Please Help! All Acropora are melting away

[kagisexton]

I cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on. See below my ICP results which came back today. Manganese through the roof. I have no idea why. I am too devastated to even post pictures of the corals.

This tank receives regular water changes with red sea blue bucket.

i’m really stressed out about it, all of my hard work for the last year down the drain. Parameters (based on home tests versus icp) are as follows…

If it really is the elevated Manganese, what can I do to lower this?
EDIT: The ICP company says the safe range is .0001-.0002. I am at .046! (2,000-4,000x!!)

Temp: 80f
Sg: 1.02
Alk: 7.7dkh
Ca: 400
Mg: 1260
No3: 3
po4: .06

 

[Acrofiend]

Here’s your issue.

 

[kagisexton]

It is not the phos, i've delt with low phos and actively dose. This is different. Everything browned out and half are loosing zoo like crazy with nasty mesenterial filaments

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

Yes I would be more concerned with 0 po4.

 

[kagisexton]

Could manganese be leaching from some piece of equipment?

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

Could manganese be leaching from some piece of equipment?

It’s possible, check all pumps and heaters. Also make sure no metal hose clamps submerged.

 

[kagisexton]

It’s possible, check all pumps and heaters. Also make sure no metal hose clamps submerged.

I took out every pump, completely disassembled and cleaned in citric acid but I didnt see anything at all. I am so stumped. I couldn't pin down any info online whether Manganese is commonly used in magnets of not.

 

[kagisexton]

It’s a bad pic and hard to see but the ora frog skin in the top right is just about destroyed and that’s a tough acro.

 

[jx.reef]

Zero phosphates is the big red flag for me as well

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

No idea where the manganese could be coming from then but you can use metasorb to remove it. Definitely get that po4 up as well.

 

[kagisexton]

No idea where the manganese could be coming from then but you can use metasorb to remove it. Definitely get that po4 up as well.

Thanks, just ordered. I had been using chemipure blue leading up to my icp results but that obviously didnt pull out any of the Manganese.

My po4 is always a bit low but i think came up as zero becuase i did a big water change right beofore sending icp. I have not gotten below .03 on the hanna checker in months.

 

[kagisexton]

But yes, my biggest concern is the source...

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

But yes, my biggest concern is the source...

Yes it can be tricky sometimes to figure out. I had elevated metals a while back, finally figured out a fan I was using was dripping condensation into my sump off the grill.

 

[kagisexton]

No way…. This thing drips all the time

 

[kagisexton]

If this was dripping into my sump, wouldn’t there be other heavy metal contaminants?

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

If this was dripping into my sump, wouldn’t there be other heavy metal contaminants?

I would think there would be others, just manganese is strange although it is used in alloys from my understanding.

 

[kagisexton]

Thanks, just so bummed about it.

Of course it's some obscure issue that I cant find any info on.

 

[Cell]

Using well water?

 

[kagisexton]

Using well water?

No well water, just crappy city water through 5 stage rodi

 

[kagisexton]

Most acropora’s have skin completely bubbling and sloth away. Seems like a heavy metal contamination but I cannot for the life of me figure out the source. Is there anyone who has experienced anything like this?