Water tests from todays meeting.

[penguinsix]

Here is everyone's results that had testing done at the meeting today. I just copy and pasted from excel, so it is a bit of a mess.

Name Salinity calcium mg alk(meq) po4

Glenn King 1.025 459 1506 1.77meq po4 not tested
WaltM 1.026 394 1241 2.77meq 0.02
Fulinn 1.021 426 1244 2.57meq 0.11
Mauro 1.025 492 1353 2.39 0.08
Me 1.025 328 1307 2.54 0.08
Barry 1.023 361 1231 3.59 0.05
aqua diva 1.023 394 1223 no alk tested 0.02
Clint 1.024 361 1347 2.46 0.03
Kevin McG 1.026 492 1460 5.78 0.4
joetbs 1.026 328 1500 2.76 0
sara 1.021 328 1144 2.54 0
cali 1.027 525 1432 2.93 0.2
C. Izbicki 1.024 410 1243 3.45 0.55
itreef 1.024 394 1474 3.00 0.03
mr. gaoozleb 1.023 394 1204 2.99 0.56

 

[pillowfish]

Just wanted to say thanks Josh...I learned so much on water quality and parameters..Hope I didn't slow you down too much(and sorrry but I am perpetually late ) Thanks for your patience! It is much appreciated...who knows maybe you'll get stuck with me again on water testing??? And also thanks Greg for allowing me to help out....and thanks for the hat..will let you know if iturns out to be my new "lucky" fishin hat!

thanks, tabittha

 

[~Flighty~]

Name -----------Salin ca mg alk(meq) po4

Glenn King -----1.025 459 1506 1.77 n/a
WaltM ----------1.026 394 1241 2.77 0.02
Fulinn ---------1.021 426 1244 2.57 0.11
Mauro ----------1.025 492 1353 2.39 0.08
Me -------------1.025 328 1307 2.54 0.08
Barry ----------1.023 361 1231 3.59 0.05
aqua diva ------1.023 394 1223 n/a 0.02
Clint ----------1.024 361 1347 2.46 0.03
Kevin McG ------1.026 492 1460 5.78 0.4
joetbs ---------1.026 328 1500 2.76 0
sara -----------1.021 328 1144 2.54 0
cali -----------1.027 525 1432 2.93 0.2
C. Izbicki -----1.024 410 1243 3.45 0.55
itreef ---------1.024 394 1474 3.00 0.03
mr. gaoozleb ---1.023 394 1204 2.99 0.56
__________________

 

[penguinsix]

Thanks Cindy.

 

[Kevin McG]

I was a bit shocked at some of those test reading. My Phosphates were .4

I rechecked my water parameter and got the following:


(my results) Kevin McG -----------1.026 420 1410 10.2dHk <.25
(meeting results) Kevin McG ------1.026 492 1460 5.78 0.4


I use Salifert for everything except and actually checked ALK with a Elos kit and got about 10.2 dHk. I am really concerned about the difference is readings? everything in my tank is doing great. I usually judge water parameters based on how my corals are looking but it would be nice to get some test results with some sort of consistency.

Has anybody else compared todays results with there own?

 

[sbertomen]

Thank you guys for all the work testing. What an eye opener for me. After I got my new corals in, I went through all my tests again, and got the same results I had previously logged. I would have never known everything was so low.

I guess I need remedial testing procedure help now.

 

[fulinn]

Mine were different as well :


BRS :

SG 1.021, Ca 426, Mg 1244, Alk 2.57 mpq and po4 .11

Mine

SG 1.025, Ca 450, mg 1200, alk 9 dKH and po 0

I was surprised that the SG was off, I guess I need to recalibrate my refractometer. Not how my Alk compares as BRS uses a different measure system to what I do. Is there a way to translate Meq to dKH ?

Will you be doing water testing at the Bridgewater Meeting ?

Bonnie

 

[Jim Tansey]

Conversion Calculator.

www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/AlkConv.php

Jim

 

[dz6t]

what test kits BRS use?

 

[Greg Hiller]

Tabittha, yours and Josh's help was greatly appreciated. That was a lot of work. I was surprised by the number of people bringing in samples.

>I was a bit shocked at some of those test reading. My Phosphates were .4<

Most of the phosphate results were quite reasonable. There were a few folks with wacky results. I went back and repeated Kevin's test and obtained the same number. I think there is a chance that some of the high phosphate numbers might have been due to contamination by materials in the container used to transport the water. I suggest that in the future everyone transport their samples in a NEW ziploc bag. One person (not Kevin) transported their sample in an old Coke bottle....well....Coke contains phosphoric acid which will show up I believe as phosphate in the Hanna test we run. Remember, the phosphate test is trying to measure VERY low numbers. FWIW, before we purchased (oops, persued the donation of) the Hanna test kit I tested Liam's Hanna test kit at a meeting using some samples spiked with low and carefully measured phosphate standards from the lab. The meter was very nearly dead on, and I was measuring in incrememts of 0.03 ppm increases in phosphate. I was VERY impressed by the meter's accuracy.

>I use Salifert for everything except and actually checked ALK with a Elos kit and got about 10.2 dHk. I am really concerned about the difference is readings? <

The alkalinity test that we run now is the essence of the definition of alkalinity. I was also very concerned by your number and it was the only wacky number we got for alkalinity. I cannot remember whether we did nor not, but if there was sufficient sample we would have run the test again (that's why we ask for 250 ml, there is enough to re-run alkalinity).

>SG 1.021, Ca 426, Mg 1244, Alk 2.57 mpq and po4 .11

Mine

SG 1.025, Ca 450, mg 1200, alk 9 dKH and po 0 <

2.57 meq/l = 7.2 dKH. 426 ppm vs. 450 ppm is a 5% difference, our testing methodology will not distinguish between that kind of difference, likewise for Mg 1244 vs. 1200 (4% difference). For most of these parameters if you are between 390-500 calcium, and 1250-1350 magnesium it is, IMO/IME, very unlikely that you will have any corals suffering.

>I was surprised that the SG was off, I guess I need to recalibrate my refractometer.<

We had a refractometry standard at the meeting that everyone is welcome to take home small quantities of to recalibrate their refractometers.

>Will you be doing water testing at the Bridgewater Meeting ?<

Yup.

>what test kits BRS use?<

Discussed in detail here:

http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45164

 

[waltm]

Thanks to the club for offering this service and especially to Josh and Tabittha for spending most of the meeting playing chemist, we really appreciate all the hard work you did for us all!