-ICP Water Testing-

ICP-OES is an incredibly advanced method of discovering the chemical happenings in your aquarium. The method offers reliability and in general is a very interesting method of measuring the elements in your tank in a way that a home testing kit simply doesn’t have the functionality to do.

What is ICP Water Testing?

ICP water testing has now been around for quite a while but is considered by a multitude of people to have been innovated in 2008 and 2012 by Triton. Presently the method is incredibly useful since it gives aquarium enthusiasts the ability to test their water for a massive 32 elements which is incredibly helpful especially for people who have taken up dosing.

How Does It Work?

ICP splits your water in to component atoms allowing you to see all the elements that are populating your water. Essentially ICP-OES is a highly advanced flame test, a plasma torch is used which burn the ions that are present in your water and the colours that these ions turn to and how bright these colours shine tells us not only which elements are present but also the concentration of the element in your water!

The Benefits Over Home Testing Kits

ICP allows you to see 32 different elements. ICP is simply far more reliable since you can see virtually every element that can possibly be found in an aquarium, whereas with a home testing kit you could have damaging elements floating around your tank and be none the wiser after performing the test. If you are struggling to find the answer to your organisms struggling, then using the ICP method could provide you with some answers.

A Final Word

ICP-OES is incredibly useful and is seriously worth investing in if you feel your organisms are experiencing issues and a home testing kit has not been helpful.