Heavy metal reduction

[Pat924]

I just ordered my first suplement today and it is mag
Ordered cupripure to run in my reactor and ro to bring numbers down
I'm thinking I'm going to rinse all that kalk out of my ato tomorrw
When cupripure gets here I'm going to treat my salt water make up barrel first then do water change

All I have ever used is kent marine salt
Added my first piece of hard coral last week and ordered acro and xenia today

 

[exonn]

Joining the discusion... Right now i have 600 liters mixed reef tank that is crashing, i cud not find the problem so as the last thing i used triton test and get results witch had an answer to why my tank is crashing. Here are results for red and yellow:
Cu 20.79 µg/l
Mg 1601.00 mg/l (i belive i had bad test kit and kept adding Mg)
K 197.00 mg/l (didn't test for it)
Zn 17.39 µg/l
I 16.10 µg/l
P 18.07 µg/l (corals are dying so i belive it is the source)
PO4 0.055 mg/l (corals are dying so i belive it is the source)

As you can see i have Cu an Zn and i believe they are responsible for my tank crash.
I have ordered Detox and K supplement from Triton and used it in my tank just few minutes ago. So now i have to wait for three days and then use activated carbon to remove detox with Cu and Zn. Hope to get my K levels back to normal in few days too.
I still have no idea about the source of heavy metals. I'll do Cu tests (in lab here in Lithuania) after the treatment for tank water and RO water. I am using balling method so if RO will come as clean i'll do tests for Balling supplements (i buy them as chemicals not as product for reef, exept from NaCl free salt.)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just ordered my first suplement today and it is mag
Ordered cupripure to run in my reactor and ro to bring numbers down
I'm thinking I'm going to rinse all that kalk out of my ato tomorrw
When cupripure gets here I'm going to treat my salt water make up barrel first then do water change

All I have ever used is kent marine salt
Added my first piece of hard coral last week and ordered acro and xenia today

What brand of kalk?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Joining the discusion... Right now i have 600 liters mixed reef tank that is crashing, i cud not find the problem so as the last thing i used triton test and get results witch had an answer to why my tank is crashing. Here are results for red and yellow:
Cu 20.79 µg/l
Mg 1601.00 mg/l (i belive i had bad test kit and kept adding Mg)
K 197.00 mg/l (didn't test for it)
Zn 17.39 µg/l
I 16.10 µg/l
P 18.07 µg/l (corals are dying so i belive it is the source)
PO4 0.055 mg/l (corals are dying so i belive it is the source)

As you can see i have Cu an Zn and i believe they are responsible for my tank crash.
I have ordered Detox and K supplement from Triton and used it in my tank just few minutes ago. So now i have to wait for three days and then use activated carbon to remove detox with Cu and Zn. Hope to get my K levels back to normal in few days too.
I still have no idea about the source of heavy metals. I'll do Cu tests (in lab here in Lithuania) after the treatment for tank water and RO water. I am using balling method so if RO will come as clean i'll do tests for Balling supplements (i buy them as chemicals not as product for reef, exept from NaCl free salt.)

I agree those look high and I'd look to reduce the copper and zinc.

What chemicals have you been adding as part of the balling? Just the big ones (calcium, alkalinity, magnesium)? Do you know their purity?

 

[Pat924]

What brand of kalk?

Brs

 

[Pat924]

Ok I started adding magnesium
Any warnings involved

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What target are you aiming for with magnesium?

I'd raise it by 25 ppm or so per day. It takes a surprisingly large amount.

 

[marke]

I agree those look high and I'd look to reduce the copper and zinc.

What chemicals have you been adding as part of the balling? Just the big ones (calcium, alkalinity, magnesium)? Do you know their purity?

I agree these levels are due to human input like 3 part or balling. I dont think most manufacturers are willing to discuss purity? Some thinks its not important? I suggest reading Randys article on Trace Metal reduction.

 

[exonn]

Yes, am using just the big ones. Lab grade, it has no other indication of purity. I think I'll stop using them anyway and switch to preis aquaristic products for balling.
Still need to test my RO water, i can't get TDS to 0 even by using DI, it gets to 0 for few days and then goes to like 2-3 TDS and stays like this for a long time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, am using just the big ones. Lab grade, it has no other indication of purity. I think I'll stop using them anyway and switch to preis aquaristic products for balling.
Still need to test my RO water, i can't get TDS to 0 even by using DI, it gets to 0 for few days and then goes to like 2-3 TDS and stays like this for a long time.

Are you measuring the RO/DI TDS in line, or after the fact?

Are you on well water?

 

[exonn]

No, after the fact. I measure it right after putting it to measuring jar. And no, my water comes from city lines. One thing that gives me some concern is that my RO unit has water holding tank witch is made of some kind of metal, the water is used for kitchen too, but the DI stage is after that holding tank, just before the output for aquarium. Can this be a problem?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It may be lined inside with a nonmetal, but even so, it should not be a problem if the TDS is zero, but might be a problem when it rises to 2-3 ppm TDS (if that is really in the effluent itself and not from ambient contamination such as dust in the air, CO2 in the air, or contamination of the jar).