Vanadium and Nickel off the charts?

[LBReefer]

I just got my ATI test results back and my nickel (73 ug/l) and vanadium (635 ug/l) levels are off the charts.

What is driving this? Is this why I have lost every shrimp that I have added to the tank and have had limited coral growth?

Thank you in advance!

- LBReefer

 

[sfin52]

What type of sand are you using.

 

[LBReefer]

Now I'm using carib sea white/pink sand. I had black sand earlier that I moved to my sump. I'm guessing that may be responsible for the high levels ...

 

[sfin52]

Yep it might be. @Brew12 did tests of black sand and came up with levels of both what you came back with. It was @Robin Haselden tank that was tested. He was also loosing corals. I would remove the sand.

 

[LBReefer]

Yep it might be. @Brew12 did tests of black sand and came up with levels of both what you came back with. It was @Robin Haselden tank that was tested. He was also loosing corals. I would remove the sand.

Any recommendations on how to do that? The sand is trapped in some narrow baffles and below an egg crate like structure attached to the middle chamber.

 

[LBReefer]

Any recommendations on how to do that? The sand is trapped in some narrow baffles and below an egg crate like structure attached to the middle chamber.

Photos to clarify.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any recommendations on how to do that? .

Small suction hose?

 

[LBReefer]

Small suction hose?

Close.

Three trips to home depot, draining the sump and three blades for my dremel led me to cutting out the bottom tray in the central chamber. After that a soda cup and the shop vac made relatively short work of removing the sand.

Between draining, experimenting with cutting tools, and refilling the sump, I was pleasantly distracted from the Dodgers loss and/or seeing the sun.

For my next tank, I'm going to find a way to raise the sump a bit. Spending the day on my knees, bent over the sump is making me feel prematurely old.

I added carbon and ordered refills for my resin chambers, anticipating the need to make a lot of new water in the next couple weeks. How much of a water change do I need to perform and how long should I wait to do another ICP test?


Thank you all for your help. I'll be contacting @BRS tomorrow to let them know about the potentially contaminated sand.

- D

 

[LBReefer]

After many, many water changes and a lot of vacuuming, the latest test results show acceptable levels of both. Thanks for the advice!

 

[sfin52]

We're to help. What did BRS say about the sand.