading some of it.

To me the easiest way to possibly clarify this may be just put some water in one of their tubes and test with a Hannah a week later or other specified times to try to get some data to confirm this theory.
------------------------------------------------

In reference to your original question-----

I agree with bitoni on the trace element results.........they are unreliable for status quo and only useful if you have a lethal level that may be killing corals.

[Scrubber_steve]

The other forum, search threads by Rick Mathew - SAMPLE STORAGE AND ITS IMPACT ON PHOSPHATE MEASUREMENT​

[Big E]

Ok, thanks

[five.five-six]

I use ATI, I like the RO-DI test and they get a lot of elements in the main test. I just wish someone did one that didn’t take 3 weeks.

[saf1]

If you scour the web there are a couple articles that discuss the various ICP testing companies. I'm biased and use ATI. I've read some good things about Triton but never used them. The key to ATI's speed is to get it in before they do their weekly shipments from the US to Germany. They do two a week I believe. My last one I must have snuck it in just in time because my results came back within a week.

I do anywhere from 2 to 3 ICP tests a year and use the results more or less as a third party source to compare to my results. I run a trident. So the way I do this is to pull the ICP water samples just before the noon tests of the trident. So about 11:55 I fill the test tubes, then grab a cup of water, and last tube I fill with RO water and note the date, time.

While the Trident is running its tests I'll run a manual test of ALK and Phosphate using my Hanna checkers. Note those results to Apex. Now I have manual tests, Trident tests, and test tubes filled and sent to ATI all within 20 minutes of one another. Once results come back I can do a quick check and compare. So far everything is pretty much spot on.

And ATI does test phosphate. I don't know how they calculate it but you can probably check their site for details. Example:

Value Calculated Difference. Difference
Nitrate 0.01 mg/l 2.00 mg/l -1.99 mg/l
Phosphorus 27.00 µg/l 14.70 µg/l +12.30 µg/l
Phosphate 0.08 mg/l 0.04 mg/l +0.04 mg/l

Edit: Format messed up - sorry. You can see the values for Nitrate, Phosphate, calculated difference / reference, then result differences.

[bertoni]

I suspect that they assume that all the phosphorus is in the form of phosphate. That corresponds to the numbers in your results. I have no idea how accurate that would be in reality. Also, they would measure all phosphate, including that inside bacteria, not just mineralized phosphate in the water column.

[saf1]

I suspect that they assume that all the phosphorus is in the form of phosphate. That corresponds to the numbers in your results. I have no idea how accurate that would be in reality. Also, they would measure all phosphate, including that inside bacteria, not just mineralized phosphate in the water column.

I'll ask them. They reply pretty quick and I'm sure I'll get an answer next week. They are located in Germany as you probably already know. I went back through a few other results I have all all have phosphate numbers. Also somehow they calculate Carbonate hardness with my last results coming in at 8.12 °dKH.

[bertoni]

I'd guess they actual run an alkalinity test for that. I can't think of a reasonable way to get alkalinity from ICP data.