Brightwells bio bricks ,ICP TESTING and aluminum

[Pistondog]

I recently asked my local fish store for some help and was turned away. Not super happy as I spend no less than $500 bucks every time I walk threw the door. Bought a red sea xxl 750 there as well as all equipment to support the tank and a 210 gallon Marineland tank with all equipment and rock as well. I asked him if with my new 500 to 600 gallon tank build if he would be willing to drop some brightwells bio bricks in his system to seed bio diversity while I once again buy every last thing from him for the tank. He said he is unwilling to do this because he said that the bio bricks from brightwells aquatic has ALUMINUM in them that he knew from icp tests. Is this true or not. At this point I'm thinking he is very happy to have my money but unwilling to help beyond that in the process. I see brs saying all the time support your local reef shop. And ask them for help. I also see other people on this forum and other places all the time that have local fish shops go the extra mile. Am I out of my mind or should I be taken my business elsewhere and IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO BRIGHTWELLS BIO BRICK HAVING ALLUMINUM IN THEM? the new tank is ment to be bare bottom sps sticks wall to wall hens why it would be nice to have a head start on the bio on the bio bricks..

So the lfs sells the product, knowing it leaches aluminum?
Not sure that's a plus.

 

[vet4him]

"From what I've heard, the "effects" and "numbers" dont surface until later on in the decomposition process. As the bricks break down I believe?"

Interesting as this was my first ICP test since setting up the tank almost 8 months ago.

 

[Pistol Peet]

So the lfs sells the product, knowing it leaches aluminum?
Not sure that's a plus.

Yes they will sell it to me but not allow it to cycle in there own tanks. Flip side it is there store system and lively hood so I can't get to upset about it as they can do as they please with there company..

 

[MichaelReefer]

"From what I've heard, the "effects" and "numbers" dont surface until later on in the decomposition process. As the bricks break down I believe?"

Interesting as this was my first ICP test since setting up the tank almost 8 months ago.

I tried them, but Really dont like how they break down. They turn to like a sand and if you accidently bump into something in the sump it just falls apart.

 

[rtparty]

The real question is can anyone provide a shred of evidence that the aluminum they do leach is bad, unhealthy, or even what form it is in?

 

[Cell]

The real question is can anyone provide a shred of evidence that the aluminum they do leach is bad, unhealthy, or even what form it is in?

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Aluminum In The Reef Aquarium

In this article I will give some details of aluminum in natural seawater, and will discuss the sparse literature on the toxicity of aluminum ions to marine organisms.

reefs.com

 

[rtparty]

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Aluminum In The Reef Aquarium

In this article I will give some details of aluminum in natural seawater, and will discuss the sparse literature on the toxicity of aluminum ions to marine organisms.

reefs.com

While a great article, it tells us nothing about what form the aluminum is in from these ceramic blocks. Most theorize it is not in a form that is detrimental to livestock. If it was, we would see far more problems than we do. There are thousands and thousands of successful reef tanks using Marine Pure, Brightwell, and others. Many show elevated aluminum in the aquarium but the tanks thrive still.

So again, we need to know the form it is in. Until then, there is no evidence it is harming anything.

 

[ScottB]

From what I've heard, the "effects" and "numbers" dont surface until later on in the decomposition process. As the bricks break down I believe?

Maybe I am just lucky that mine have been in for 5 years and never broke down. They look the same as when new.

Or maybe they did leach Al and depleted before my first ICP came back. I don't recall the interval between (likely months, not years), but I have never had a significant Al result.

 

[Hydrored]

Maybe I am just lucky that mine have been in for 5 years and never broke down. They look the same as when new.

Or maybe they did leach Al and depleted before my first ICP came back. I don't recall the interval between (likely months, not years), but I have never had a significant Al result.

Mine are going on 3 years in May and they have not broken down as well, also wonder if running carbon, AWC, etc changes it. I sleep fine at night with Marine Pure in my sump

 

[Dabcrusher]

I've done icp test and use the dimpled bricks and no aluminum. If you use the po⁴xport brick you will deffiniatly have aluminum

 

[Devaji]

I cant offer much on the bio bricks they seems to be out of stock for months when I was looking for them so i settled on a 1 gal bucket of seaChem matrix in a leg of panty hose so I can moce it around in my sump.

that said what ever biomedia you do use why not seed it in your own 2 tanks?
OR a small 10-20 gallon tank with a bottle of bac. and air pump? I with I would have done that on my new build

 

[dragon99]

I started this tank with both MarinePure and Brightwell Biobrick. The marinepue block came from a previous tank and was ~3yrs old. I removed it sometime last year (likely around June). I removed the biobrick in early December last year. so looking at the trend, my Al was likely from marinepure. I can't attribute any negatives in the tank (or prior tanks) to the Al that's being detected on ICP.

 

[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.

 

[DeepintheReef]

Just ask them if they can do something else like a bag of matrix

 

[Saltyreef]

I run the brightwell blocks (not the p04 xport) specifically due to my reasearch that they dont leach anything.

More crumbly than those charmin bears butts though.....lol

 

[Pistol Peet]

I cant offer much on the bio bricks they seems to be out of stock for months when I was looking for them so i settled on a 1 gal bucket of seaChem matrix in a leg of panty hose so I can moce it around in my sump.

that said what ever biomedia you do use why not seed it in your own 2 tanks?
OR a small 10-20 gallon tank with a bottle of bac. and air pump? I with I would have done that on my new build

The 1 tank has some bad aptaisia and I'm selling the other 2 for 1 big reef they won't be around.

 

[Pistol Peet]

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.

Looking forward to this.

 

[Devaji]

The 1 tank has some bad aptaisia and I'm selling the other 2 for 1 big reef they won't be around.

ah the old put two smaller tanks into one BIG one! lucky you
still an idea to cycle them in a petco 40br or 20H or rubber maid bin or what even you have around. better then nothing helps with the ugly stage and cycle time.

any reefing buddies in the area that would let you seed your bio media in there tanks?
anyway good luck and I hope you get to the bottom if brightwell does indeed have Al let us know if you find out for sure.

 

[Pistol Peet]

ah the old put two smaller tanks into one BIG one! lucky you
still an idea to cycle them in a petco 40br or 20H or rubber maid bin or what even you have around. better then nothing helps with the ugly stage and cycle time.

any reefing buddies in the area that would let you seed your bio media in there tanks?
anyway good luck and I hope you get to the bottom if brightwell does indeed have Al let us know if you find out for sure.

I honestly think I'm the only person in my town with saltwater aquariums both my local fish stores are 100 miles in any direction. I live in a small town of 15,000 people tops and 4000 of them are college students so even less not a lot of options in North Dakota.

 

[Devaji]

I honestly think I'm the only person in my town with saltwater aquariums both my local fish stores are 100 miles in any direction. I live in a small town of 15,000 people tops and 4000 of them are college students so even less not a lot of options in North Dakota.

I fell ya prety much same for me my town just got it 1st stop light a few years back. I think we are a pop. of 2,216 souls (yeah i googled it ) and my not so local LFS is 1.5 hrs each way.

best of luck man!