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Good aquarists don’t maintain aquariums—they maintain water. And it is impossible to maintain your water without testing. Reference our Aquarium Testing Recommendations Chart to see what parameters to test for and how often. When you test, you want the most accurate and precise measurements you can get. Here are some tips to help you improve your precision and accuracy.
How consistent are your test results? When you test your pH three times, and each time it measures 8.2, the test is very precise. If the test measures 8.1, then 8.3, and then 8.2, the test is not precise. Precision does not mean the results are correct, but that they are repeatable. Even if the actual pH of the water you tested was 6.5 and your results were consistently 8.2, they would still be precise.
The key to getting precise results is performing your tests identically each and every time. Here are some simple steps to help you stay consistent.
Accuracy describes how close your results are to the actual value. If your pH test result is 8.2 and the actual pH is 8.2, the result is accurate. If your average result is 8.2, even though none of the individual results are 8.2, the average is still accurate.
To ensure your results are accurate, there are a few steps you can take.
1. Remove the weakest link
A test is no more accurate than its least accurate factor, and usually, the least accurate factor is the human element. When you use your eye to read a color-based test or to read numbers on a scale, your eye is different from everyone else’s, and this can be a cause of errors in the results. Using a pH test kit, digital refractometer, and digital colorimeter will remove the human error from your testing.
2. Use reference solutions
How do you know if your test kit is reporting correctly? Use a reference solution. A reference solution is a solution prepared in a lab and certified to yield a specific result. There are pH solutions, salinity solutions, TDS solutions, and natural seawater solutions. Using your test on the solution will let you know how close your test kit is to the true value. If you have electronic testers, you can adjust them to match the value the solution reports by calibrating them.
3. Use multiple methods
Many factors can cause a test to be inaccurate. Stray voltage in your aquarium can cause your pH probe to read incorrectly. A dirty test vial can cause false readings in colorimetric pH tests. Because of this, it is often best to use two different technologies for testing. You could test with both a colorimetric test and a digital meter or using a hydrometer and refractometer (or a MarineAndReef.com REEFractometer).
4. Use testing services
There are services where you can have lab technicians test your water for you. With an ICP Water Analysis Kit, you can take a sample of your water and send it to the ICP Lab to be tested using inductively coupled plasma (electronic plasma spectroscopy). The results are emailed to you. This is an excellent way to obtain professional test results for your tank and gain insight into what could be causing a problem or limiting your tank’s potential.
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