At REEFLABS, we are a team of aquaculture biotechnologists, molecular biologists, microbiologists, and bioinformaticians. As dedicated aquarium enthusiasts with decades of experience in marine and reef aquarium keeping, we understand the heartbreak of losing precious animals to pathogens and diseases that could have been prevented with early detection.

Driven by this shared pain, we combined our expertise to develop a sensitive and advanced analysis method that identifies problematic organisms in aquariums. Our mission is to make cutting-edge technology—once limited to scientific research and universities—accessible to the general public.

Introducing the P3 Test

After extensive research and development, we created the P3 Test Kit, a unique tool that enables aquarists to detect pests, pathogens, and parasites affecting fish, corals, and invertebrates.

The P3 Test Kit comes with everything you need to simply collect a sample of your aquarium at home.

In the lab

Once your sample arrives at our lab, our advanced process begins:

  • DNA Extraction and Purification: We isolate and purify the total DNA from your sample.

  • Sensitive DNA Sequencing: Unlike traditional methods that read around 8,000 strands of DNA per sample, our process analyzes 50,000 individual DNA fragments. The higher the DNA strands analysed, the greater the sensitivity and accuracy.

  • Targeted ITS Region Analysis: We focus on the full length Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region, which provides superior species-level identification compared to the commonly used 18S region.

  • Proprietary Analysis Pipeline: Your sample data is processed using our custom bioinformatics analysis pipeline and database of hundreds of harmful organisms.

Your result

At the end of the process, you’ll receive a detailed report that includes:

  • A list of pests, pathogens, parasites or toxic algae detected in your aquarium.
  • A description of each organism and the potential harm they pose.
  • Treatment recommendations to address the issues effectively.

Why Choose ReefLabs?

Expertise: Scientific precision combined with decades of reef-keeping experience

Sensitivity: Can detects even a single copy of DNA from harmful organisms in your aquarium sample.

Comprehensive Database: A constantly updated DNA library of thousands of harmful species for accurate identification.

User-Friendly Process: Easy at-home sampling with free express return shipping.

How Long Does It Take?

Once we receive your sample, the entire process—including sample processing, analysis and report generation—takes approximately 4 weeks.