ATI results back, sources of vanadium?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not know whether black sand is generally an issue or not. Certainly some folks have nice reefs with it, but might that be in spite of a potential ongoing release of metals??? True washed beach sand is likely to be better than a manufactured product since easily dissolved minerals will be gone.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay so with all this talk of numbers and elements leeching. Is regular aragonite beneficial and reef safe, because I need all the help I can get with pH staying higher.

Aragonite is definitely reef safe. It’s the same material coral skeletons are made of.

Beneficial? That’s a more complex question without a simple yes or no answer. IMO, sand is mostly beneficial for the look, not a chemical function.

 

[Brew12]

So are you saying the Hawaiian black is ok? I just bought 5x20 lb bags of the indo-pacific black and I am greatly concerned now. I know you have not said you tested the indo-pacific, but if the Hawaiian black is ok, I may mix that and the good 'ol dry aragonite to get the black and white mix.

I honestly don't know how to answer that. Since you likely don't have access to an electron microscope, I would be very tempted to put the sand in salt water for a month and sent out a sample for advanced testing prior to adding live stock. It's an unfortunate situation.

 

[Maggie321]

I think I am going to do that. I will likely do a series of heated rinses and then essentially cycle the sand. I'm months away from the tank being ready for sand so I've got time.

I honestly don't know how to answer that. Since you likely don't have access to an electron microscope, I would be very tempted to put the sand in salt water for a month and sent out a sample for advanced testing prior to adding live stock. It's an unfortunate situation.

 

[40B Knasty]

Since I have 20lbs of Hawaiian black sand in there. If I ran a strong magnet through the sand could I pull most of it with repeated passes dragging it through the sand?
I don't care how long it would take. Just want a tank that is right and safe for my animals. I understand there is always complexity to the yes's and no's to this hobby.
I also have no choice but to have sand. I have 3 animals that depend upon it. A wrasse, blue spotted jawfish, and grammica lined dartfish.

 

[Brian1f1]

Since I have 20lbs of Hawaiian black sand in there. If I ran a strong magnet through the sand could I pull most of it with repeated passes dragging it through the sand?
I don't care how long it would take. Just want a tank that is right and safe for my animals. I understand there is always complexity to the yes's and no's to this hobby.
I also have no choice but to have sand. I have 3 animals that depend upon it. A wrasse, blue spotted jawfish, and grammica lined dartfish.

Man that really wouldn’t do anything beneficial at all in terms of what we are talking about here. Look, your reef is beautiful. If you are concerned, I would send out a sample for chemical analysis as was suggested to Maggie above. I would not rip out the sand bed unless the analysis shows elevations we can tie to the sand. Actually, we’d all be interested to hear the results I’m sure.

Again, your stuff looks good. I’d leave well enough alone for now (I suck at that myself, but try), and get an analysis if concerned/curious, post it here, and go from there.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

My tank is recovering just fine with the Hawaiian sand. I'm mostly sure it is reef safe. Dragging a magnet over it only pulls very few grains. Nothing like the Tahitian sand.

One other thing that let's me know the Hawaiian sand is just fine, my dwarf moray is returning to himself. He went on a hunger strike for months, would hide for days... now, he's more active than he's been in months.

 

[40B Knasty]

Man that really wouldn’t do anything beneficial at all in terms of what we are talking about here. Look, your reef is beautiful. If you are concerned, I would send out a sample for chemical analysis as was suggested to Maggie above. I would not rip out the sand bed unless the analysis shows elevations we can tie to the sand. Actually, we’d all be interested to hear the results I’m sure.

Again, your stuff looks good. I’d leave well enough alone for now (I suck at that myself, but try), and get an analysis if concerned/curious, post it here, and go from there.

Sure send me some money and I will send it out
Right now I am guessing my sand is a nutrients sink being a year and half old. Plus I feed pretty heavy. Cyanobacteria has been plaguing my tank for about 2 months now. There is no sign of it giving up and I clean this stuff out 2-3x a day and rinse my sponges out that much to as well. Using a turkey baster to kick it off the sand bed and rocks. Netting it with a mysis net with some pillow stuffing to catch the fine particles as well of the bacteria. Tried the red slime remover. Killed my satosa, peppermint shrimp, and almost my flame angel. Starting new could be beneficial to what is going on in my tank.

 

[Brian1f1]

Sure send me some money and I will send it out
Right now I am guessing my sand is a nutrients sink being a year and half old. Plus I feed pretty heavy. Cyanobacteria has been plaguing my tank for about 2 months now. There is no sign of it giving up and I clean this stuff out 2-3x a day and rinse my sponges out that much to as well. Using a turkey baster to kick it off the sand bed and rocks. Netting it with a mysis net with some pillow stuffing to catch the fine particles as well of the bacteria. Tried the red slime remover. Killed my satosa, peppermint shrimp, and almost my flame angel. Starting new could be beneficial to what is going on in my tank.

Lol, I don’t care if you send it or not, I’ve got to move on substrate tomorrow. Lots of variables for the cyano. New sand might help, could also make matters worse or cause other issues, tread carefully.

 

[40B Knasty]

Lol, I don’t care if you send it or not, I’ve got to move on substrate tomorrow. Lots of variables for the cyano. New sand might help, could also make matters worse or cause other issues, tread carefully.

Thanks I appreciate it. Trust me I want this stuff gone. I can't go anywhere right now, because the care level is so high. My summer is looking like a bust for visiting friends in a few states over for a week or two, because I can't imagine what it will be like when I am gone or having to make an emergency trip back home to help it.
As for you looking looking at substrates. A white aragonite will be beneficial for a buffering of calcium and alkalinity when it starts to desolve slowly later on. Better for reflection of the sand to make sure the underside of a corals zooxanthellae gets some extra lighting from photosynthesis. Clean up crews can right themselves a lot easier on slightly more corse substrate. You will not get sand storms. Black is not aragonite as Randy stated, but it is your tank. Your choice. Hopefully it is a beneficial and good one. Best of luck to you as well.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

It is fairly well known that having a plastic skull in a reef tank will result in a vanadium spike....

 

[Brew12]

Since I have 20lbs of Hawaiian black sand in there. If I ran a strong magnet through the sand could I pull most of it with repeated passes dragging it through the sand?

Based on my limited sampling, we didn't see anything harmful in the Hawaiian sand. A magnet will pull out iron but not the other metals we may worry about. Sounds like you may have a few other issues going on, but I doubt they are sand related.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

It is fairly well known that having a plastic skull in a reef tank will result in a vanadium spike....

;Woot;Woot

 

[Maggie321]

It is fairly well known that having a plastic skull in a reef tank will result in a vanadium spike....

With that being said, @Robyn Haselden, is your acrylic skull still in the tank?

 

[Brian1f1]

Wonder about this stuff https://premiumaquatics.com/products/seachem-gray-coast-substrate-22-lbs.html

 

[reeferfoxx]

Interesting thread! Glad the tank is improving. Is it safe to say Tahitian moon sand is not good for reefs?

 

[Brian1f1]

Interesting thread! Glad the tank is improving. Is it safe to say Tahitian moon sand is not good for reefs?

Safe to say that we don’t know. May have been just that batch, may have been other contributing factors as well.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

With that being said, @Robyn Haselden, is your acrylic skull still in the tank?

Vanadium in December was 2400ug/l, I added the skull after that and the Vanadium in April was 1400 ug/l. If plastic caused it my corner overflow, sump, skimmer, return pump and gyre flow pump would all be issues.

To answer your question tho, yes the skull is still there.

 

[Brew12]

Interesting thread! Glad the tank is improving. Is it safe to say Tahitian moon sand is not good for reefs?

I think it is a matter of luck. If the lava that the sand is formed from happened to have a nickel vein running through it, it can obviously cause problems. I don't know that I would use it without running a lab test on it first, but I also don't think this is a common problem with the sand. I'm not sure anyone could successfully run a tank with the metals in this particular batch and I feel that if this were a wide spread problem, it would have been identified by now.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I think it is a matter of luck. If the lava that the sand is formed from happened to have a nickel vein running through it, it can obviously cause problems. I don't know that I would use it without running a lab test on it first, but I also don't think this is a common problem with the sand. I'm not sure anyone could successfully run a tank with the metals in this particular batch and I feel that if this were a wide spread problem, it would have been identified by now.

Call me crazy but if I had to get a lab test on my sand before using it, I might as well avoid it I know what you're saying though. Reef products can be real frustrating sometimes..