24/06/2025
Different types of testing & do I need it? 😬
We would always advocate for some type of testing, some do it regular, others do rarely but without it you are waiting for things to go wrong and you miss the opportunity to spot trends that you could have fixed with small actions.
For example,
'My nitrate has gone up 2 every week when I test, so to fix it maybe I change 25 litres of water a week instead of 20 to see if that does it'. 😉
V's
'I haven't tested for four months, my nitrate is at 80ppm, I've changed half my water and it's hardly moved and now my corals are sad, ahh!' 😧
We prefer the Zen approach of knowing what's happening and dealing with it calmly and without making massive changes to our water chemistry over one weekend 🐠🪸😊
⭐Colorimetric tests
These are the most common aquarium tests, they're economical to buy costing very little per test but can be a bit open to interpretation as we all see colours a bit different and light has an effect on what we see too. Still a great way to get a handle on what's happening in your tank.
⭐⭐Digital checkers
Digital Hanna checkers are simple to use and give you an actual measurement on an LCD screen in ppm. They're a little more expensive as each one checks just one parameter however we do like the fact that we get an actual number that's the same regardless of who is viewing it.
⭐⭐⭐ICP Tests
These are laboratory tests, they're the most accurate and test for literally dozens of parameters including base parameters, macro elements, trace elements, nutrients and pollutants. They simple to do, you pourchase an ICP kit from us which contains the address to send your water to and the vials to send your water in, once the lab received your water they test it and make all the results available to you via on online portal. In our experience the Reef Zlements ICP is the fastest with the results being available within 12 to 36 hours of them receiving your water sample.
Visit us to find out more about any of these testing methods, we're happy to explain any one of them in more detail.
All of these products and more are available in store and via our website, link to our website is in the comments 👇
