We often hear/read hear of so many requests for help or ideas as to why a persons reef tank is not doing so good, The problem experienced could be excessive hair algae growth, corals not growing, corals not as colourful as they should be and even corals dying or any number of other issues. Often the person having the issue has done all the usual tests and drawn a blank and is at a loss as to the cause of the problem. Most of us have been there in one of these problems at some time or other.
Recently a member on here Paul, contacted me as he was loosing corals after previously having a thriving reef tank with all his corals growing well and nice and colourful. Like many he had done all the usual tests but apart from an elevated phosphate level there seemed to be little else wrong. However the phosphate level on it's own was hardly likely to be the cause of his problems. There was no excess hair algae in the tank and all other parameters were in acceptable or good tolerances so what could be the main issue behind his problems?
Hobbiests test kits are not the most accurate of test out there but lab grade testing equipment is extremely expensive. Not only are our test kits not the most accurate but to buy them all would cost a small fortune and many you would only be used once in a while. The answer I gave Paul was to advise him to invest in a ATI or Triton processional water test. Paul decided to buy the Triton test and followed the simple water collection procedure and sent it off as directed and waited the results. The Triton test will give him 35 highly accurate tests results on his tank water within around 8 to 10days.
Approximately 10 days after Paul posted the 2 samples of water off he was emailed the test results direct from Germany. Would the issue be pinpointed as to why the decline in his corals he pondered? You betcha it did, the results showed copper in the system at dangerously high levels. Aluminium was also high but as Paul was using an aluminium based phosphate remover Triton said would be understandable. Paul had lost many hundreds of pounds in corals before he asked me for help and I advised him to have his water professionally tested but he is so glad he did.
Not only do you get the 35 results of all the elements tested but you are informed of which are OK, which are of concern and which are dangerous. Then the also advise on the likely causes of the problem and advise the corrective action you should consider you should take to bring those of concern and dangerous down to acceptable/good levels.
At a cost of £31-50p (UK pounds) such a test could be a life saver for your tank and is well worth having done even if your tank does not have a noticeable issue with it. So much so, I have just bought myself a Triton test, this will be sent off in the next day or two. When I get the results I will then know my ball park figure on my water quality and there will hopefully be no high dangerously levels but it might show if there is anything I need to keep an eye on or needs my attention. I would suggest that everybody should have a least one such a test done simply to see just what your tank water is at and give you peace of mind. After all it might just save your tank.
I will do a follow up to his informing you what my test results reveal once I have them back in around 10 days or so. Hopefully there will be nothing of a dangerous level. Paul has purchased some Seachem Cuprisorb filter media to remove the heavy metals but needs to track down the cause of the copper in his system.
There are a few possibilities, however Paul has never used copper in his tank, I won't go into what those possibilities are here however. Paul will the take measures to remove the copper and find the cause of the high levels in his tank as copper is extremely toxic to our corals as most of you will know. When he has taken such measures he will send off another Triton test in around month to see what changes have been made to his water quality and of course, fingers crossed, the copper will have all but disappeared. Hopefully by then Paul's tank will be on the road to a full recovery, here's hoping so.
Recently a member on here Paul, contacted me as he was loosing corals after previously having a thriving reef tank with all his corals growing well and nice and colourful. Like many he had done all the usual tests but apart from an elevated phosphate level there seemed to be little else wrong. However the phosphate level on it's own was hardly likely to be the cause of his problems. There was no excess hair algae in the tank and all other parameters were in acceptable or good tolerances so what could be the main issue behind his problems?
Hobbiests test kits are not the most accurate of test out there but lab grade testing equipment is extremely expensive. Not only are our test kits not the most accurate but to buy them all would cost a small fortune and many you would only be used once in a while. The answer I gave Paul was to advise him to invest in a ATI or Triton processional water test. Paul decided to buy the Triton test and followed the simple water collection procedure and sent it off as directed and waited the results. The Triton test will give him 35 highly accurate tests results on his tank water within around 8 to 10days.
Approximately 10 days after Paul posted the 2 samples of water off he was emailed the test results direct from Germany. Would the issue be pinpointed as to why the decline in his corals he pondered? You betcha it did, the results showed copper in the system at dangerously high levels. Aluminium was also high but as Paul was using an aluminium based phosphate remover Triton said would be understandable. Paul had lost many hundreds of pounds in corals before he asked me for help and I advised him to have his water professionally tested but he is so glad he did.
Not only do you get the 35 results of all the elements tested but you are informed of which are OK, which are of concern and which are dangerous. Then the also advise on the likely causes of the problem and advise the corrective action you should consider you should take to bring those of concern and dangerous down to acceptable/good levels.
At a cost of £31-50p (UK pounds) such a test could be a life saver for your tank and is well worth having done even if your tank does not have a noticeable issue with it. So much so, I have just bought myself a Triton test, this will be sent off in the next day or two. When I get the results I will then know my ball park figure on my water quality and there will hopefully be no high dangerously levels but it might show if there is anything I need to keep an eye on or needs my attention. I would suggest that everybody should have a least one such a test done simply to see just what your tank water is at and give you peace of mind. After all it might just save your tank.
I will do a follow up to his informing you what my test results reveal once I have them back in around 10 days or so. Hopefully there will be nothing of a dangerous level. Paul has purchased some Seachem Cuprisorb filter media to remove the heavy metals but needs to track down the cause of the copper in his system.
There are a few possibilities, however Paul has never used copper in his tank, I won't go into what those possibilities are here however. Paul will the take measures to remove the copper and find the cause of the high levels in his tank as copper is extremely toxic to our corals as most of you will know. When he has taken such measures he will send off another Triton test in around month to see what changes have been made to his water quality and of course, fingers crossed, the copper will have all but disappeared. Hopefully by then Paul's tank will be on the road to a full recovery, here's hoping so.
