Hey everyone, I was looking to do an icp test on my mixed reef and was wondering which company is most reliable and respected. I was looking at icp-analysis.com and they seemed pretty good. Any suggestions?
Best icp test?
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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That is actually the only
That is the one that I suggest folks avoid. I do not think they have a good understanding of chemistry based on comments they have made in this forum.
Between some of the others, I am not sure who is most accurate.
Unfortunately, there sometimes are big differences in values reported by these companies, but I am not sure who is correct more often.
That is the one that I suggest folks avoid. I do not think they have a good understanding of chemistry based on comments they have made in this forum.
Between some of the others, I am not sure who is most accurate.
Unfortunately, there sometimes are big differences in values reported by these companies, but I am not sure who is correct more often.
@Randy Holmes-Farley
That's Interesting.
I got a Triton test I won at one of the events which I'm about to mail out but recently came across Fauna Marin's https://icp1999.com/
Any con/pros?
That's Interesting.
I got a Triton test I won at one of the events which I'm about to mail out but recently came across Fauna Marin's https://icp1999.com/
Any con/pros?
frydaddy
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I've only used ATI so far. Their customer service is awesome if you have questions. There were also able to track down one of my kits that got lost in the mail. So I've stuck with them. I've been tempted to send one off to Fauna Marin the next time I send one off to ATI and see how the results compare.
xcuongx
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Ordered ATI icp test kit from Amazon to find out if dosing Fuel or Acropower would have any improvements in trace elements in the water (i stopped dosing for 5 months prior to ATI ICp testing, and now running Carx only), . Took the samples and sent to lab. Got the result back in little over a week. Test kit also included RO Water Testing, which I thought was a plus. And for those that curious, my results showed all trace elements are in check after dosing acropower/fuel. I haven't tried Triton yet, and will probably try it one day for comparison. I believe ATI and Triton ICP tests are the most popular these days (Correct me if iam wrong).
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Unless an ICP vendor tells you how reliable their measurements are, like providing a standard deviation for there measurements, you have no way of knowing how accurate the results are. Even if the ICP measurement was perfectly accurate, there is a problem associated with purchased ICP measurements: you don’t know how much your water sample has changed in transit. Another potential issue you should be aware of is mistakes in interpreting the results. Do the companies just send result that the machine spits out or do they have a system in place to flag ”odd” results.
Anyway, select a vendor that addresses the largest number of these problems (Tells you how accurate their measurement is, which elements are most likely effected by shipping, and what they do to flag odd results) if you think an ICP is important.
Not icp-analysis.com.
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I've only used ATI but have had great luck with them. I won't say it is the best as I know Triton bases their platform on theirs. I will second what @JimWelsh and a few others noted in this thread and others that the one you noted isn't the greatest.
Again, I've only used ATI but here is what I like about them:
1. Bonus RODI check (not sure how accurate but it is there for you to reference)
2. Great support - I've sent a question in and had a great response and dialog
3. Seem to match my manual test results to include my Trident
4. Caught two issues
a. Low salinity - folks here in this forum asked if I used a reference fluid as part of my checks and post calibration, I said no, picked some up, and the numbers matched ATI's. I was in error
b. Low iodine - ATI reported twice it was low and then I dosed and the next result showed it cleared. I'm guessing their process worked.
In any case it is a bit more at 44 bucks but I like it. I send 2 or 3 off a year and use it as a reference to my tests and the tridents plus the overall water chemistry. Seems to work as long as I use it as a reference. But it did catch a couple of things for me and they are right.
Again, I've only used ATI but here is what I like about them:
1. Bonus RODI check (not sure how accurate but it is there for you to reference)
2. Great support - I've sent a question in and had a great response and dialog
3. Seem to match my manual test results to include my Trident
4. Caught two issues
a. Low salinity - folks here in this forum asked if I used a reference fluid as part of my checks and post calibration, I said no, picked some up, and the numbers matched ATI's. I was in error
b. Low iodine - ATI reported twice it was low and then I dosed and the next result showed it cleared. I'm guessing their process worked.
In any case it is a bit more at 44 bucks but I like it. I send 2 or 3 off a year and use it as a reference to my tests and the tridents plus the overall water chemistry. Seems to work as long as I use it as a reference. But it did catch a couple of things for me and they are right.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I do not have any data to distinguish those from each other.
I would just like to highlight some of the points Dan_P has raised here and in other threads that are really worth repeating. Hobby grade ICP has seemingly become the de facto gold standard, but it's worth considering to what extent that designation has been earned, across all companies offering the service. Specifically, few companies have been transparent about their procedures, data analysis/treatment of erroneous results, stability of samples in transit, confidence intervals, and sources of some of the recommendations they are making. Consequently, one must be cognizant and/or concerned about the accuracy of results, interpretation of results, and reproducibility of results.
Scott Max
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Hi Randy. What companys do you recommend? Or put differently, what company do you use?
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I only personally used Triton, and that was when it was the only choice. My tank is empty in the garage at the moment so I have no need for icp.
I have the most confidence that Oceamo knows what they are doing based on their discussions here at reef2reef, but some others may also serve well.
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