Tank uses Nickle...

[Oberst Oswald]

I have been testing my 2 year old 65 gallon mixed reef tank with the Triton test (also use the Triton Method) and wonder why after 8 test (2 months apart) so far that my tank uses Nickle and I usually have to dose about 12 ml of Nickle after each test. What uses Nickle?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have been testing my 2 year old 65 gallon mixed reef tank with the Triton test (also use the Triton Method) and wonder why after 8 test (2 months apart) so far that my tank uses Nickle and I usually have to dose about 12 ml of Nickle after each test. What uses Nickle?

I would not assume that declining levels of a metal like nickel reflect needed consumption by anything in a reef tank, as opposed to simple abiotic precipitation and/or incorporation into calcium carbonate. it may be beneficial to dose, but I would take it as an experiment, not as a demonstrated need.

Calcium carbonate has been used as a skin treatment to bind nickel and prevent nickel allergies:

https://www.nature.com/articles/nnano.2011.37?WT.ec_id=NNANO-201105

The biology of nickel is relatively poorly understood, and it is possible that if any organisms in a reef tank sue it, it is just bacteria. Wikipedia has a discussion:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel

and here:

Nickel essentiality and homeostasis in aquatic organisms
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/a04-004#.WqQ5T-jwYdU

"nickel essentiality to aquatic organisms can only be confirmed for plants and (cyano)bacteria due to the documented role of nickel in the urease and hydrogenase metabolism. "

 

[Oberst Oswald]

So I can safely assume that my 'frug with very healthy Cheato is using the Nickel (learned how to spell it) the most. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I can safely assume that my 'frug with very healthy Cheato is using the Nickel (learned how to spell it) the most. Thanks

I wouldn't say that. I've not seen chaeto data, but Caulerpa hardly has any nickel:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/rs/feature/index.php

I suspect that binding to calcium carbonate is the biggest sink, and I'd personally not dose it.