Collection: ICP Testing

What ICP testing is

ICP-OES is a laboratory technique that analyses a water sample for a range of elements at once. In aquarium use it is a periodic check rather than a routine test: the sample is collected at home, posted to the lab, and the results come back as a report. It sits alongside hobby test kits rather than replacing them, since kits give you a reading today and ICP gives you a broader picture every few months.

Which of the two tests to send

• The aquarium water test analyses tank water on its own.
• The aquarium and RO test covers both tank water and your source water.
• Source water matters when something may be entering the system rather than accumulating in it.
• Both are collected and returned following the instructions supplied with the kit.

Getting a usable result

Sample handling affects what the lab receives, so follow the collection steps as written — the wrong container, a contaminated sample or a delay in posting all change the outcome. Take the sample at a consistent point in your maintenance cycle, not straight after a water change or a large dose, so results from different months can be compared against each other rather than against different conditions.