Triton vs. Aquamedic AWT vs. Hobbyist kits API Salifert Elos RedSea Hanna etc

[jason2459]

thanks for sharing. I'm also having trouble with red sea mag. test...it comes back low. i use natural sea water in my tank so i use that(just collected) for reference on all my testing...i find API to be accurate enough for my tank..to bad they don't make a mag. test.

I've always found API to be more then accurate and consistent for me except for pH and PO4.

Nice job, thanks for sharing.

Welcome. I hope it helps and it was very informative for me to go through this exercise.

Well, I am not surprised by the difficulties with the testing. Getting accurate numbers for trace elements is going to be expensive for the time being, I think. AWT seemed to do a rather poor job, which is what I've heard from others. Thanks for the information!

Yeah, I was really hoping since AquaMedic took over AWT and says they upgraded with all new lab equipment they would have been somewhat more accurate. I don't think they were even in the ball park with some of those results which was rather disappointing.

I might look to do another Triton test in a month or two after not dosing anything that I just introduced. They may be worthwhile just out of curiosity once or twice a year.

The Tin reading really threw me off. The zinc I can see coming in with the algae sheets or food I feed but that had a pretty decent drop in levels so I don't know. I've seen 3 other people now having high Tin levels just recently as tested by Triton so I'm not sure if they just had some kind of interference. 2 on this forum including me and 2 on other forums. One person on the other forum actually had multiple readings from Triton over the past year and it was reading 0 tin levels up to just this past weeks reading.

 

[jason2459]

I'm a sucker for data points and analysis. I just ordered a 3 pack. I figured I'll use them sooner or later.

I'm thinking how I want to do this next test as I doubt its the supplements I added. As soon as I get the kits I'll dose the same amounts of each 3 days leading up to taking a set of water samples. Only thing that will have changed is ~1% daily water changes from the last test. Which is why I decided to test again sooner then later. It will be with the same new saltwater used for water changes. Basically everything the same. If it's the supplements it will either be the same or increased amounts.

If the zinc is is not detected again I will assume testing error in the last test. If it's still showing in the results from the next test I have to assume it's in the water and I will want to find the source.

 

[bertoni]

I've seen 3 other people now having high Tin levels just recently as tested by Triton so I'm not sure if they just had some kind of interference. 2 on this forum including me and 2 on other forums. One person on the other forum actually had multiple readings from Triton over the past year and it was reading 0 tin levels up to just this past weeks reading.

That sounds like a possible testing problem to me.

 

[jason2459]

Last paragraph in my last post above there should say tin and not zinc.

That sounds like a possible testing problem to me.

I'm thinking so but anything is possible and hope to rule that out. If there is tin in the water it should still show up. Even if no more is added. To short of a time will have elapsed for all of that to be exported.

 

[bdsage]

When using api alk test if drop 6 is blue,drop 7 is greenish,drop 8 is yellow... would it be correct to assume my alk is about 7.5? or a solid 8?

 

[jason2459]

I would assume ~8dkh

If you want a higher resolution I would get something like the Salifert kit.

 

[jason2459]

I got shipment confirmation for the Triton test kit so I'll start dosing the Kent Sr/Mo tomorrow morning.

 

[jason2459]

Time to find out if I have Tin in my tank or not. This will be the 3rd set of samples sent to Triton in about a 1 month period.

First Sample was taken from my tank on 11/03/2015 and results back from Triton showed 0 Tin or any other Unwanted Heavy Metals as they label the group.

Second Sample was taken from my tank on 11/23/2015 and results back fro Triton showed 3.4ug/L of Tin.

This third set was taken earlier on 12/11/2015 and I will be sending out later today as it's now 12/12/2015 as I write this. 18 days since the last sample taken.

I have tried to repeat exactly what I did leading up to 11/23/2015. I've been feeding the same foods, using the same salt mix to do water changes at ~1% per day, and dosed the Seachem Iodide and Kent Sr/Mo supplements 3 days leading up to today with the 1 and only dose of Iodide and last dose of Sr/Mo done this morning as it was suggested by Triton from the first set of results. And adjusted based on what I got.

Quoted from a previous post is what I dosed the past few days.
"Based on the first round of testing Triton suggested a Molybdenum dosing of 34.1ml/day for 2 days and 13.59ml for 1 day. I didn't find Mo by itself locally I did find some Kent Strontium/Molybdenum and decided to use it. As according to the first rounds of tests Strontium was slightly low but with in acceptable ranges of the set point and Molybdenum is not something I really care to increase that much of anyway least it becomes toxic. I went ahead and dosed 40ml of that for 2 days and 20ml of it on the third day in the mornings. I took the water samples in the evening.

For Iodine Triton suggested 5.48ml for 1 day. I found some seachem Iodide and dosed 5.5ml of it that morning as well on the day that the water samples were taken at night. "


So, for tonight's round of testing I chose my favorites

First a quick snapshot of quick input parameters.

Went ahead and brought out the Milwaukee Digital again and Zero'ed it out with RO/DI as normal as that's all it can be calibrated with and then placed some PinPoint 53ms 35ppt Calibration fluid on it.

And of course it read high

Wiped it clean and placed some tank water on it

And of course it read high

Broke out my trusty Veegee/Vitalsine refractometer and placed some of that calibration fluid on it and

right on the nose 35ppt (this is pretty cool. I never tried taking a picture of this before and it wasn't easy getting it lined up)

Wiped clean and placed on some tank water and

34ppt

 

[jason2459]

On to the other parameters with the test kits.

Nitrate:
<2 and around .2

.
.
.
Phosphates:
6ppm or 0.018ppm (rounded to 0.02ppm by Apex Fusion)

.
.
.
Alkalinity:
~10

.
.
.
Calcium:
~440

.
.
.
Magnesium:
~1485 - 1500

That dip below close to 1000 was that stupid Red Sea Mg Pro kit that's not worth a darn

 

[Big E]

For Iodine Triton suggested 5.48ml for 1 day. I found some seachem Iodide and dosed 5.5ml of it that morning as well on the day that the water samples were taken at night. "

Just fyi, Seachem is Potassium Iodide, not sure you will see a change in iodine levels.

From their site it says it stays bonded. I'm no chemist, but more just asking a question on this.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/ReefIodide.html

 

[Ron Reefman]

Jason, thanks for all the time and effort, not to mention money, you put into this entire effort. Good job by you!

I have used API and Salifert for more than 5 years now and your findings match well with my experience. When I get an API test that seems 'out of line' with what I was expecting, I test again with API. If I get the same or similar out of line number, then I test with a Salifert kit. 95% of the time the Salifert kit confirms the API test numbers.

Our local club held a meeting to test our test kits. We had everybody bring test kits and run tests on a large volume of water and then water was sent off to be tested (I don't remember who). The results from the group test were all over the place. I think test kits make a difference, but I think how well the person does the test and how consistent they are in doing every test the same way also makes a big difference. Reading results, just like the question posed by 'bdsage' in post # 25 makes a big difference as well.

I'd like to see our club do the test kit comparison again as it has been a few years since we did it last time. If we do, I'll pass along our findings.

 

[jason2459]

@BigE I believe the Iodide is still picked up by Triton as Iodine? My Iodine level did go from deviating low to high normal range after dosing it. Assume the Triton results are accurate.

@Ron Reefman thanks. It's been fun and I've learned from it as well. I would hope others might benefit too.

I would be interested in the group testing results and sounds like a fun meeting. I also believe the number one issue is first end user errors in testing or inconsistencies in the way the tests are performed causing inconsistent results.

 

[jason2459]

Hmm, looking at that link to that Iodide I don't think that's the same product I got. Maybe it's not seachem. I thought it was. I'll have to look. I know its Iodide.

 

[jason2459]

I think this is what I got. It's the aqua vitro brand of seachem.

http://www.aquavitro.com/products/vibrance.html

 

[bertoni]

Triton testing should detect any iodine in the water not removed by any particulate filtration that they perform. How accurate their testing methodology is, is an option question.

 

[jason2459]

I went ahead and added tracking to the shipping and the vials have been delivered and in California. Now the wait to have them shipped over to Germany and get tested.

 

[jason2459]

A 5th person has now posted a Triton result they just got back recently showing tin. That person also had previous tests done showing none. So, that's 3 now with previous tests with 0 and a recent showing some amount of Sn in the water.

 

[AUFishGuy]

So in your opinion what would be the best test for Mg?

 

[jason2459]

So in your opinion what would be the best test for Mg?

IMO would be the Salifert.

 

[swk]

Are you sure that AWT measure phosphates and not phosphorus or something goofy like that? I know their nitrates are displayed in a different unit of measurement that requires a conversion to be the same as how most everyone else reads no3 numbers.