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  | ReefdUp   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 20 2011
 Location: South Weber
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 Points: 4166
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Topic: Triton Water Test Results Posted: December 12 2014 at 8:41pm
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   Just thought I'd share my water test with Triton.  I used RSCP for water changes.
 Calcium: 504.900 (425 w/ Red Sea Foundation Test)
 Magnesium: 1605.000 (1480 w/ Red Sea Foundation Test)
 Iron: 0.000 (0 w/ Red Sea Color Test)
 Iodine: 0.0292 ppm (0.03 w/ Red Sea Color Test)
 Potassium 440.400 (440 w/ Red Sea Color Test)
 Mercury: 0.000
 Selenium: 0.000
 Cadmium: 0.000
 Tin: 0.000
 Antimony: 0.000
 Arsenic: 0.000
 Aluminum: 0.000
 Lead: 0.000
 Titanium: 0.000
 Copper: 0.000
 Sodium: 10679.000
 Bromine: 81.480
 Boron: 7.950
 Strontium: 6.280
 Sulfur: 1030.000
 Lithium: 477.500
 Nickel: 0.000
 Molybdenum: 7.450
 Vanadium: 0.000
 Zinc: 0.880
 Manganese: 0.000
 Chromium: 0.000
 Cobalt: 0.000
 Iron: 0.000 (0 w/ Red Sea Color Kit)
 Barium: 12.960
 Beryllium: 0.000
 Silicon: 68.810
 Phosphorous: 0.000
 Phosphate: 0.000 (0.00 w/ Hanna Phosphate Checker)
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     www.reefdup.comDiving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
 PADI Advanced Open Water
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  | Jimbo   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: February 22 2009
 Location: Plain City
 Status: Offline
 Points: 515
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 12 2014 at 9:02pm | 
 
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   How do those levels compare with the recommended levels of those elements?  
 Edited by Jimbo - December 12 2014 at 9:04pm
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  | ReefdUp   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 20 2011
 Location: South Weber
 Status: Offline
 Points: 4166
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 12 2014 at 9:16pm | 
 
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   Well, I was trying to put that in, but the webpage wasn't letting me easily.
 Magnesium is elevated per the Triton test.
 Bromide is elevated.
 Boron is too high (nearly double).
 Lithium is too high (nearly double).
 Iodine is too low (nearly half).
 Phosphorous and Phosphate are too low.
 
 It's interesting reading all the results people are getting on the various forums.  I think we're about to see a revolution, especially in salts.
 
 
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     www.reefdup.comDiving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
 PADI Advanced Open Water
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  | Jeremyw   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: April 09 2009
 Location: Utah County
 Status: Offline
 Points: 8513
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 12 2014 at 10:06pm | 
 
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   Im curious for the ones like Magnesium and calcium that were tested with two different tests and both came with a different result, what it would be like to test it with other test kits (maybe you have) and see what and who is off....... 
 I wonder if we are not only seeing a difference in bucket to bucket (which we have heard on the forum here in the past few weeks) and what the manufacture is seeing but a difference in test kits. So not only is it an issue with salt but test kits (but we already know that, especially after this data you have provided)  
 So the question comes to mind..... who needs be held accountable, salt manufactures, test kit companies etc. ? 
 Who is going to hold them responsible?  
 The reason why I ask is the more I dive into the "backside" of this hobby it seems that wholesale companies, manufactures dont really care.  Now, I know that some do care but it seems a majority dont.  
 Remember this is all my personal opinion and I think its ridiculous that we cant rely on  A) the salt to be what they say it is  and  B) The test kits doing what we need them to do. 
 Because both of these lead to alot more issues with our tanks and keeping these animals alive and healthy. If we cant rely on the one thing they need, and we cant test it correctly than ..... well you get my point...  
 Okay Im going to stop my rant and say... Thanks for posting this Nikki this was very helpful.  
 J 
 Edited by Jeremyw - December 12 2014 at 10:08pm
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  | ReefdUp   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 20 2011
 Location: South Weber
 Status: Offline
 Points: 4166
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 12 2014 at 10:40pm | 
 
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   I was going to actually suggest that I review my test methodology first. I might've not shaken as long as I was supposed to, held the bottle properly, or not let enough time lapse between drops. I don't think there's enough evidence to point fingers.
 Salts vary from brand to batch to bucket. Some may be willing to pay for higher quality control while others aren't. We may now be able to draw a better line to the best bang for the buck.
 
 We may also start to gain a better understanding of trace elements in reef tanks.
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     www.reefdup.comDiving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
 PADI Advanced Open Water
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  | Mark Peterson   Paid Member
 
   
   
 Joined: June 19 2002
 Location: Murray
 Status: Offline
 Points: 21436
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 6:43am | 
 
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   I enjoyed Jeremy's ranting and thanks to Nikki for the information. 
 What's the old adage? "splitting hairs" 
 Why do people like to have a refractometer? Not because it's necessary to have the salinity that exact and not because our animals care, but because we feel that kind of exactness may help us do better with our pets. I'm sorry to tell you, and I know many will disagree. I've seen too much in this hobby to worry about these issues of exactness. I've seen a whole range of nice aquariums put together by people with a wide range of knowledge and levels of care.  Of course manufacturers are in this to make as much money as possible. Of course customer service is devoted to making money, to doing just enough that they look like they care, otherwise they go out of business. Of course the test kits are not exact. I mean how could they be. number of drops, amount of time for reactions and comparing colors. Give me a break. This should come as no surprise. 
 Lest you think that I am criticizing and in spite of the seeming futility of all this, we live in an amazing time in the history of the earth and I'm lovin' it. Information abounds. Knowledge is at our fingertips. We can be happy and looking toward what awesomeness awaits us on the horizon. The time is near. Aloha    | 
 
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  | badfinger   Guest
 
   
 
 Joined: May 18 2009
 Location: Murray, UT
 Status: Offline
 Points: 2079
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 8:25am | 
 
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   Do you dose anything besides rscp
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  | ReefdUp   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 20 2011
 Location: South Weber
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 Points: 4166
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 8:33am | 
 
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   I use two part from BRS. That was all I used for this test.
 I really want to buy like 50 Triton tests to see what's in all sorts of stuff.
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     www.reefdup.comDiving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
 PADI Advanced Open Water
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  | Jeremyw   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: April 09 2009
 Location: Utah County
 Status: Offline
 Points: 8513
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 10:44am | 
 
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   So you said something that had me thinking. Re testing because maybe you tested wrong. As we "Dose" our tanks  based on what we test we may be off in some cases a lot.  
 Thats why I think it would be interesting to test exactly to what the manufacture says  (drops, shakes etc) and see what the out come of each test is. How off they are or are they in line with each other. I know alot of us have out own opinions about certain manufacture tests, so it would be interesting to see if our opinions are right... hmmm now you got me thinking about all this.... thanks Nikki!  
 J 
 Edited by Jeremyw - December 13 2014 at 10:45am
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  | badfinger   Guest
 
   
 
 Joined: May 18 2009
 Location: Murray, UT
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 Points: 2079
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 10:57am | 
 
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   Does it not test alk?
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  | Mark Peterson   Paid Member
 
   
   
 Joined: June 19 2002
 Location: Murray
 Status: Offline
 Points: 21436
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 13 2014 at 11:48am | 
 
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   As I understand it, Alk is not a test for any one element or mineral in the water, rather it is a test which reads what we call the "buffering capacity" of salt water. Ionic elements like Ca- and Mg+ combine with Hydroxide ions (Hydrogen and Oxygen) to form compounds/minerals that essentially crystallize into the Calcium Carbonate structure of hard coral skeletons, soft coral sclerites(see wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcyonacea  ), snail shells, crab/shrimp/bug exoskeletons, etc. Measuring Alkalinity is similar in principle to measuring pH. 
 From a Google search "What is Alkalinity in water": Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity of water to neutralize acids (see pH description). Alkaline compounds in the water such as bicarbonates (baking soda is one type), carbonates, and hydroxides remove H+ ions and lower the acidity of the water (which means increased pH).Aloha  
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  | phys   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 04 2011
 Location: Capitol Hill
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 Points: 1982
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 22 2014 at 2:27am | 
 
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   I believe a test kit we normally use in the hobby tests for carbonate alkalinity. Basically how much carbonate (and bicarbonates) are contained in the water. It gives you the ability to know how much carbonate is in the water to provide that buffering capacity. 
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  | ReefdUp   Guest
 
   
   
 Joined: March 20 2011
 Location: South Weber
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 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: December 22 2014 at 5:47am | 
 
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   And if I understand correctly, Triton does not test for it because the level will shift during shipping. 
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     www.reefdup.comDiving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
 PADI Advanced Open Water
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