Triton ICP vs hobby grade test results.

[Bret Brinkmann]

I compared a Triton ICP sample while measuring various parameters using test kits from various companies. Test were performed per the instructions included in the kits. I thought others would be interested in seeing the differences so here they are. I will be doing this a few more times through out the year to check for consistencies and trends. I'm happy to answer any questions and take suggestions.

Triton Applied Reef Bioscience are the world leaders in professional sea water analysis.

Empowering aquarists around the world since 2008. Click to view shared sea water analysis.

www.triton-lab.de

pH: I know Triton ICP doesn't include this but thought it was a good comparison between instruments.
APEX pH probe: 8.17 in refugium
Hanna HI98129 pH/Conductivity/TDS/Temperature Tester: 7.95-7.99 in display tank. (Still learning to use this one so mostly user error not equipment error. Also demonstrates differences between DT and fuge.)

Temperature
APEX Temp Probe: 78.7F
Hanna HI98129: 78.4F

Calcium
API: 400 ppm (Yeah I know API, just a comparison.)
Triton: 411 ppm (API not looking so bad now! I think titration test are inherently less inaccurate then other types but this is my speculation.)
%Difference: API is 2.7% (11ppm) lower.

Magnesium
Red Sea: 1220 ppm
Triton: 1586 ppm (When people say upwards of 1500 ppm is bad for snails, do they mean Triton or hobby kit values?)
%Difference: Red Sea is 23.1% (366 ppm) lower.

Phosphorous (NOT phosphate)
Hanna ULR: 50 ppb (parts per billion NOT million, again phosphorus not phosphate.)
Triton: 6.356 ppb
%Difference: Hanna is 686.7% (43.644 ppb) higher.

Silicone
Hanna: 0.01 ppm
Triton: 0.789 ppm
%Difference: Hanna is 98.7% (0.779 ppm) lower.

 

[BeejReef]

I compared a Triton ICP sample while measuring various parameters using test kits from various companies. Test were performed per the instructions included in the kits. I thought others would be interested in seeing the differences so here they are. I will be doing this a few more times through out the year to check for consistencies and trends. I'm happy to answer any questions and take suggestions.

Triton Applied Reef Bioscience are the world leaders in professional sea water analysis.

Empowering aquarists around the world since 2008. Click to view shared sea water analysis.

www.triton-lab.de

pH: I know Triton ICP doesn't include this but thought it was a good comparison between instruments.
APEX pH probe: 8.17 in refugium
Hanna HI98129 pH/Conductivity/TDS/Temperature Tester: 7.95-7.99 in display tank. (Still learning to use this one so mostly user error not equipment error. Also demonstrates differences between DT and fuge.)

Temperature
APEX Temp Probe: 78.7F
Hanna HI98129: 78.4F

Calcium
API: 400 ppm (Yeah I know API, just a comparison.)
Triton: 411 ppm (API not looking so bad now! I think titration test are inherently less inaccurate then other types but this is my speculation.)
%Difference: API is 2.7% (11ppm) lower.

Magnesium
Red Sea: 1220 ppm
Triton: 1586 ppm (When people say upwards of 1500 ppm is bad for snails, do they mean Triton or hobby kit values?)
%Difference: Red Sea is 23.1% (366 ppm) lower.

Phosphorous (NOT phosphate)
Hanna ULR: 50 ppb (parts per billion NOT million, again phosphorus not phosphate.)
Triton: 6.356 ppb
%Difference: Hanna is 686.7% (43.644 ppb) higher.

Silicone
Hanna: 0.01 ppm
Triton: 0.789 ppm
%Difference: Hanna is 98.7% (0.779 ppm) lower.

I had similarly confusing results very recently.
Triton showed much higher mag than my rs. Also differed significantly w my hanna phosphate reading. Calcium was close to rs.

 

[Conor_K]

My first ever ICP results yielded the same issue. Mg significantly high with ICP than what my red sea is kicking out.
Has anyone seen any explanation for this?

 

[Nano sapiens]

My first ever ICP results yielded the same issue. Mg significantly high with ICP than what my red sea is kicking out.
Has anyone seen any explanation for this?

Same issue here with Triton being about 250 ppm higher than my Salifert Mg kit. I thought Triton is likely correct, but to be sure I bought the Seachem Mg kit which was very close to the Salifert result. Either hobbyist tritation kits inheritantly read low, or Triton is way off...

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I used the ATI ICP test and much to my surprise, my results were very similar to the results I got with my Red Sea Pro test kit for NO3, ALK, Ca, and Mg. It was also within 2 ppb of my Hanna ULR results.