ATI results back, sources of vanadium?

[SashimiTurtle]

I received my ATI ICP test results and I have extremely high vanadium and nickel. What could possibly be the cause of these metals in the tank, specifically vanadium. I am unable to keep SPS alive for more than a few weeks before they completely STN. All magnets, pumps and powerheads have been disassembled and inspected multiple times.

ATI test results

 

[Brew12]

I received my ATI ICP test results and I have extremely high vanadium and nickel. What could possibly be the cause of these metals in the tank, specifically vanadium. I am unable to keep SPS alive for more than a few weeks before they completely STN. All magnets, pumps and powerheads have been disassembled and inspected multiple times.

ATI test results

Vanadium is a common alloying ingredient in both carbon and stainless steels. It changes the grain structure to allow for a harder steel when processed. Nickel is also an alloying agent commonly added to both carbon and stainless steel for its corrosion resistance.

The fact that you have undetectable chrome would imply a carbon steel issue, not a stainless steel issue.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any chance there’s any metal parts in the ro/di? A float switch?

 

[SashimiTurtle]

RODI has no floats or switches. I make up what I need in 5g totes or my brute can.

Carbon steel... what in the world is carbon steel in my tank? The Kessil mount that was touching the water is aluminum, pretty sure at least. Its non magnetic. Pump rotors are made of...? I just removed two Jebao pumps in favor of an Icecap 1K.

 

[Brew12]

RODI has no floats or switches. I make up what I need in 5g totes or my brute can.

Carbon steel... what in the world is carbon steel in my tank? The Kessil mount that was touching the water is aluminum, pretty sure at least. Its non magnetic. Pump rotors are made of...? I just removed two Jebao pumps in favor of an Icecap 1K.

Any chance you dropped a screw or something similar into your tank? If you have a strong magnet you can run it over your sand bed and see if it pulls anything out. Kind of a long shot, but ya never know.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Any chance you dropped a screw or something similar into your tank? If you have a strong magnet you can run it over your sand bed and see if it pulls anything out. Kind of a long shot, but ya never know.

I'm starting to wonder that myself...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That is one whopping vanadium level. Lots of trace metals are elevated, but not nearly so much.

Are you dosing any trace element mixtures?

Does the tank seem ok?

Maybe it’s a typo. [emoji23]

 

[SashimiTurtle]

The tank is great other than killing every sps that goes in it. Well, except for this one digi, it is tough as nails. The tank has also killed a dragon soul favia and a pink and purple lobo, one acan, several zoas(but I think that was my fault with a h2o2 overdose a few months back).

I don't dose anything now, and do water changes with RODI from my 6 stage unit and red sea blue bucket salt. Everything perks up after a water change then slowly degrades. Most SPS never make it past 2 weeks. Stylo, birds nest, mille, stag, pavona, poccilopora. The only thing that has hung in there is montipora. I have that one digi and a cap, neither look good tho.

I'm no expert by any means, but I can keep a clean tank and I've grown those corals before. Just not now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry to hear this. It does seem to sound like an in tank source.

Top off is 0 ppm tds?

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Yes, incoming TDS is around 80, after RO has ran for a few minutes its rarely over 1ppm, usually 0 and the DI has always produced 0ppm. The DI resin is one month old and hasn't even started to change colors. I guess I'll find a magnet and go digging thru the sand.

 

[Brew12]

Yes, incoming TDS is around 80, after RO has ran for a few minutes its rarely over 1ppm, usually 0 and the DI has always produced 0ppm. The DI resin is one month old and hasn't even started to change colors. I guess I'll find a magnet and go digging thru the sand.

If your old Jabao pumps stuck to the tank using magnets, I would use one of those. Should be strong enough.

 

[Foothill Corals]

I was just reading something on vanadium and noticed this. The ceramics part makes me wonder about the skull?

"The compound vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) is used as a mordant (a substance that permanently fixes dyes to fabrics), as a catalyst in some chemical reactions and in the manufacturing of ceramics."

 

[SashimiTurtle]

The skull is acrylic... but we used to have a half gallon box of marine pure spheres in the overflow. Probably why my aluminum is high also. They are now removed and there is polyfilter and cuprisorb in the tank along with a little bit or carbon and gfo to try and remove some metals... doesn't seem to be enough.

@Brew12 I have some extra Tunze magnets around here somewhere. Those are pretty strong. Might just use the Jebao magnet.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Exploratory surgery of sand bed revealed nothing. Tied fishing line to the magnet and dipped it in places I can neither see nor get my hand into in the sump amd also found nothing.

Could this be a source? It used to be in the water until a few days ago. Im also wandering since my nickel is down, but vanadium and aluminum is up, if the marine pure wasn't adding some metals into the water also.

View attachment 20180426_123820.jpg

 

[Brew12]

Exploratory surgery of sand bed revealed nothing. Tied fishing line to the magnet and dipped it in places I can neither see nor get my hand into in the sump amd also found nothing.

Could this be a source? It used to be in the water until a few days ago. Im also wandering since my nickel is down, but vanadium and aluminum is up, if the marine pure wasn't adding some metals into the water also.

View attachment 20180426_123820.jpg

I'm not sure if it could be a factor. I'm a steel mill guy, not an aluminum mill guy.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

@Randy Holmes-Farley, are you familiar with this sand and its potential chemical properties? It is the "Tahitian moon" variety. It says safe for saltwater... but we know how that goes sometimes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s black sand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve never been a fan of black sand from a chemical standpoint, but I have no idea if it’s the cause.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Yes it's black... here is a macro shot of it, doubt it will tell anyone anything.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hard to know...