Test for Water Contaminants

[Apollo7235]

Good morning All,

I am looking for a water test that will show any potential contaminants that could be in my display tank, ranging from chemical to minerals/metals.

Is there a test for this? I have seen the ICP and mail-in tests, but it looks like they just measure parameters. I am probably going to go ahead and buy an ATI test just for giggles at this point because I feel like I don't have much left to lose, but I would be interested in a chemical contaminant test as well if there's something available.

Thanks in advance!

 

[WVNed]

This is what a Triton ICP will show you.

 

[Apollo7235]

This is what a Triton ICP will show you.

I think I'm going to go with one of these tests just to see if there's anything that immediately speaks to my issues. I'm honestly just trying to check my boxes before I completely rip down my tank and start over.

 

[Rmckoy]

I think I'm going to go with one of these tests just to see if there's anything that immediately speaks to my issues. I'm honestly just trying to check my boxes before I completely rip down my tank and start over.

Are you still having the same issue with the qt/dt ?

 

[Rmckoy]

A ICP test apparently tests for a lot but I don’t know if there is a actual test for unknown contaminants

 

[Apollo7235]

Are you still having the same issue with the qt/dt ?

Yes, unfortunately, and it seems to be either just as bad or worse.

My display is turning into a snail-killer. I've already had one very healthy Mexican Turbo die within a few hours of adding it, although the nassarius snails are doing fine. I figured it must have been a fluke, so I added another Turbo yesterday and it has yet to move from it's original location. After I added the live rock, I had immediate algae growth, but now it has all stalled and I haven't had any further growth.

I am so close to ripping the whole thing apart and starting over, I can't even express my frustration.

 

[Rmckoy]

Yes, unfortunately, and it seems to be either just as bad or worse.

My display is turning into a snail-killer. I've already had one very healthy Mexican Turbo die within a few hours of adding it, although the nassarius snails are doing fine. I figured it must have been a fluke, so I added another Turbo yesterday and it has yet to move from it's original location. After I added the live rock, I had immediate algae growth, but now it has all stalled and I haven't had any further growth.

I am so close to ripping the whole thing apart and starting over, I can't even express my frustration.

I can only imagine .
reefing can be frustrating for sure .
We have all been through loss and my most recent was about 50 acro frags along with a huge colony , healthy one day , gone the next.

 

[Apollo7235]

I can only imagine .
reefing can be frustrating for sure .
We have all been through loss and my most recent was about 50 acro frags along with a huge colony , healthy one day , gone the next.

Good Lord. I would be ripping my hair out.... If I have any left after all of this nonsense

 

[Rmckoy]

What size tank ?

Not that anyone has ever done it . I do all the time . Lol

what does your water smell like ?
Have to smelled your tank ? Does it smell normal ?
can you smell anything such as chemical ?

 

[Rmckoy]

Good Lord. I would be ripping my hair out.... If I have any left after all of this nonsense

I have lots. .
And with the provincial lockdown here , haircuts have been a few months since they were open .

 

[Apollo7235]

What size tank ?

Not that anyone has ever done it . I do all the time . Lol

what does your water smell like ?
Have to smelled your tank ? Does it smell normal ?
can you smell anything such as chemical ?

38-gallon DT with a 20-gallon sump, about 50-55 gallons of water total.

Water smells fine in my opinion, although my two successful quarantine tanks smell different. They have a very obvious oceany smell whereas I have never smelled that with my DT.. Weird now that you mention it.

 

[WVNed]

You started with a sterile tank a few months ago if I speed read correctly.

Have some patience. Having a nice tank is a lot like having a nice potted plant. It takes time. Some of us start with a half grown plant. You started with some seeds.

 

[Raptor72]

You wouldn’t happen to have black sand in your tank, would you?

 

[Apollo7235]

You started with a sterile tank a few months ago if I speed read correctly.

Have some patience. Having a nice tank is a lot like having a nice potted plant. It takes time. Some of us start with a half grown plant. You started with some seeds.

Yeah, my tank is a few months old, but my two quarantine tanks are less than half that age, one only a few weeks old, and supporting all of the life I’ve stocked them with.... that’s my problem.

Trust me, I have absolutely no expectation of having a completely stocked super reef complete with major SPS colonies within even the first 2 years. All I am asking for is a tank that doesn’t kill 95% of everything I put in it.

 

[Apollo7235]

You wouldn’t happen to have black sand in your tank, would you?

Nope, I have the CaribSea Special Grade Aragonite sand.

 

[Rmckoy]

38-gallon DT with a 20-gallon sump, about 50-55 gallons of water total.

Water smells fine in my opinion, although my two successful quarantine tanks smell different. They have a very obvious oceany smell whereas I have never smelled that with my DT.. Weird now that you mention it.

I can normally tell when something Is off
I had a issue with my top off container .
it smelled like some type of cleaner gladly is was stagnant water and the container needed another soak .
We live in a apartment .
our neighbours always say our apartment smells like the ocean .

which I take as a compliment it’s supposed to lol

 

[Apollo7235]

I can normally tell when something Is off
I had a issue with my top off container .
it smelled like some type of cleaner gladly is was stagnant water and the container needed another soak .
We live in a apartment .
our neighbours always say our apartment smells like the ocean .

which I take as a compliment it’s supposed to lol

Haha, that’s funny. My coworker told me that I had better not mind the ‘smell’ and honestly, I can’t smell it unless I’m on top of the tank and really sniffing. I don’t think it’s a bad smell, almost a weirdly fresh sort of scent.

 

[Raptor72]

Nope, I have the CaribSea Special Grade Aragonite sand.

Ok. I had the CaribSea black sand and API tests came back with Vanadium levels at at 9000. Acceptable levels are 0-10. None of my nems would open up and I couldn’t keep snails alive. As soon as I removed the sand, everything perked up.

 

[Apollo7235]

Ok. I had the CaribSea black sand and API tests came back with Vanadium levels at at 9000. Acceptable levels are 0-10. None of my nems would open up and I couldn’t keep snails alive. As soon as I removed the sand, everything perked up.

Interesting!

I’m very interested to see what the ATI test shows! The 2 weeks of waiting are going to drive me nuts ‍

 

[Rmckoy]

I have been tempted to get one as well .
just to see what’s out of range or anything not known .

it would for sure answer a few questions