High silicon levels in reef tank

Btreefing · Jan 5, 2022

I have red sea 900xxl 1 year old, calcium reactor and kalkwasser doser. Icp test from icp analysis, Ati, triton all say I have hi silicon. Ati test showed my rodi water was good. What could cause high silicon levels?

Cnidoblast · Jan 5, 2022

How is the tank as a whole? Are you seeing more-than-usual sponge growth (silicon is the main component of sponge spicules) ? If everything seems okay I'd say leave it all alone and enjoy the company of what were likely some of the first animals to appear on earth!

Rmckoy · Jan 5, 2022

Silicate or silicon ?

redfishbluefish · Jan 5, 2022

By chance did you use a silica based sand? We want to use an Aragonite/Carbonate based sand.

Cnidoblast · Jan 5, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Silicate or silicon ?

IIRC an ICP test will only report on the atoms themselves not any ionic form they are in @Randy Holmes-Farley

Btreefing · Jan 5, 2022

Tanks seems good, little hair algae. I think the sand was caribbean sea sand.

Siberwulf · Jan 28, 2022

Dropping a note in here too... Just got an ICP back and said Si was 307 (0-200 is optimal).

Tank has been online and running for 9 months
Was 198 six months ago.
TDS in my RO/DI is 0
Sand was this: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/20-lb-special-grade-arag-alive-reef-sand.html

While I'm super curious how it got in there and kept going up...how do you get rid of it? I don't do regular water changes since I'm trying to go triton method...