Testing Organic vs inorganic elements

islander84 · May 30, 2020

Do hanna checkers test a total combined of organic and inorganic elements? Is there even a way to test them separately? PO4 and NO3 specifically....

sixty_reefer · May 30, 2020

If I understood the question properly, You may want to reed on N-Doc from Triton

islander84 · May 30, 2020

Do you have a link?

GlassMunky · May 30, 2020

islander84 said:
Do you have a link?

Organic Carbon Test for Reef Tanks — N-DOC Analysis | TRITON Lab

N-DOC measures what ICP cannot — organic carbon, true alkalinity, and total nitrogen in your reef. The organic compound test for aquariums. See what is really happening in your water.

www.triton-lab.de

islander84 · May 30, 2020

Not exactly what I was asking but that helps. My question was more geared towards, is there a difference in testing organic vs inorganic. Some people claim corals consume/uptake organic elements but not dissolved inorganic? So what exactly are the hanna checkers testing in the water?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 31, 2020

No, the only way with a kit to detect organophosphate is to use a long tedious process that digests the organics to inorganic phosphate, then detects it . Hach has a kit for that.

There is no kit for organic nitrogen.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 31, 2020

islander84 said:
Not exactly what I was asking but that helps. My question was more geared towards, is there a difference in testing organic vs inorganic. Some people claim corals consume/uptake organic elements but not dissolved inorganic? So what exactly are the hanna checkers testing in the water?

Folks claiming that are wrong. Corals can most definitely take up ammonia, nitrate, and inorganic phosphate, as well as some, but most definitely not all organics.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 31, 2020

This is the step by step description of the Hach total phosphate kit, PO-24:

https://www.hach.com/asset-get.download-en.jsa?id=7639982670

islander84 · May 31, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Folks claiming that are wrong. Corals can most definitely take up ammonia, nitrate, and inorganic phosphate, as well as some, but most definitely not all organics.

Is Nitrate from dosing KNO3 the same as the Nitrates from Ammonia conversion via a large dead shrimp?

Dan_P · Jun 1, 2020

islander84 said:
Is Nitrate from dosing KNO3 the same as the Nitrates from Ammonia conversion via a large dead shrimp?

The nitrate is the same but the effect on the aquarium is different. Adding nitrate just boosts nitrate to the exact level you want immediately. Rotting shrimp is generates a complex mess in the aquarium over time, part of which is ammonia that is oxidized by bacteria to nitrite and nitrate. The level of nitrate achieved is generally not predictable.