Brightwells bio bricks ,ICP TESTING and aluminum

[ReefBeta]

I had similar problem with those blocks before. I had brightwell block only in one tank, brightwell and marinepure block in the other. Both have significant elevated aluminum, and some corals are suffering, especially all kinds of chalices. I removed all of those blocks from my tank, and several months later, the aluminum levels are all back to acceptable range. So I will understand if someone refuse to put them in their tank.

When I removed those blocks, I saved them in a 5 gallon bucket and kept a pump in it running and ghost feed occasionally. It's 6 months later now and I just set the sample from that bucket for an ICP test. I want to see if the leeching is repeatable. Result will probably be back sometime next week.

The ICP test finally came back. Aluminum was 100. In comparison, newly made saltwater was 1.9. In my tank it's 20ish. So I think I can conclude that the blocks are leaching aluminum. But it's not as high as raised my tank to, which was 280ish. Maybe the level of bacteria activity affects the rate of the release? I don't know the actual mechanic of aluminum leaching. But either way I don't think I will putting them back to my tank anymore.

 

[Pistol Peet]

The ICP test finally came back. Aluminum was 100. In comparison, newly made saltwater was 1.9. In my tank it's 20ish. So I think I can conclude that the blocks are leaching aluminum. But it's not as high as raised my tank to, which was 280ish. Maybe the level of bacteria activity affects the rate of the release? I don't know the actual mechanic of aluminum leaching. But either way I don't think I will putting them back to my tank anymore.

Thank u for the update

 

[AutumnReefs]

I would argue that

1. There have no no proper studies to say whether they leach aluminum. A before and after test (particularly uncontrolled and likely statistically insignificant), if done at all, is the least scientific and lowest quality test someone can perform

2. The form of aluminum may not be harmful but just simply appears as aluminum when sent to icp and separated out.

 

[FBAA]

Is there a test for Aluminum? Or other impurities in bioblock material.

 

[Prices? Location?]

The ICP test finally came back. Aluminum was 100. In comparison, newly made saltwater was 1.9. In my tank it's 20ish. So I think I can conclude that the blocks are leaching aluminum. But it's not as high as raised my tank to, which was 280ish. Maybe the level of bacteria activity affects the rate of the release? I don't know the actual mechanic of aluminum leaching. But either way I don't think I will putting them back to my tank anymore.

Any chance it's from the metals in our pumps or WaveMaker parts?

 

[Prices? Location?]

The ICP test finally came back. Aluminum was 100. In comparison, newly made saltwater was 1.9. In my tank it's 20ish. So I think I can conclude that the blocks are leaching aluminum. But it's not as high as raised my tank to, which was 280ish. Maybe the level of bacteria activity affects the rate of the release? I don't know the actual mechanic of aluminum leaching. But either way I don't think I will putting them back to my tank anymore.

Maybe its coming from pumps and WaveMaker internal parts that are made of metal.

 

[ReefBeta]

Any chance it's from the metals in our pumps or WaveMaker parts?

That was from a 5 gallon bucket with the bio blocks, and a single sicce voyager nano stream for circulation. I can't give you a confident answer whether the aluminum can be from that pump. All I can say is, I don't see any evidence of aluminum on that pump when I taking them apart for cleaning. The metal part I can tell is the rotor block and the shaft, neither looks like aluminum. I'll let you decide how trustworthy of my ability of recognizing aluminum or its aloy. I don't know a reliable way to test whether a metal is aluminum or not without destroying it with chemical reactions.

 

[Arego]

I have 2 BW blocks 1 BW plate and 2 polyp lab genisis rocks/blocks. I have icp tests done once a year for 4 years and haven't had any aluminum issues for whatever it's worth. Start of the second year is when they all went in.