Triton result finally came. Please help.

[Ahbaloch]

hello, reefers

I have 40 gallong display with 20 gallon sump and 20 gallon frag tank all plumbed in together.

I have been having issues,

Cant grow chaeto
Dino
Diatoms
All type of algaes,

All the corals are fine and healthy but GSp and couple shrooms.

Help please

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You’ve got a lot of metal in there.
Also the first red one is one that folks used to kill of bryopsis algae.

So, bad pump, metals ? Rust? Magnets?

Start running GFO in a reactor. Look at tritons detox.

#reefsquad

 

[ca1ore]

What salt mix are you using? High lithium tends to be a consequence of using IO. Mine has always been high, without issue. As to the other metals, running a poly filter should take care of them. Chaeto growth issues are usually a lack of iron, or nitrate. You have plenty of iron; what’s your nitrate level (not sure why Triton dies not measure it)? Phosphate is high so run GFO.

 

[Lasse]

Do you put in some combined trace products? Do you use tap water.
The content of some of the chemicals indicates use of one or another product of aluminium casting - do you use some type of "bacteria blocks" ? or other castings of Al?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[TheEngineer]

The high Si has me wondering about your water source too.

 

[Lasse]

The high Si has me wondering about your water source too.

Some other products can leak Si too, like siporax and some other ceramics containing silicon

Sincerely Lasse

 

[TheEngineer]

Some other products can leak Si too, like siporax and some other ceramics containing silicon

Sincerely Lasse

Or non aragonite sand. Looking for the most likely first.

 

[rkpetersen]

Hi OP.

That is a lot of metals. And so many different ones, too. As a ICP-OES fan, I honestly haven't seen results with this much and varied contamination before. Most of the elevations are mild, but some are very high. Some likely don't matter, like lithium (which is not a heavy metal, it's the lightest of all metals), but silicon, tin and antimony are pretty high. Phosphorus/phosphate higher than you'd like, but not an emergency. Even calcium considerably higher than you want.

I'd agree with other comments, check your water (likely source of all that silicon), check your salt (unlikely to have this many contaminants though), check your sand (black indo-pacific volcanic sand can be a source of large nickel and vanadium increases), check for rusting pump or other metal contamination touching your tank water, add PolyFilter, GFO, GAC. Be careful with GFO and GAC, start with smaller quantities and work up. Definitely do more water changes. I tried Triton Detox, it did not remove nickel or vanadium (although Polyfilter may not be highly effective here either.)

What salt mix are you using? High lithium tends to be a consequence of using IO. Mine has always been high, without issue. As to the other metals, running a poly filter should take care of them. Chaeto growth issues are usually a lack of iron, or nitrate. You have plenty of iron; what’s your nitrate level (not sure why Triton dies not measure it)? Phosphate is high so run GFO.

Triton doesn't measure nitrate because it isn't an ICP-OES test. Spectroscopy measures individual elements. Nitrogen, Oxygen, etc aren't eligible because they are present in such vast quantities and myriad forms that any one number would be meaningless. I assume that companies like ATI that offer nitrate as part of their ICP-OES testing package are measuring it by other means and just including the results for us, unless I'm shown how they're doing it otherwise.

 

[ca1ore]

Triton doesn't measure nitrate because it isn't an ICP-OES test. Spectroscopy measures individual elements. Nitrogen, Oxygen, etc aren't eligible because they are present in such vast quantities and myriad forms that any one number would be meaningless. I assume that companies like ATI that offer nitrate of their ICP-OES testing are measuring it by other means and just including the results for us, unless I'm shown how they're doing it otherwise.

Understood, so how to they measure PO4? That's not an individual element either (or do they infer PO4 from P). Haven't taken any chemistry classes in over 50 years LOL.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hi OP.

That is a lot of metals. And so many different ones, too. As a ICP-OES fan, I honestly haven't seen results with this much and varied contamination before. Most of the elevations are mild, but some are very high. Some likely don't matter, like lithium (which is not a heavy metal, it's the lightest of all metals), but silicon, tin and antimony are pretty high. Phosphorus/phosphate higher than you'd like, but not an emergency. Even calcium considerably higher than you want.

I'd agree with other comments, check your water (likely source of all that silicon), check your salt (unlikely to have this many contaminants though), check your sand (black indo-pacific volcanic sand can be a source of large nickel and vanadium increases), check for rusting pump or other metal contamination touching your tank water, add PolyFilter, GFO, GAC. Be careful with GFO and GAC, start with smaller quantities and work up. Definitely do more water changes. I tried Triton Detox, it did not remove nickel or vanadium (although Polyfilter may not be highly effective here either.)



Triton doesn't measure nitrate because it isn't an ICP-OES test. Spectroscopy measures individual elements. Nitrogen, Oxygen, etc aren't eligible because they are present in such vast quantities and myriad forms that any one number would be meaningless. I assume that companies like ATI that offer nitrate as part of their ICP-OES testing package are measuring it by other means and just including the results for us, unless I'm shown how they're doing it otherwise.

Lithium is the ingredient in Brightwells Magnesium supplement that is belived to kill bryopsis. They reduced the amount in the formulation and it no longer works to “increase your mag to 1500 “ to kill bryo.

 

[rkpetersen]

Understood, so how to they measure PO4? That's not an individual element either (or do they infer PO4 from P). Haven't taken any chemistry classes in over 50 years LOL.

Yes, it's calculated from phosphorus. Although this rounds a bit, I remember it as 'multiply by 3 and divide by 1000.'

 

[rkpetersen]

Lithium is the ingredient in Brightwells Magnesium supplement that is belived to kill bryopsis. They reduced the amount in the formulation and it no longer works to “increase your mag to 1500 “ to kill bryo.

I don't doubt it, but I've had bryopsis appear (in small patches) with a chronically elevated lithium level. Magnesium level is around 1400. Got rid of the bits of bryopsis with Elysia sea slugs. Thought my elevated Li level was due to the salt I was using. Switched to RS Coral Pro and ICP-OES tested one batch of that salt which showed a very low lithium level. Have used it since, quite a white, but my Li level remains elevated. I have used Brightwell Mg in the past so it could be that still. Could be the salt again, I suppose; I have not tested a recent black bucket.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't doubt it, but I've had bryopsis appear (in small patches) with a chronically elevated lithium level. Magnesium level is around 1400. Got rid of the bits of bryopsis with Elysia sea slugs. Thought my elevated Li level was due to the salt I was using. Switched to RS Coral Pro and ICP-OES tested one batch of that salt which showed a very low lithium level. Have used it since, quite a white, but my Li level remains elevated. I do not know the source. It's no longer high on priority list, tbh. Could be the salt again, I suppose; I have not tested a recent black bucket.

Was yours as high as the OP?

 

[rkpetersen]

Was yours as high as the OP?

I've seen it up over 700. In a tank with every other contaminant level at 0 or undetectable. No apparent system-wide adverse effects.

The more I think about it, the more I think it might be the Magnesion. I didn't use that much, and of the newer formula; I can only speculate at levels people previously attained without realizing it. I'll take any suggestions for a good pure magnesium replacement that I can use in a doser.

 

[ca1ore]

Li in my system hovers around 400; never has seemed problematic.

 

[Ahbaloch]

Hello everyone,


Thanks for everyones reply,


So for the metals, this is what i am thinking

My stand is aluminum/metal and it has rust all over it, i have cleaned it with a wet rag right now but rust is still there,

What can i do? Or spray something or put something on top of the stand so it doesnt rust,

There is couple magnet single frag holder in the tank



For the sand, i used carib sea mostly different grains, but i did mix crushed coral sand in there too i think so

For dosing, i have been using 2 part seachem reef fusion, i will be switching over to brs two part in couple months after i run out of these

I also, most of the kent marine stuff, ( essential element, iodine, phyto, zooplank, fluvel ions, microvert, coral-vite) once a week or every 8-10 days

Also do ME amino polyp and nitrates

I dont so alot of water changes, maybe 20% every 3 months,

I am using reef crystals salt,

I have a bubble magus curve 5,

A small 150 phosban reactor with gfa and carbon as i cant grow chaeto no what i do.

@ca1ore @rkpetersen @saltyfilmfolks @TheEngineer @Lasse

 

[KrisReef]

Where did the (live?) rock in the tank come from?

 

[Ahbaloch]

Where did the (live?) rock in the tank come from?

Fron marine depot and premium aquatic and BRS

I mixed pukani
And macro

 

[Lasse]

I would stop all addition of trace elements or products with combine or unknown content. If you need to add NO3 - just dose pure KNO3 or NaNO3.

The ceramic plugs can be the source of Si - but not worry about that level - I have been up to levels over 10 000 without any obvious problems.

My stand is aluminum/metal and it has rust all over it,

If the different metals are in contact which each other you will have a lot of rust in combine with saltwater. You can try to paint with epoxy but if you do that - switch of your skimmer, cover all open water surface and have a very, very good ventilation of the room as long as you can smell the epoxy. be very careful when you paint in an aquarium room.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ahbaloch]

I would stop all addition of trace elements or products with combine or unknown content. If you need to add NO3 - just dose pure KNO3 or NaNO3.

The ceramic plugs can be the source of Si - but not worry about that level - I have been up to levels over 10 000 without any obvious problems.

If the different metals are in contact which each other you will have a lot of rust in combine with saltwater. You can try to paint with epoxy but if you do that - switch of your skimmer, cover all open water surface and have a very, very good ventilation of the room as long as you can smell the epoxy. be very careful when you paint in an aquarium room.

Sincerely Lasse

Will i have to remove to the stand to paint?

How do i get the rust off so i can paint,

And which paint do you recommend thats like water proof or rust proof?