Restoring water parameters

[taricha]

Thank you so much for this advice. I will send in two samples like you say. What about the DOC test I only have 1. Should I get a second one and send in two DOC with the ICP’s also?

Nah. I think one DOC is fine. Doesn't matter when you send it, first or second sample.

 

[CoralClasher]

I sent off the ICP and DOC today.

My tests today LFS today
Temp 79.8. —
Salinity 1.026. —
ALK 8.84 8.7
Cal 443 455
No3 7 4.7
Phos 0.23. 0.29
Mag — 1300

 

[CoralClasher]

 

[CoralClasher]

Can I just use epsom salt to raise magnesium? If so how much?

 

[taricha]

Can I just use epsom salt to raise magnesium? If so how much?

Yes, check this calculator...

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[CoralClasher]

Yes, check this calculator...

Reef Chemistry Calculator

That’s a really cool calculator thanks for sharing. It says 266.9 grams to get me from 1285 to 1350. That seems like a lot to me. Should that much be spread out over a few days? Anything else stand out to you on that ICP test?

 

[taricha]

That’s a really cool calculator thanks for sharing. It says 266.9 grams to get me from 1285 to 1350. That seems like a lot to me. Should that much be spread out over a few days? Anything else stand out to you on that ICP test?

It's not that extreme. Mg is a huge component of seawater. The calculator tells you that +100ppm in a day is ok.

 

[CoralClasher]

Second test results are different

 

[CoralClasher]

Kind of odd I sent the N-DOC test at the same time as the first ICP test and I already got the second ICP test results.

 

[CoralClasher]

@Randy Holmes-Farley how important is boron? Triton says it may help PH and is one of the top things they recommend to dose. BRS is out of stock is there anything else I can use?

 

[CoralClasher]

Found this product locally. I will need help on how much to use.

 

[taricha]

Second test results are different

So you tested 2 days apart 9/9 and 9/11 without any intentional changes between the two.

differences
Unwanted heavy metals : none
Fe-group: none

Trace
Ba 28 and 27 ppb
Si 141 and 168 ppb
P 27 and 19 ppb

Zinc 3 and 1 ppb
Iodine 23 and 14 ppb

Li 199 and 203 ppb
Ni 2 and 2 ppb
Mo 9 and 7 ppb

Majors
Na 10,640 and 11,060 ppm +3.9%
Ca 431 and 450 ppm +4.3%
Mg 1285 and 1328 ppm +3.3%
K 396 and 410 ppm +3.5%
Br 61 and 63 ppm
B 4 and 4 ppm
Sr 6 and 5 ppm
S 873 and 906 +3.7%

This gives you a good view of the variation inherent in measuring tank water on a day-to-day basis with ICP. For many of these - the majors especially - that variation is not going to be due to your water changing, it's just the day to day variation in ICP measurement process.

Notice how all of the 5 largest concentration elements increased by the same 3.5 to 4%
This is not saying your water evaporated that much in 2 days. This is in line with the day-to-day calibration, recalibration, cleaning etc that happens with ICP.

See this chart from the article that @Rick Mathew @Dan_P and myself worked on.

Fritz stored some of their saltwater and had it re-tested by the same vendors. One vendor thought all the majors decreased by ~10%. Triton thought they increased by ~5%. And a third thought they went down ~2%. So it's mostly not sample variation here - just noise in the ICP process.

Overall, that's pretty consistent results compared to some I've seen and I think it nicely puts the yellow warning colors into context, when for a couple of elements - one sample had it, and 2 days later it didn't.

 

[CoralClasher]

So you tested 2 days apart 9/9 and 9/11 without any intentional changes between the two.

differences
Unwanted heavy metals : none
Fe-group: none

Trace
Ba 28 and 27 ppb
Si 141 and 168 ppb
P 27 and 19 ppb

Zinc 3 and 1 ppb
Iodine 23 and 14 ppb

Li 199 and 203 ppb
Ni 2 and 2 ppb
Mo 9 and 7 ppb

Majors
Na 10,640 and 11,060 ppm +3.9%
Ca 431 and 450 ppm +4.3%
Mg 1285 and 1328 ppm +3.3%
K 396 and 410 ppm +3.5%
Br 61 and 63 ppm
B 4 and 4 ppm
Sr 6 and 5 ppm
S 873 and 906 +3.7%

This gives you a good view of the variation inherent in measuring tank water on a day-to-day basis with ICP. For many of these - the majors especially - that variation is not going to be due to your water changing, it's just the day to day variation in ICP measurement process.

Notice how all of the 5 largest concentration elements increased by the same 3.5 to 4%
This is not saying your water evaporated that much in 2 days. This is in line with the day-to-day calibration, recalibration, cleaning etc that happens with ICP.

See this chart from the article that @Rick Mathew @Dan_P and myself worked on.

Fritz stored some of their saltwater and had it re-tested by the same vendors. One vendor thought all the majors decreased by ~10%. Triton thought they increased by ~5%. And a third thought they went down ~2%. So it's mostly not sample variation here - just noise in the ICP process.

Overall, that's pretty consistent results compared to some I've seen and I think it nicely puts the yellow warning colors into context, when for a couple of elements - one sample had it, and 2 days later it didn't.

Interesting information. At least I’m not the only one with differences. I’m just happy I don’t have copper this time or any unwanted heavy metals. My tank is looking pretty good today with the magnesium up. Thanks again for your tips and that calculator.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley how important is boron? Triton says it may help PH and is one of the top things they recommend to dose. BRS is out of stock is there anything else I can use?

It does help stabilize pH a little bit (like a little more alkalinity would).

I don't think many organisms use it, and I'm not sure I'd dose it.

 

[CoralClasher]

Triton Lab Showroom - Explore this water test results and click on the image above.

Someone wants to show you the water test results and shared this link to the evaluation. Click on the image above to explore the water test results.

www.triton-lab.de

 

[CoralClasher]

Can someone help me with this N-DOC test? They want me to add my No3 to the test, I had 7ppm when I sent the test but they want it in mg/L?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can someone help me with this N-DOC test? They want me to add my No3 to the test, I had 7ppm when I sent the test but they want it in mg/L?

7 ppm is 7 mg/l, although it may not have been 7 when they tested it. I’m not impressed with a method that relies on this sort of user testing.

 

[CoralClasher]

7 ppm is 7 mg/l, although it may not have been 7 when they tested it. I’m not impressed with a method that relies on this sort of user testing.

Is there anyone else for DOC testing? How can I have 0 TIC? Should I request a retest?

 

[CoralClasher]

7 ppm is 7 mg/l, although it may not have been 7 when they tested it. I’m not impressed with a method that relies on this sort of user testing.

So triton wants me to dose 1,317.54ml of their alkalinity booster. Does this sound right? If I’m at 9DKH now how much will that add? I have aqua forest KH booster on hand if it’s the same thing I would use that.

 

[CoralClasher]

I’m still struggling with parameters. I was dosing 40ml core7 to maintain ALK at 9 and calcium went up to 495. Mag is stuck at 1300.

I shut off core7 and did three 30% WC last week. Calcium is now 437 and has stayed steady without dosing. I’ve been manually dosing lots of ALK and magnesium they never seem to stay where they should be.

Should I try to adjust ALK and magnesium right before another 30% WC? Or just adjust them and start dosing core7 again?