Aluminium Tank Cover Frame

[Fragzilla]

Hi Randy,

You may remember I raised a thread recently questioning if I had a ph problem due to my lps melting/stressing especially in the evenings.

One thing that I have noticed is the aluminium frame for the diy tank cover I have seems to have lost some anodised coating and where it has rested up against my hang on tank light fitting and the area of contact has white powder like deposits on it, only exactly where the contact has been made with the damaged part of the aluminium frame.

Is there potential for this to cause problems? Aluminium oxide etc?

I'm suspecting this could relate to what I was seeing in the evenings as that is the time I feed my fish and will have to move the tank cover slightly to get water to defrost the cube of brine Shrimp I feed.

I've heard aluminium won't rust but will dissolve in the water by means of electrolysis. My tank always has some induced voltage from the pumps.

Has this kind of issue been seen before or am I clutching at straws trying to find a culprit? Sometimes when I'm doing stuff one corner of the frame will go in the tank also so at times direct contact is made with the water.

Btw I have just sent off icp to Triton and think I will remove the tank cover tonight anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Triton will show if metals like aluminum might be high. I wouldn't guess aluminum itself to be the issue, but it is likely an alloy to begin with.

 

[Fragzilla]

Ok thanks mate.

When it happened last year and what I'm seeing now is a kind of blue grey stain to some Ceramics and coral skeleton, this reminded me of an old church's copper roof, which was green, but what I'm seeing is a more blue/grey.

I'm sure something is in there now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Try a Poly-Bio-Marine polyfilter pad and note the color change (if any). It binds metals to reduce them, and the color can give some info on what was present.