My First ICP Test. Any Suggestions?

[AKL1950]

Got my first ICP test. It’s from ATI. Need some help analyzing the results. Seems there are a lot of low areas in the minor element area And one really high for Bromine. How do I interpret this?

 

[blaxsun]

Your magnesium is really high; I'd try to eventually get this back to under 1500ppm. I don't know enough about your tank (water changes, dosing, etc.) but generally speaking, performing 10% water changes every 2 weeks replenishes most of your trace elements.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you dose anything to this aquarium?

 

[AKL1950]

Your magnesium is really high; I'd try to eventually get this back to under 1500ppm. I don't know enough about your tank (water changes, dosing, etc.) but generally speaking, performing 10% water changes every 2 weeks replenishes most of your trace elements.

System is only 8 months old. The tank plus sump is about 190 gallons total water. My Mag and Ca have always been high and I assume that’s from the salt I’m using. It’s IO Reef Crystals and I have it doing auto change 2 gallons per day. Over the last 3 months I’ve pretty much added all the corals I want now (total 50 frags, 24 are Acro) and I’m starting to see both Ca and Mag slowly start to drop. I’m already dosing Alk 10ml/day to keep Alk around 8.0. Last month Ca was 550 and Mag was 1675, so they are both starting to drop as I’ve added the corals. PH steady with daily swing from 8.1 to 8.25.

It shows a lot of minor elements as undetectable. Should I be dosing those? Or is the low amount needed just within the test error range. It would be quite easy to up my daily water change to 3 gallons a day to get the 10% + each week and if required, start dosing trace elements.

 

[AKL1950]

Everything seems to be growing well, except a few Zoas aren’t consistently opening. Not show if that’s chemicals, light, flow or my Bellus angelfish.

 

[AKL1950]

some better pictures.

 

[blaxsun]

1675 for magnesium is definitely too high. I mean, sure - you can individual dose some of the missing trace elements (how much depends on what brand you go with). I can't say 100% whether they're needed or you'll notice a huge difference one way or the other, but it sounds like you are replacing them for the most part with your regular water changes - they're just low.

 

[AKL1950]

1675 for magnesium is definitely too high. I mean, sure - you can individual dose some of the missing trace elements (how much depends on what brand you go with). I can't say 100% whether they're needed or you'll notice a huge difference one way or the other, but it sounds like you are replacing them for the most part with your regular water changes - they're just low.

Yeah, both Ca and Mag have always been high and it can only be the Reef Crystals that’s doing it. I just haven’t seen a consistent quorum of people lead me to a better salt option. Some people seem to swear by RC while others think it’s bad. im actually looking for a better option, just haven’t convinced myself I should change yet. My start with RC was guidance from WWC. They use RC in all of their systems.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah, both Ca and Mag have always been high and it can only be the Reef Crystals that’s doing it.

Or test error.

I think that test error is more likely than Reef Crystals having that much magnesium, unless the salinity is above 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264).

 

[AKL1950]

Or test error.

I think that test error is more likely than Reef Crystals having that much magnesium, unless the salinity is above 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264).

Very possible. Both trident and Salifert have been staying within 50 points of each other on both Ca and Mag, and they are very close to what the ICP numbers are Right now, so the high numbers are probably close to correct. I do know that since I started adding corals, the numbers have steadily been dropping.