1st Triton Test - High Tin

[Makers Marc]

All,

I am on month 16 of my 180g tank and all my acros end up peeling within the 1st 4 wks. I have gonisx3, duncan coral, setosa, and forest fire digi that are surviving (but not thriving) in their first 3 months.

I have fine tuned my geo618 where my alk=7.2-7.6 at all times. Initial assumption was my light acclimation was poor with my kessil ap700x2. But based on par levels done by BRS/Riddle, and the fact I tried acclimating from first down low then up top, it mostly eliminates that.

I finally decided to get a Triton ICP and the results are attached.

Elevated Tin seems to be the main issue. Researching r2r, besides tearing down my tank for a screw, what does the consensus say? I'm guessing do a bunch of water changes then pay for another test?

Any other options or thoughts on my results?I do use marinepure so thats why my aluminum is high too.

 

[Chris Villalobos]

Welcome to the Tinfest! Looks like you have some Aluminum too. Yep, you have to either look for the cause or continue regular water changes. Either way just keep monitoring. Even with my small tank I still get some Tin and other metals building up in my system if I don't do regular water changes.

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Interestingly enough, someone else posted their Triton results last week asking about how to reduce the Tin, and IIRC, their concentration was almost exactly the same as yours.

Your phosphates are 37 ppb, which is quite low. What are your nitrates? If the acros are coming from a source that keeps them in relatively high nutrient levels, RTN/STN is certainly possible from the rapid reduction in dissolved nutrients going from their tanks to yours.

 

[Makers Marc]

Interestingly enough, someone else posted their Triton results last week asking about how to reduce the Tin, and IIRC, their concentration was almost exactly the same as yours.

Your phosphates are 37 ppb, which is quite low. What are your nitrates? If the acros are coming from a source that keeps them in relatively high nutrient levels, RTN/STN is certainly possible from the rapid reduction in dissolved nutrients going from their tanks to yours.

Nitrates are at 16ppm-32ppm, hard to tell from Red Sea Pro test.

That's the lowest my p04 gets, which makes sense because i just replaced my gfo a few days before the test sample was taken.

I have a magnetic hook which was about 2 feet over the sump, as I used it to help support pvc straps. It was rusty, but I always assumed it wasnt a big deal bc it wasnt underwater. But ive removed it, replaced by GAC bag, and will do a 25%water change and try and find cuprisorb tomorrow.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Think we need to start a support group.

Hi... My name is Tom and I suffer from high Tin (61 ug/l) , high aluminum (160 ug/l), high Silicates (573 ug/l), and iron (4.69 ug/l).

 

[Makers Marc]

Think we need to start a support group.

Hi... My name is Tom and I suffer from high Tin (61 ug/l) , high aluminum (160 ug/l), high Silicates (573 ug/l), and iron (4.69 ug/l).

What did you do? Did you try Cuprisorb for the tin?

 

[scriptmonkey]

What did you do? Did you try Cuprisorb for the tin?

I just threw two bags in my sump. I think my aluminum and Silicates are coming from a Brightwell Xport brick that was disintegrating (removed). Aluminum could also be coming from my Maxspect Ethereal light mounts being in the water, not sure what I can do for that yet until I swap to new tank here next month, may improvise a solution soon. Silicates could also come from my RODI so I have two new membranes to swap in.

Tin...so I am going to scour the tank looking for a source. Hinges are rusty, so looking for replacement that are aluminum or stainless. do not want to invest too much as I am evacuating this tank within in the next 90 days hopefully when I get the new one set up.

Iron....thinking if I take out the tin, iron should go as well. But in the mean time I am going to disassemble all my aux pumps I use for moving water for ATO, salt water changes, etc just to make sure they are all in good health.

The shocking thing...everything seems to be doing awesome at moment so I do not want to change too much.

But in my next build, will not have hinges, any clamps will be titanium or plastic.. lights will have a cantilever aluminum mount not attached to tank but stand. Still Debating on the Xport brick, have a new one in that isnt disintegrating so hoping it stays that way, I would love to move it over, it is helping keep phosphates and nitrates in check I believe.

 

[Makers Marc]

So my LFS only had 2x100ml available, so i put both packages in my sump, inside mesh filter socks where the drain enters the sump.

1. Do yall know if its bad for this to tumble too hard? Will it grind to dust?

2. How long would it normally take to remove 16 micrograms from my 180g?

 

[jkcoon]

I also had high tin. My research pointed me toward “tin floated plate glass” - likely due to new glass in a sump. I’m about to do another and expect it to be lower

 

[Makers Marc]

I also had high tin. My research pointed me toward “tin floated plate glass” - likely due to new glass in a sump. I’m about to do another and expect it to be lower

Please keep me updated. It very well could be that for anyone with a new glass tank. Mine is new as of 16 months ago and ive only changed about 90 total gallons over that time.

I just changed 30 gallons myself. Removed a rusty magnetic hook from above my sump. Added 200ml of cuprisorb, put a new 1/2 cup of GAC, and will add a polyfilter tomorrow when it gets in.

If my next test doesnt show any reduction. then the source must still be there.

Does anyone know if all the ICP test options are consistent generally, when it comes to metal measures? I ask bc I am unsure if I need to go Triton again, or if I can choose one of the cheaper options?

If my next test doesnt show

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I think @Battlecorals just posted something about his test being off on Tin as well...

 

[Makers Marc]

I think @Battlecorals just posted something about his test being off on Tin as well...

Yeah I just read his posting.

What sucks, is the vast disparities between these 3rd party icp testing kits. I want to order another test soon and was gonna go domestic, but now that doesn't seem like a good idea.

Can't believe some ppl do them monthly at such a high cost.

 

[User1]

I just threw two bags in my sump. I think my aluminum and Silicates are coming from a Brightwell Xport brick that was disintegrating (removed). Aluminum could also be coming from my Maxspect Ethereal light mounts being in the water, not sure what I can do for that yet until I swap to new tank here next month, may improvise a solution soon. Silicates could also come from my RODI so I have two new membranes to swap in.

Tin...so I am going to scour the tank looking for a source. Hinges are rusty, so looking for replacement that are aluminum or stainless. do not want to invest too much as I am evacuating this tank within in the next 90 days hopefully when I get the new one set up.

Iron....thinking if I take out the tin, iron should go as well. But in the mean time I am going to disassemble all my aux pumps I use for moving water for ATO, salt water changes, etc just to make sure they are all in good health.

The shocking thing...everything seems to be doing awesome at moment so I do not want to change too much.

But in my next build, will not have hinges, any clamps will be titanium or plastic.. lights will have a cantilever aluminum mount not attached to tank but stand. Still Debating on the Xport brick, have a new one in that isnt disintegrating so hoping it stays that way, I would love to move it over, it is helping keep phosphates and nitrates in check I believe.

Interesting you mention the Brightwell block, aluminum, and silicates. I have similar results although I use ATI for my tests. Zinc, tin, and high silicates among a few others. Seems to be everyone has results come back with tin. I'm still not sure if I believe them or not but then again I've only run two tests through. In any case I was considering removing my Brightwell block because I noticed one area starting to disintegrate and figured it isn't helping. It is a in a high flow area in the sump between chambers but not sure how else I could limit the issue other than maybe adding some rock pieces I have.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Thank you for reminding me, I have a phonecall to make to them. Here is my Brick:

Pro tip: wear thick gloves because those grains of sand looking things are actually microscopic ceramic death dagger shards of doom. My fingers still hurt.

So I am going to be standing up another Tank soon as it gets delivered. The plan was to just move the live rock, Brightwell Xport Brick, some of my current bed media (Sump) and try to bypass a tank cycle but it is looking more and more unlikely. I have another brick in the sump currently that is not crumbling. I just bought like 15-18 lbs of Marco rock I am going to beat with a hammer to make some rubble then throw in my sump to start seeding it.

 

[User1]

Thank you for reminding me, I have a phonecall to make to them. Here is my Brick:

Pro tip: wear thick gloves because those grains of sand looking things are actually microscopic ceramic death dagger shards of doom. My fingers still hurt.

So I am going to be standing up another Tank soon as it gets delivered. The plan was to just move the live rock, Brightwell Xport Brick, some of my current bed media (Sump) and try to bypass a tank cycle but it is looking more and more unlikely. I have another brick in the sump currently that is not crumbling. I just bought like 15-18 lbs of Marco rock I am going to beat with a hammer to make some rubble then throw in my sump to start seeding it.

Thanks for sharing. My brick is having issues in the corner back edge but doesn't look anything like that. I have the Brightwell Aquatics Xport BIO Dimpled Brick, Ultra-Porous Biological Brick Media. It is wearing down though. I'm trying to remember when I purchased it but believe it was in October/November of last year. So 5 or 6 months of use.

 

[Makers Marc]

So I sent in another test to Triton, but also one to icp-analysis.com.

Ive removed the hook, changed 40%of water over 2 days, and put 300g Cuprisorb in sump since i got the last test back.

Urchins and conchs do seem more lively and my gonis have extended twice as much, so my hope is this test comes back at 0 for Tin.

 

[Feldo]

So I sent in another test to Triton, but also one to icp-analysis.com.

Ive removed the hook, changed 40%of water over 2 days, and put 300g Cuprisorb in sump since i got the last test back.

Urchins and conchs do seem more lively and my gonis have extended twice as much, so my hope is this test comes back at 0 for Tin.

Did you have any success removing tin?

 

[Makers Marc]

Did you have any success removing tin?

Only through massive changes, like 5x 50-60 gallon ones over a 2 wk period. Cuprisorb and GAC dont do anything for tin removal.

I did find some potential culprits, such as in my Tunze Osmolator pump and months later Tin hasnt came back.