Bromine Level very high (142ppm)

[Rst]

I would appreciate the help of the forum.

My current ICP test shows very high bromine. I dose 40ml/day of ESV 2part. ESV shows that bromine is included in the Calcium part. Is it possible that this could be the cause? Or maybe the Instant Ocean(purple) salt that I use? (I do 20% water changes every 2 weeks). I have also dosed Lanthanum in the past but now that my phosphorus is under 0.1 ppm, I have not continued Lanthanum dosing for the last 45 days. This represents all of my additives.

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No, the ESV is not raising bromide at all (at least if they make it as they claim). I know it seems counter intuitive, but having it in the product does not mean it raises bromide if you keep salinity fixed.

I wouldn’t worry about bromide at that level. It is a common impurity in some types of calcium chloride.

 

[Cory]

Were you having problems from that level of bromide?

 

[Rst]

Hi Cory,
Since Randy has replied that bromide at this level is not a problem, I will stop worrying about my bromide levels.
My ICP test just received has revealed many elements out of balance and bromide was just one of them.

My reason for worrying has to do with my extremely closed & shrunk green button polyps and also many closed mushroom corals. All other corals are open and doing fine. I never really suspected bromide, but since I didn’t know anything about bromide, I decided to ask. In truth, I actually really thought my low iodine(0.002ppm), very low magnesium(1175ppm) and arsenic (0.009ppm) were the real culprits. I thought I knew by myself, how to bring back the Magnesium and iodine, while I also continue to try and find where the metal poison came from. Also I am thinking that my salt Instant Ocean (purple box) is the cause for ongoing low levels of Magnesium and Iodine.

So I am very sorry I jumped the gun and asked here about bromide when obviously the other factors are likely the real cause. Thanks to you and Randy for taking time to respond.
Ron

 

[Cory]

Id suggest checking no3 and stray voltage/amperage. No3 is food for many corals but closed up coral can be lots of things. To me closed up means something is irritating them or lacking enough that they dont want photosynthesis anymore. Id strongly suspect regular parameters first like salinity and alk. Have you changed lighting?

 

[Rst]

Id suggest checking no3 and stray voltage/amperage. No3 is food for many corals but closed up coral can be lots of things. To me closed up means something is irritating them or lacking enough that they dont want photosynthesis anymore. Id strongly suspect regular parameters first like salinity and alk. Have you changed lighting?

Hi Cory,
As a matter of fact, I purchased 3 new led lights (Radion XR30W) just after Christmas 2018 (on sale) . I didn't get them mounted and working until February of this year. During 2017 & 2018, I was using 3 inexpensive Chinese led lights with minimal spectrum control. Obviously this change in lighting could also be either directly the cause or a contributing factor. Really hard to tell. I don't have a current picture of how very closed my corals are now, but I have attached a good picture in mid January 2019, as a reference, just before I started to run the new Radion's. As you can see everything is open and thriving (picture taken with the Chinese leds). Later today or tomorrow, I can attach a current picture showing just how closed my corals have become (it takes me a little time to set up my camera correctly).

I do a 20% water change every 2 weeks. I will also check my nitrates and look for voltage strays. My salinity is always between 1.025 and 1.026. My Alkalinity is controlled by my Alkatronic controller and is rock steady at 8.9 to 9.1 It is automatically measured every 4 hours.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Rst]

Hi Cory,
As a matter of fact, I purchased 3 new led lights (Radion XR30W) just after Christmas 2018 (on sale) . I didn't get them mounted and working until February of this year. During 2017 & 2018, I was using 3 inexpensive Chinese led lights with minimal spectrum control. Obviously this change in lighting could also be either directly the cause or a contributing factor. Really hard to tell. I don't have a current picture of how very closed my corals are now, but I have attached a good picture in mid January 2019, as a reference, just before I started to run the new Radion's. As you can see everything is open and thriving (picture taken with the Chinese leds). Later today or tomorrow, I can attach a current picture showing just how closed my corals have become (it takes me a little time to set up my camera correctly).

I do a 20% water change every 2 weeks. I will also check my nitrates and look for voltage strays. My salinity is always between 1.025 and 1.026. My Alkalinity is controlled by my Alkatronic controller and is rock steady at 8.9 to 9.1 It is automatically measured every 4 hours.

Thanks,
Ron

Hi Cory,
Here is a quick and dirty shot of the central part of my tank today. Please ignore the reflections, but you can see how stressed my button corals and others are. This has been a problem for at least the last 6 months.

Your inquiry re the change in my lights seems to point at these as the source?
Ron

 

[Cory]

Well it could be the lighting, button polyps generally dont like intense light ime. But i see a moorish idol in there too no? Any fish that might be might be eating them? Are they decaying or disappearing? What kind of salt are you using for water changes?

 

[Cory]

Heres an article that might help you:

Uncertain Loss

A picture of a reef by user Thijsvb that would be a total shame if an aquarist had lost it due to an uknown problem. In writing this first article of mine, id like to help people to investigate unknown reef conditions to find the cause and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Rst]

Hi Cory,
The problem with this fancy lights is that the spectrum settings can be set all over the place. Then you also have to mix in the intensity of the lights. Quite complicated so I just used something close to Radion's suggested general "AB+" settings.

No Moorish Idols. I haven't seen any of my fish (mostly tangs, 1 clown, 1 foxface, 3 drawf angels) picking at the button corals. The button corals are not disappearing - just very shrunk.

My salt is Instant Ocean (purple pails). I change alot of water, 20% every 2 weeks (RO+salt). Every water change I need to add 25ml of acid to lower it's alkalinity from 11.8 to 9.0. I am thinking that my Instant Ocean salt is too low in Magnesium since about 4 months ago I had it drop to 1150ppm at which point I raised it back to 1350ppm and now 4 months later its back down to 1175ppm. Definitely looking to change my salt brand after Christmas when I run out of salt.

My iodine ICP test reported 0.02ppm, which is low. I believe that 0.06 is recommended. This might be the cause of the buttons staying closed?

Cory, thanks for your article. I have quickly looked through it and it has many good pointers. If the quick (Mag & Iodine) fixes don't make an obvious positive change, I will start to go through your checks and hopefully find out where the problem is.

Ron