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Aquarium Water Testing
Topic Started: May 5 2010, 02:52:22 PM (198 Views)
Post #1 May 5 2010, 02:52:22 PM	Suzy
Hey, Guys! I want to tell you about a company I found. It is internet based, and I cannot vouche for their reliability, but I have used them in the past. I think I will just test my water monthly, though this company and forget about getting new tests kits. Mine are old and need to be replaced, so I thought maybe I would just go with these guys again. It is really easy. You pay via Paypal, then they send you so many "kits". The kits have 2 water bottles in them, you just fill them, put them in the provided box, and throw it in the mail. www.aquariumwatertesting.com Here are my results: Water Test Summary Ammonia (NH3-4) ........................Good ......................................... 0.002 Nitrite (NO2)................................Good ......................................... 0.054 Nitrate (NO3)...............................Good .............................................5.3 Phosphate (PO4) .......................... High............................................ 3.86 Silica (SiO2-3) .............................Good .............................................0.2 Potassium (K) .............................. High............................................. 505 Calcium (Ca)................................Good ............................................ 373 Boron (B) ....................................Good .............................................3.6 Molybdenum (Mo).........................Good .............................................0.1 Strontium (Sr) .............................Good .............................................8.9 Magnesium (Mg) ..........................Good .......................................... 1375 Iodine (I¯)....................................Low............................................ 0.02 Copper (Cu++) ............................Good ........................................... 0.03 Alkalinity (meq/L).........................Good ........................................... 3.00 I like it, because they can test for things I can't. I was worried about copper, it was high last time. That was over a year ago, though. So, I will work on correcting these things, send another test next month, then see if I can get a maintenence schedule for adding stuff. I need to find a source of nitrogen that doesn't have Potassium....	Seahorse Whisperer Posts: 3,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 28, 2008
"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny!
Post #2 May 5 2010, 05:47:50 PM	Larry H
That is a great idea. And you would get a lot more things that are tested for than what we can buy test kits for, but I checked out their site and $25 a month or $275 a year seems like a lot of money. You could probably do it for a lot less if you did the tests yourself. I might give them a try and see what my water looks like compared to my own tests. I have never seen test kits for some of those things. Thanks for the site information. Edited by Larry H, May 5 2010, 05:49:13 PM.	breeding stock Posts: 442 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: July 26, 2008
Post #3 May 5 2010, 08:21:14 PM	BobC
Salifert makes test kits for 12 out of the 14 on Suzy's Summary list (no kits for Potassium or Molybdenum); don't if any other company (maybe Elos or LaMotte?) offers either of those 2. If you bought online you could probably get all 12 of the Sali kits for around $250 - $275 total. But, then again, I'd bet it would take 2 or 3 hours to perform all 12 of those tests, one after another... I tested just nO3, pO4, pH, dkH and Ca on my 2 tanks yesterday and that took almost 90 minutes to complete :X I'd probably just send my water out for a test maybe once every 6 months, though. A nitro source without any Potassium... hmmmm... let me think...	breeding stock Posts: 103 Group: Members Member #122 Joined: February 2, 2009 Name Bob Carlson
- Insert witty comment here -
Post #4 May 6 2010, 05:39:00 AM	Suzy
It is pricey if you do it every month. I bought the 4 kit "reference" package. You can send them in whenever you want. So I am planning on attempting to correct the deficiencies and overabundances and then testing again. I hope I can get it right the next test, so I can figure out the best maintenance schedule with the remaining 2 kits. Then just test every few months or so. But, I have not been testing at all. Just doing water changes to keep the elements in line. I thought that was working when I was testing, and not adding extra crap. But, when I thought about testing, I realized how old my kits are. If you test a lot ( I used to test weekly), you can use up all the reagents before they go bad, but if not weekly, I am pretty sure the results get inaccurate towards the end of the bottle. Plus, some of the tests we can buy suck! Anyone test for iodine before? And I have always hated testing for strontium, and even mg. What a pia! The results are always iffy. I kinda think of the results I got at home just kinda a ballpark figure and just used them to trend. Plus, last time I checked this route, my potassium was low so I have been adding it. Now, I have overshot! And, potassium is a lethal element in our bodies, low or high. I will sleep better knowing it is right.... But, I need a nitrogen source that doesn't have K. I do have calcium nitrate but then I have to add bicarb....dang it!	Seahorse Whisperer Posts: 3,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 28, 2008
"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny!
Post #5 May 6 2010, 05:41:49 AM	Suzy
This company reminds me of the Living Planet Aquarium. On Tuesdays, they test all the tanks ( or quite a few). The line up all these bottles along the counter and drop, drop, drop down the line!	Seahorse Whisperer Posts: 3,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 28, 2008
"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny!
Post #6 May 6 2010, 10:22:08 AM	Larry H
I bet most of my kits are getting old as well. It makes you wonder on how accurate they still are. Maybe in the long run those tests we send in would more than pay for themselves in other savings and time. How much money is your time worth? It might still be worth a try.	breeding stock Posts: 442 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: July 26, 2008
Post #7 May 6 2010, 04:19:35 PM	Suzy
It is not about time as much for me. As you can see by the results, the elements I am off on are the ones I can't test for: potassium and iodine. Yes, I can buy an iodine test but it is not accurate and the home version bites. I do have a lot invested in my tanks, not in just monetary aspects. I have fish over a decade old, and I am very attached to them. And, my baby pipefish is very dear to me. So, it is more than worth it to me... Plus, I see people paying this much for a dumb coral! I would be just as happy with a plastic fake coral background! Have you seen some of these fakes at Birdworld? You cannot tell they are not real, except they don't bleach!	Seahorse Whisperer Posts: 3,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 28, 2008
"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny!
Post #8 May 7 2010, 11:09:16 PM	sterling18
Interesting. I would probably use them to baseline my test kits to see how accurate or inaccurate they are. I believe it's worth while for a semi annual testing by lab standards. On a monthly basis, I would probably do my own. Not because of the cost but the availability of the instant knowledge that my water was within parameters. Thank you for the info.	breeding stock Posts: 63 Group: Members Member #239 Joined: May 6, 2010 Name Peter
Post #9 May 14 2010, 04:09:22 PM	Clint
Suzy I know I have mentioned this before but have you tried ammonium Nitrate, both ions are bio-available nitrogen.	breeding stock Posts: 377 Group: Members Member #69 Joined: November 22, 2008
Midvale (435) 213-6215
Post #10 May 14 2010, 04:56:39 PM	Suzy
You said that before? Geez, I am such a born blonde! Ok, the ammonia I can buy at the grocery store: what is it?! Or- where can I get ammonium nitrate?	Seahorse Whisperer Posts: 3,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 28, 2008
"i was informed of some dolphin related testing going on up there" Too Funny!
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