Aluminum in Tank

Reflective · Jul 2, 2015

So I did a Triton test and it showed Al in the tank. What are some sources this could be from? They suggested I do 4 x 10% water change with Triton Pure salt... but after I saw the cost for 13 gallons I figured I'd save my $400 until I actually figure out where it's coming from.

The Li I'm guessing is from my ESV salt mix since I vaguely remember other posts commenting on this.

kschweer · Jul 2, 2015

I remember some discussion that some Of the ceramic "bio-media" can leach aluminum and also phosgaurd can as well. Do you use either of these products?

GainesvilleReef · Jul 3, 2015

Reflective said:
So I did a Triton test and it showed Al in the tank. What are some sources this could be from? They suggested I do 4 x 10% water change with Triton Pure salt... but after I saw the cost for 13 gallons I figured I'd save my $400 until I actually figure out where it's coming from.

The Li I'm guessing is from my ESV salt mix since I vaguely remember other posts commenting on this.

Any salt will do. It does not need to be Triton. I had the same problem with marine pure ceramic blocks. Took the blocks out and did the water changes with just IO.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

I agree with what's been posted above. If you do not use any aluminum media, we can pursue further...

sheldonjjessup · Jul 3, 2015

I just put marine pure in my tank thinking it was superior to live rock. Is the aluminum leek when it first goes in, or is this a long term problem?

Reflective · Jul 3, 2015

I had some of the ceramic media in my refugium area when I first started my tank. It came with an Aquaclear 30 HOB filter so it was probably about a handful of it that was in there for a couple months.
I took it out at the end of May. I also started the Triton Elementz on 6/12 so I haven't done any water changes since then.
All I'm using right now is Seachem Matrix Carbon.

Glad to hear any salt will do! Should I switch from ESV to something else because of the high Li?

GainesvilleReef · Jul 3, 2015

Reflective said:
I had some of the ceramic media in my refugium area when I first started my tank. It came with an Aquaclear 30 HOB filter so it was probably about a handful of it that was in there for a couple months.
I took it out at the end of May. I also started the Triton Elementz on 6/12 so I haven't done any water changes since then.
All I'm using right now is Seachem Matrix Carbon.

Glad to hear any salt will do! Should I switch from ESV to something else because of the high Li?

No IO will give you high lithium as well. High lithium seems to be a US thing. Seems to be unavoidable.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

But IO will likely give lower lithium than he has now. I use only IO and have lithium about a third of the OP.

I'm also not convinced it is a concern at these levels. Here's my blurb on it from an article detailing my Triton results:

https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/

Lithium (Li). The lithium is elevated, and that is probably from the salt mix. A great many people have elevated lithium, and I’ve seen some fresh artificial salt water samples that also had it. It is probably an impurity in one of the main ingredients of a salt mix, but it can also come from calcium and alkalinity additives, such as calcium chloride. At this level it does not concern me. It’s biological properties (such as a medication in people) seem to happen at much higher levels, and in many ways it is chemically similar to sodium that is present at 30,000 times higher concentration.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

Reflective said:
I had some of the ceramic media in my refugium area when I first started my tank. It came with an Aquaclear 30 HOB filter so it was probably about a handful of it that was in there for a couple months.
I took it out at the end of May. I also started the Triton Elementz on 6/12 so I haven't done any water changes since then.
All I'm using right now is Seachem Matrix Carbon.

Glad to hear any salt will do! Should I switch from ESV to something else because of the high Li?

It might be from that. If so, it will decline over time.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

sheldonjjessup said:
I just put marine pure in my tank thinking it was superior to live rock. Is the aluminum leek when it first goes in, or is this a long term problem?

I don't think that is known. The aluminum may or may not be an issue, IMO, unless the levels get up to about 0.5 ppm (10x your level).

GainesvilleReef · Jul 3, 2015

I had noticeable problems with a leather coral at just 92 ppb. IMO it is very species specific and more of an irritation. The leather stayed closed up and did not grow with the Al in the tank but has recovered fine and is growing again. I believe it affected other corals as well but not as dramatically as the leather. And I also believe that many of my corals were not affected at all. I run very close to a low nutrient system so the value of the blocks for me was not that great anyway. So I just took them out.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 3, 2015

GainesvilleReef said:
I had noticeable problems with a leather coral at just 92 ppb. IMO it is very species specific and more of an irritation. The leather stayed closed up and did not grow with the Al in the tank but has recovered fine and is growing again. I believe it affected other corals as well but not as dramatically as the leather. And I also believe that many of my corals were not affected at all. I run very close to a low nutrient system so the value of the blocks for me was not that great anyway. So I just took them out.

I agree. When I tested soluble aluminum, leathers closed up at 0.5 ppm but not at 0.05 ppm (50 ppb). I don't know what happens in between, and it is species dependent.

I also expect the form of the aluminum is quite important. It can be Al+++ ions and related species, aluminum oxide particulates, or aluminum bound to organics.

miyags · Jul 3, 2015

GainesvilleReef said:
Any salt will do. It does not need to be Triton. I had the same problem with marine pure ceramic blocks. Took the blocks out and did the water changes with just IO.

Are those the blocks BRS sells,that leach the aluminum? I was thinking of buying one for the sump, and removing some live rock from my tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 4, 2015

I don't know which ones you mean.

sheldonjjessup · Jul 4, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I don't think that is known. The aluminum may or may not be an issue, IMO, unless the levels get up to about 0.5 ppm (10x your level).

Ok great thanks!