Water Test Service

[TMaier]

Hello, has anyone had any experience with using a water testing service in the US. I have found a few sites for reef/marine tanks but nothing for freshwater. I lost all my shrimp a few months back when I changed my substrate. I have added a poly filter that would indicate certain types of minerals/chemicals but not everything. The tank in my opinion is still suspect. I added 4 ramshorn snails to it a few weeks back and all perished. The bladder snails that were in there also perished. It is loaded with mystery snails but perhaps they are not as sensitive as these other species.

I think something in the tank might be leaching something into the water?

Or perhaps the mystery snails out compete the other species for food and I'm just paranoid.

If I could get a good water test for possible toxins I would feel much better.

 

[abw0004]

It is probably because of the change in substrate. When you moved the substrate, I assume you kept a few inches of tank water in the aquarium to preserve some bacteria? Churning the substrate may have leeched some stuff that was buried deep in the substrate. If my memory recalls, the bad bacteria lives deep in the substrate, which is why some people say to not have super deep substrates. I encountered something similar when I changed my substrate.