Excel for ICP Analysis

[ReefandSwim]

Hi All,

First of all, sorry if this is not the correct thread to post this.

Since I start on reefing, I learned that one of the best tools to achieve success in this hobby is by measuring the main elements on our tank water and what better tool for this that through ICP tests. But I noticed that ICP Companies do not provide a detailed interpretation or clarification of these data so I decided to try creating, within my limitations, a tool easy to use for all.

Here a video showing the result:

It’s the first version and experimental, so don’t blame me about errors or even incorrect interpretations What I pretend for it is to help people to correctly read ICP results in an easy way, and also to make a collaborating tool that everyone could edit, so please, be free to edit it and creating better versions since everyone can edit it.

Main features:​

The very first idea of this Excel was to be easy to use and to generate much and various information at the less time and effort possible, so basically you will find 3 main different parts:

HOME Tab:

• The output of all the info that you load on the Excel.

ICP Tabs

• ICP analysis, is like a data base where all data is copied.

TOOLS Tabs

• Different tools/tables that with the ICP data will generate the output at HOME tab.

Instructions:​

• Fill the volume and Temperature of your tank. This is important to calculate the Salinity and the Adding components.
• Load ICP: At this first version you can load 3 different ICP, Triton, Fauna Marin and Aquaforest. The idea is to extend this for more companies in the future. For triton you can load de ICP by file (CSV) but for Fauna Marin and Aquaforest you need to generate an Excel from the PDF and copy it to the corresponding table at the corresponding tab.
• Once you load the ICP correctly you will find that first part of HOME tab is filled, Relation of unbalanced components. In my experience and regarding elements this is a very important matter in our Reefs, not only having the main elements in range but also to have all of them in a correct relation between them, this is something that I learned late

• Next part is for analyse the results by main element, but only for those that are out of range, lower or higher. Also, it will help to add chemical components to increase values. This part is recommended for experienced reefers, please be careful overdosing. In this part also you will find something that I like most, Possible issues by element and by type (Algae, fish and Coral), the idea is to increase this list in the future.

---

Limitations:​

Using an Excel and using Macros has some limitations but with my limited computer experience and thinking on a universal tool that everyone could use I concluded that this could be the best approach.

• Macro disabled once is download from server. If you want to use this excel you need to unblock the file by right clicking the file and checking the option in security:

• This first version is prepared to work in Metric System and decimal point is a comma, so probably its going to be a little bit confuse for English users. I didn’t test the Excel to work with different format.

Thanks to all and expect that this could help someone.

I attach the Excel in the ZIP file "ICP Analysis" and also in google drive ICP Analysis

Regards.

 

[MnFish1]

I would consider the possibility of making 1 spreadsheet for each ICP company.

 

[ReefandSwim]

I would consider the possibility of making 1 spreadsheet for each ICP company.

Thanks for your reply, could be a good idea. I will think about it

 

[areefer01]

Hi All,

First of all, sorry if this is not the correct thread to post this.

Since I start on reefing, I learned that one of the best tools to achieve success in this hobby is by measuring the main elements on our tank water and what better tool for this that through ICP tests. But I noticed that ICP Companies do not provide a detailed interpretation or clarification of these data so I decided to try creating, within my limitations, a tool easy to use for all.

Here a video showing the result:

It’s the first version and experimental, so don’t blame me about errors or even incorrect interpretations What I pretend for it is to help people to correctly read ICP results in an easy way, and also to make a collaborating tool that everyone could edit, so please, be free to edit it and creating better versions since everyone can edit it.

Main features:​

The very first idea of this Excel was to be easy to use and to generate much and various information at the less time and effort possible, so basically you will find 3 main different parts:

HOME Tab:

• The output of all the info that you load on the Excel.

ICP Tabs

• ICP analysis, is like a data base where all data is copied.

TOOLS Tabs

• Different tools/tables that with the ICP data will generate the output at HOME tab.

Instructions:​

• Fill the volume and Temperature of your tank. This is important to calculate the Salinity and the Adding components.
• Load ICP: At this first version you can load 3 different ICP, Triton, Fauna Marin and Aquaforest. The idea is to extend this for more companies in the future. For triton you can load de ICP by file (CSV) but for Fauna Marin and Aquaforest you need to generate an Excel from the PDF and copy it to the corresponding table at the corresponding tab.
• Once you load the ICP correctly you will find that first part of HOME tab is filled, Relation of unbalanced components. In my experience and regarding elements this is a very important matter in our Reefs, not only having the main elements in range but also to have all of them in a correct relation between them, this is something that I learned late

• Next part is for analyse the results by main element, but only for those that are out of range, lower or higher. Also, it will help to add chemical components to increase values. This part is recommended for experienced reefers, please be careful overdosing. In this part also you will find something that I like most, Possible issues by element and by type (Algae, fish and Coral), the idea is to increase this list in the future.

---

Limitations:​

Using an Excel and using Macros has some limitations but with my limited computer experience and thinking on a universal tool that everyone could use I concluded that this could be the best approach.

• Macro disabled once is download from server. If you want to use this excel you need to unblock the file by right clicking the file and checking the option in security:

• This first version is prepared to work in Metric System and decimal point is a comma, so probably its going to be a little bit confuse for English users. I didn’t test the Excel to work with different format.

Thanks to all and expect that this could help someone.

I attach the Excel in the ZIP file "ICP Analysis" and also in google drive ICP Analysis

Regards.

Moonshine method has an Excel workbook and I believe DSR also uses one.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "ICP Companies do not provide a detailed interpretation or clarification"? If you have used one, which vendor? They do provide information on the results. Example below for reference. If you mean overall assessment of the sample no, probably not. On the other hand if you mean element result, yes.

 

[ReefandSwim]

Moonshine method has an Excel workbook and I believe DSR also uses one.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "ICP Companies do not provide a detailed interpretation or clarification"? If you have used one, which vendor? They do provide information on the results. Example below for reference. If you mean overall assessment of the sample no, probably not. On the other hand if you mean element result, yes.

I was wrong about that, yes companies provide detail info

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was wrong about that, yes companies provide detail info

I actually think they confuse a lot of reefers by providing opinions that they never justify or even make clear are opinions.

Comments like “chromium — critically high” without any presented evidence whether it is an issue or not.

 

[areefer01]

I actually think they confuse a lot of reefers by providing opinions that they never justify or even make clear are opinions.

Comments like “chromium — critically high” without any presented evidence whether it is an issue or not.

Of course. My reply was only to say that it is there. Not to validate or say how accurate they are. ICP results, bottle of X, Y, Z, or the latest and greatest light that states science-based spectrum design is similar in my opinion.

 

[MnFish1]

I actually think they confuse a lot of reefers by providing opinions that they never justify or even make clear are opinions.

Comments like “chromium — critically high” without any presented evidence whether it is an issue or not.

SO an individual hobbiest - who also posts recommendations based on the testing is also likely to be flawed. - what's the point here. -Is the spreadsheet good or is this an editorial comment on ICP (PS - I don't believe the IPS companies, and (no offense) - intended don't believe the spreadsheet conclusions

 

[ReefandSwim]

SO an individual hobbiest - who also posts recommendations based on the testing is also likely to be flawed. - what's the point here. -Is the spreadsheet good or is this an editorial comment on ICP (PS - I don't believe the IPS companies, and (no offense) - intended don't believe the spreadsheet conclusions

The idea here is just to have a tool, in all the groups I'm in, from time to time people post their ICP results asking:

• How about my ICP? What do you see guys on this results? // My salinity is at 35PSS but I have Sodium too high, why it's this? // I have Al out of range I need to dose some product for metals? ....

In my opinion, if many people ask this kind of question, it will be because companiees do not offer enough info or enough interpretation of the results. But probably it's just my experiencie...

Not everybody have the same experiencie to interpret correctly their results on an ICP or even on traditional tests... I'm the first one to find it complicated, and that is why I decided to create this Excel based on my experiencie and others, I don't want to replace an ICP company but at least I learned few things creating this Excel. Don't forget that I post it in Experiments section

 

[carri10]

Thanks a lot. I appreciate the work and sharing. If ICP is good/bad, useful/not useful is another debate, however this tool helps those who do ICP tests.
What we really need is someone on the forum who has a Ph.D. in ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma with optical emission spectrometry, for those that are interested ) and can talk about
1) error bars
2) errors due to sample prep
3) interference
and likely a whole load of other topics.

Anyone like that around ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

SO an individual hobbiest - who also posts recommendations based on the testing is also likely to be flawed. - what's the point here. -Is the spreadsheet good or is this an editorial comment on ICP (PS - I don't believe the IPS companies, and (no offense) - intended don't believe the spreadsheet conclusions

I think my point was perfectly clear: folks need to take ICP company recommendations with the same skepticism that they take any other random advice unless it is backed up by some sort of evidence.

And ABSOLUTELY, I spend a lot of time counseling folks that an ICP company saying something is critically high in big bold red letters may actually be no concern at all. But how would they know unless we remind folks that it is an opinion without any provided evidence.

While of course I think the result of an individual hobbyist needs to be considered in light of it being a one off experiment subject to all sorts of potential different interpretations, at least the hobbyist is usually giving data of what they believe happened to them.

example:

"Tin was very high and coral were suffering. I removed some tubing, tin went down, and corals are thriving"

While there are many potential issues that may prevent that from being usefully extrapolated to a different tank, at least folks can tell what was the observation that related to the high tin and at what level.

One cannot, in any fashion, know what an ICP company is basing its recommendations on if they do not tell you, and I am highly skeptical that they have data on exactly how high is too high for many trace elements that they boldly proclaim are a huge problem.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Of course. My reply was only to say that it is there. Not to validate or say how accurate they are. ICP results, bottle of X, Y, Z, or the latest and greatest light that states science-based spectrum design is similar in my opinion.

Yes, I was not disagreeing with you. I was pointing out that not only do they provide recommendations, but they often do not even tell users the basis of those recommendations.

 

[MnFish1]

I think my point was perfectly clear: folks need to take ICP company recommendations with the same skepticism that they take any other random advice unless it is backed up by some sort of evidence.

And ABSOLUTELY, I spend a lot of time counseling folks that an ICP company saying something is critically high in big bold red letters may actually be no concern at all. But how would they know unless we remind folks that it is an opinion without any provided evidence.

While of course I think the result of an individual hobbyist needs to be considered in light of it being a one off experiment subject to all sorts of potential different interpretations, at least the hobbyist is usually giving data of what they believe happened to them.

example:

"Tin was very high and coral were suffering. I removed some tubing, tin went down, and corals are thriving"

While there are many potential issues that may prevent that from being usefully extrapolated to a different tank, at least folks can tell what was the observation that related to the high tin and at what level.

One cannot, in any fashion, know what an ICP company is basing its recommendations on if they do not tell you, and I am highly skeptical that they have data on exactly how high is too high for many trace elements that they boldly proclaim are a huge problem.

Thanks - I misunderstood what you were saying - and agree totally with what you're saying. I might suggest people take more of a skeptical opinion on this type of testing - as due to random variation alone - if you do 100 tests 5% of them will be above or below the 'normal range' - even though they are normal. In other words I think we agree