Water testing company

D

Dawn II

Premium Member
I am looking for an aquar. water testing co. that can test for more than the basics. I have had some recession and losses and would like to rule out something in the water.
 
There's ENC Labs, but the tests are very expensive. I don't know of another source that I'd trust much, personally.
 
How about AWT. The lab you mentioned is beyond me. They test for so many things that at that price it could easily run in the thousands. I don't know what to look for, for them to test.
 
We question their methods and their results often do not make sense. ENC is a well know certified lab.
 
AWT seems to be getting better all the time. They seem to have fixed all (if not most) of their issues. Now, with that said, they seem to be slightly better now than hobby kits (or as good as really good hobby kits)
 
Some of their number seemed a lot worse than hobbyist test kits. I still am not sure that their methods are good.
 
For what we do, hobbyist tests kits are the way to go unless one is economically profligate. AWT is suspect and is not really better than what we can do.
 
I have recession after a period of time. I don't know what I am looking for- not alk,ph,ca, mag,copper,nitrate,nitrite, amon, I don't know why this recession happens.
 
I think if you recheck/cover all the basics, including water parameters (properly calibrating your refractomer, or checking for an electrical short, for example), you'll have covered all your bases.

Perhaps you have reefing friends in your reef club who can help you take a step back and look for a solution. I'm not sure spending $ on lab testing will find your answer. The neat thing about reefing is "you are the expert" on your own reef. "The more I learn, the more I realize how little we know..."

Hopefully, your solution will be something simple to correct, and not an unknown. Sorry I don't have a better answer. Best of luck to you.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12605668#post12605668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2thdeekay
I think if you recheck/cover all the basics, including water parameters (properly calibrating your refractomer, or checking for an electrical short, for example), you'll have covered all your bases.

Perhaps you have reefing friends in your reef club who can help you take a step back and look for a solution. I'm not sure spending $ on lab testing will find your answer. The neat thing about reefing is "you are the expert" on your own reef. "The more I learn, the more I realize how little we know..."

Hopefully, your solution will be something simple to correct, and not an unknown. Sorry I don't have a better answer. Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...


I don't think it would "hurt" sending in a sample or two, and it COULD give a hint or 2 to what might be going on especially if one of your test kits is off or you are making human error in testing, etc. As frustrated as it sounds like you are, why not? I have used it as just 1 more tool to my disposal. It has actually helped me with a few things especially at the time I had a couple of Bad Salifert Alk kits.
 
Dawn II,

Unfortunately, if you don't know what you're looking for, the lab testing is gonna be pretty spendy.

I'd suggest finding chemistry or biology "geeks" in your local reef club to help you step back and re-examine things, perhaps have these "friends" test your water for you. You might get some free expert help by inviting them to a BBQ with good food & beer, rather than spending big bucks having your water tested by a lab for everything.

If you can't find any chem or bio geeks in your neck of the woods, you could send me a sample. I like this hobby cause I get to meet people with similar interests. Perhaps you have a frags we could trade too. PM me if you need.

This is a hobby, and it's supposed to be FUN! Keep it that way.

Mohri
 
Last edited:
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12607985#post12607985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
So you send in a sample or two. Are you going to make decisions based on the results?
Click to expand...

well, that would depend. Like I said you can use it as a tool. If you test your alk with Salifert and it comes back at 14 would you do something? If you test your calcium with Salifert, and it comes back at 323, would you do something? I guess it would depend on how much you trusted those results! However, that would give you a starting point to either A) affirm or B) reject. So what if phosphates cpme back at 0.04? Hey, maybe that would be where I would start to look. If you use it as a tool, it can be useful. I guess you don't like it? so?
 
here is my current front page summary. I do not trust the Potassium, Boron, Silica, & Molybdenum, so I just make a mental note and leave them alone. Everything else pretty much matched my Elos, API, or DD Merck results.


Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good ................................ 0.004
Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ................................. 0.003
Nitrate NO3)..........................Good .............................................0.5
Phosphate(PO4) ..........................Good ................................. 0.01
Silica (SiO2-3) ....................High..............................................0.8
Potassium (K) ...................Low............................................. 285
Calcium (Ca)..................... High............................................. 459
Boron (B) ..........................Low..............................................1.6
Molybdenum (Mo).............. High..............................................0.2
Strontium (Sr) ....................Good ........................................... 10.5
Magnesium (Mg) .................Good .......................................... 1213
Iodine (I¯).......................Good ........................................... 0.05
Copper (Cu++) ...............Good ........................................... 0.03
Alkalinity (meq/L)..............Good ........................................... 3.88
 
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