Help: High Al and Acropora STN

VJV · Oct 8, 2018

Hi Randy,

I have been experiencing STN (it takes them about 2 weeks to strip) on my acropora for the past few weeks and decided to send water samples for ICP-OES testing (Marinlab from Aquaforest). The results came in and it seems like I have very high levels of Al (0.1310), high Salinity (38ppt), high Ba(0.1680) as well as slightly elevated Zn (0.0095) and Li (0.2160), though these last two seem to be just ever so slightly elevated and could perhaps be due to the high Salinity(?).

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Kind regards

Vasco

Lovemyreef2015 · Oct 11, 2018

@Randy Holmes-Farley

GoVols · Oct 11, 2018

VJV said:
Hi Randy,

I have been experiencing STN (it takes them about 2 weeks to strip) on my acropora for the past few weeks and decided to send water samples for ICP-OES testing (Marinlab from Aquaforest). The results came in and it seems like I have very high levels of Al (0.1310), high Salinity (38ppt), high Ba(0.1680) as well as slightly elevated Zn (0.0095) and Li (0.2160), though these last two seem to be just ever so slightly elevated and could perhaps be due to the high Salinity(?).

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Kind regards

Vasco

FWIW:
If your using those Pure Marine blocks.

BRS stopped testing them for nitrates, when their water came back with high aluminum from a Triton test.
That tells me that those blocks do leach out aluminium into the water column.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 13, 2018

The lithium and zinc are not a concern, IMO. I also doubt the barium is a concern.

The aluminum might be. I've only tested it against soft corals, and your level is borderline IME.

Are you using any white media?

VJV · Oct 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The lithium and zinc are not a concern, IMO. I also doubt the barium is a concern.

The aluminum might be. I've only tested it against soft corals, and your level is borderline IME.

Are you using any white media?

No white media no. Just Rowaphos that is GFO based. Which I need to change by the way...

Regarding soft corals, I do have a giant leather coral and it seems to be just fine. I understand from your article in Advanced aquarist that leathers would be the first to show signs of stress right?

VJV · Oct 13, 2018

GoVols said:
FWIW:
If your using those Pure Marine blocks.

BRS stopped testing them for nitrates, when their water came back with high aluminum from a Triton test.
That tells me that those blocks do leach out aluminium into the water column.

Yes, I may take it off. However, although after adding the MP a year ago my triton tests did show elevated Aluminium, with time that came back down. Maybe as it starts to erode it goes back to leaching Al...???

(And I am constantly battling zero Nitrates so actually it does not make sense to use it anyway... I guess I am a bit scared of the impact that removing one whole block at once could have in the biological filtration of the tank...?)

GoVols · Oct 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The lithium and zinc are not a concern, IMO. I also doubt the barium is a concern.

The aluminum might be. I've only tested it against soft corals, and your level is borderline IME.

Are you using any white media?

Randy,
Why do you ask about white media?

VJV · Oct 13, 2018

I assumed the question was related to aluminum based phosphate absorver media such as Seachem’s , Triton or Fauna Marin media’s.

GoVols · Oct 13, 2018

VJV said:
Yes, I may take it off. However, although after adding the MP a year ago my triton tests did show elevated Aluminium, with time that came back down. Maybe as it starts to erode it goes back to leaching Al...???

(And I am constantly battling zero Nitrates so actually it does not make sense to use it anyway... I guess I am a bit scared of the impact that removing one whole block at once could have in the biological filtration of the tank...?)

Yeah,
I'd sure remove any bio-media slow too.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 13, 2018

Yes, most white media is aluminum oxide.

Kent phosphate sponge, Seachem Phosguard, etc.

2una · Oct 13, 2018

VJV said:
(And I am constantly battling zero Nitrates

^^Maybe you answered your own question there?

The Al does seem high tho - with 2 large MP blocks in a 600L/160 Gal think the highest i ever got was 60 ug/l - that result of yours is saying 131 ug/l

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone & take a block out - surly that would spell win win - al down & nitrates up some.
I don't think the MP al has a bad effect on sps but maybe if that level is correct it might be.
That & the sal corrected might be a step in the right direction no?
GFO will lower the Al

Cory · Oct 13, 2018

Are you using any of those biological bricks or artificial rocks?

VJV · Oct 13, 2018

2una said:
^^Maybe you answered your own question there?

The Al does seem high tho - with 2 large MP blocks in a 600L/160 Gal think the highest i ever got was 60 ug/l - that result of yours is saying 131 ug/l

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone & take a block out - surly that would spell win win - al down & nitrates up some.
I don't think the MP al has a bad effect on sps but maybe if that level is correct it might be.
That & the sal corrected might be a step in the right direction no?
GFO will lower the Al

Not really [emoji4]. I always battled zero Nitrates but by dosing it my corals grew like weeds and colored up nicely. The STN only started recently.

But you are right about removing the MP brick as it might help with the low Nitrates and the high Al. However, I need to do it gradually as it may contain a very significant portion of my biological filter.