Testing for all metals and water issues at once...

[Sk8r]

Amazon's got a stuff ON4HOME water test strips, that test for a laundry list of issues that could be in your water. I've got issues. Months of being physically unable (home remodel and surgeries) to do more for my 102 gallon tank than top off and feed, and stuff is still alive by some miracle, including an anemone, some near-immortal crabs and snails, and several hardy fish (clowns, gramma, chromis, goby) while drywall dust, cement dust, and sawdust and paint fumes abounded not 10 feet from the basement sump. Add to this the worry about leaching of aluminum from these expanded aluminum-ceramic blocks---I don't know if the worry is real, but that block is a nasty-looking mess.

So rather than guess around, I'm starting on a program of massive water changes and polyfilter until I get it straightened out, but likewise, I want to KNOW what regular tests might miss and whether there's an issue I don't otherwise have a specific test for.

I'll be doing regular Salifert tests on the many aspects I do have tests for, so I'll be able to look at the accuracy of these strips. It's at least worth a try to turn up hidden or unguessed problems. I'll be running Polyfilter after the water changes.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I too was curious about aluminum form my block of a few years.
2 separate ICP tests from different places show the same results across the board of elements tested. No worries! If you are that concerned I would try one.
icp-anlyisis.com

 

[Sk8r]

I've got so much else (dusts of various sorts and fumes) as a known contaminant to the tank, even if I do turn up aluminum it's not saying it even came from the block, not to mention the fact the motor on my skimmer had gone out for two months and neither of us could cope physically with replacing it---so I am doing my water changes by cleaning out the sump down to bare dry walls and rewatering it; and doing the same several times over. Mostly the tests are to see how bad itgot.

Feels good to be able to deal with it again. Several surgeries precluded either of us getting down to the sump, and that poor tank has just trucked on and on without help for a year while plumbers plumbed and carpenters sawed and plastered. We could turn on the refill on the ro/di, and keep the water level up, and feed, but that was all, and that was how the year went. Now all is quiet down there, and the dust is, well, we're getting to it; and we replaced the skimmer motor. Next step---making a lot of salt water and doing cleanout! We hope not to shock these poor fish with actual good water.

And thanks for the addy! I'll look into it.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

No worries I know just how you guys feel, took me quit some time after 2 weeks in a hospital to get back to where I could do a water change.