crazy silicon level by Triton test

[coweyes298]

Got my first Triton test and it shows Silicon level at 2718 µg/l... This probably is the highest value I have seen on the forum!

Tank is year and a half old. At first couple months I have huge amount of pineapple sponge but after one year mark those guys were gone.

I stopped GFO for a while and restarted it 4 weeks ago since I noticed I got brown dust and also green film algae on my rock work every four to five days. I used Hana ULR marine for phosphate testing and no mater how quick I replace my GFO (within 1 week) I still got 0.25~0.35 ppm reading. I tested PO4 right before I sampled the water for the Triton test, and I got PO4 reading by Hana ULR at 0.27ppm. Right now I got back my Triton test and it shows my PO4 level is at 0.01729206 mg/l. I don't think it is from bad reagent since I also use the Hana for my other frag tank and the testing result matches what algae looks. (0.03 ppm with my frag tank, which I feed twice a week and a 60% auto water change per week. No large amount algae presented, just few spot of hair algae and thats it.) I have high pressure to the RODI and it shows 0 TDS after DI stage. I don't have a silicate test kit yet so no way to test RODI or newly mixed salt water.

Will high Si value mess up the Hana result? And what is the course of dealing with this super duper high Si level?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Here's one that was higher. I think he is currently thinking it may be his Siporax:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/high-si-levels.317519/

Assuming it is silicate, I don't think there is any harm unless you have a diatom "problem".

 

[Lasse]

Yes - I suspect siporax and during anaerobic condition. I have seen this also happen in sandfilters (with sand rich in silica) when they has been anaerobic for a while. My value of Si - you can see here

I and a couple of other persons has stopped to use HANNA ULR because it constant shows higher values compared with Triton. Instead we use the Low Phosphate Hanna - its normally shows values very close to Triton tests.

Funny you mentioned that the sponges has disappear – the same has happen for me – not the pineapple type but another type. The pineapple still works well

Another question – do you have a birds nest?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Motts]

same here 3 months and crazy SI rise https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...media-with-triton-method.329078/#post-4083259

added another di canister to the ro on Randy's advice and slowly pulling out ceramic based media

 

[coweyes298]

I don't have birssnest. Only a huge lobo and several zoa's with one rose anemone.

Speaking of sand I think this might be the culprit. I added additional sand a month ago. Sand is MAME calcium sand. It was about less than half bag. Since then I noticed the sand is so fine and got blown all over the places. And I remember I started to see high PO4 after adding that sand...

 

[RickJamesYeah]

WOW I just got my Triton results and got 11656 µg/l for my Si results! this blows away the results discussed above. This is a new build and did put in 2 liters of syporax in the sump for I have minimal rock and bare bottom. I also have a marine pure block in the sump that I had for over 2 years. it was in my old tank and hand normal triton results there for over a year... never had Si issues so ruling that one out.

Tank is only running 2 months. Kind of concerned removing the syporax since i have a minimalistic tank and won't have enough surface for bacteria.

I did see a post by Tim from Triton that the Si release is finite (link below).. so with water changes I take it will eventually disappear?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/m...media-with-triton-method.329078/#post-4083259

 

[Lasse]

Probably - the siporax - I had ove 20 000 - remove my siporax from my DSB - levels today - around 300 µg/l. Do not panic - the only adverse effect I had was silikon percipitation on the windows. Did WC after removing the siporax

Sincerely Lasse

 

[revco33]

Yes - I suspect siporax and during anaerobic condition. I have seen this also happen in sandfilters (with sand rich in silica) when they has been anaerobic for a while. My value of Si - you can see here

I and a couple of other persons has stopped to use HANNA ULR because it constant shows higher values compared with Triton. Instead we use the Low Phosphate Hanna - its normally shows values very close to Triton tests.

Funny you mentioned that the sponges has disappear – the same has happen for me – not the pineapple type but another type. The pineapple still works well

Another question – do you have a birds nest?

Sincerely Lasse

I can't keep bird's nest for the life of me.