AFR Dosing but Trace Elements Not Detectable

[Jxw6963]

I have been dosing All for Reef for awhile now but my ICP still shows not detectable on several elements that I would expect to show at least some levels?

AFR dosing has been around 10ml per day on a 50gal system. Tank is around 8 months old and corals are still relatively small, so probably getting most of what I need from my salt (reef crystals).
Maybe not enough of a dose yet to make a difference in the levels? Or is something odd with the results?

Note: sulfur is high due to past magnesium dosing which I've stopped.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is this icp-OES or icp-ms? The former cannot detect natural levels of many trace elements and so you may have enough or not.

 

[rishma]

I have been dosing All for Reef for awhile now but my ICP still shows not detectable on several elements that I would expect to show at least some levels?

AFR dosing has been around 10ml per day on a 50gal system. Tank is around 8 months old and corals are still relatively small, so probably getting most of what I need from my salt (reef crystals).
Maybe not enough of a dose yet to make a difference in the levels? Or is something odd with the results?

Note: sulfur is high due to past magnesium dosing which I've stopped.

That type of ICP cannot detect the trace element levels AFR is aiming to maintain. Not detectable in ICP-OES means below the detection limit. I saw the same thing with the same ICP. When I did an Oceamo ICP-MS that has lower detection limits I could see my trace was being maintained

 

[Freenow54]

I have high mag and alk ph readings Randy suggested I use a and K so I have. I also started with Seachem photo Plankton and see slow but steady results visually. Maybe you should try it ?

 

[rishma]

Is this icp-OES or icp-ms? The former cannot detect natural levels of many trace elements and so you may have enough or not.

It’s an ATI ICP-OES. I recognize the format, I’ve used them in the past.

 

[Jxw6963]

Yes OES

https://a.co/d/6sEtdx2

 

[Freenow54]

I have been dosing All for Reef for awhile now but my ICP still shows not detectable on several elements that I would expect to show at least some levels?

AFR dosing has been around 10ml per day on a 50gal system. Tank is around 8 months old and corals are still relatively small, so probably getting most of what I need from my salt (reef crystals).
Maybe not enough of a dose yet to make a difference in the levels? Or is something odd with the results?

Note: sulfur is high due to past magnesium dosing which I've stopped.

Also wonder what type of Coral . If I understand it SPS consume those elements so maybe the dose is to small. Personally I see no harm adding twice the amount. Hopefully you get a reply from the experts soon . I am interested

 

[Jxw6963]

Also wonder what type of Coral . If I understand it SPS consume those elements so maybe the dose is to small. Personally I see no harm adding twice the amount. Hopefully you get a reply from the experts soon . I am interested

I'm basing the dose on the stability of my alkalinity.

Mixed frags/smalls of
3 Lepto, cynarina, coelastrea, trachy, duncan, torch, Hammer, stylo, 2 birdsnest, few blasto, few acans, couple monti frags, etc
and several soft

 

[Freenow54]

See they replied while I was writing cool

 

[rishma]

I'm basing the dose on the stability of my alkalinity

You are doing it perfectly then. Your trace is likely in good shape. An ICP-OES cannot detect many of those levels. The results you got from you test are as expected.

The high sulfur is interesting. But nothing to worry about.

 

[slingfox]

Yes OES

https://a.co/d/6sEtdx2

ICP-OES cannot be relied upon to gauge trace element levels. You would need to order an ICP-MS which ATI has available now.

 

[Jxw6963]

Quick pics

 

[Jxw6963]

You are doing it perfectly then. Your trace is likely in good shape. An ICP-OES cannot detect many of those levels. The results you got from you test are as expected.

The high sulfur is interesting. But nothing to worry about.

Yea I realized after this ICP that the seachem magnesium i was using was out of balance and leading to extra sulfur. My mag is a little high anyways so just stopping altogether and bringing sulfur down with water changes over time

 

[rishma]

Yea I realized after this ICP that the seachem magnesium i was using was out of balance and leading to extra sulfur. My mag is a little high anyways so just stopping altogether and bringing sulfur down with water changes over time

You likely do not need to dose Mg separately while using AFR. If you want to dose extra you can dose up to 1ppm Mg for every 2.8 dKH alkalinity you dosed with AFR. But many tanks get plenty of Mg from AFR and water changes alone without adding additional.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Also wonder what type of Coral . If I understand it SPS consume those elements so maybe the dose is to small. Personally I see no harm adding twice the amount. Hopefully you get a reply from the experts soon . I am interested

I think it is a mistake to think sps take up any more of most trace elements than other corals or even algae.

Fluoride and strontium may be the exceptions, which each primarily gets incorporated into depositing calcium carbonate of all sorts. I do not know if dosing either has value, however.

But elements such as iron, manganese, vanadium, iodine, etc., all get taken up by lots of different organisms.in my tank, macroalgae is almost certainly the biggest consumer of many trace elements.

 

[ReneReef]

Also, the sodium and chloride levels suggest a salinity below 30‰.

In my opinion that is a waaaaayyyyy bigger concern than any trace element.
In fact in the trace elements I don’t see anything of concern. Excepts maybe the high lithium.

I would correct salinity and potassium.
Plus do some extra water changes the coming months to get sulfate and lithium in line.

 

[Jxw6963]

Also, the sodium and chloride levels suggest a salinity below 30‰.

In my opinion that is a waaaaayyyyy bigger concern than any trace element.
In fact in the trace elements I don’t see anything of concern. Excepts maybe the high lithium.

I would correct salinity and potassium.
Plus do some extra water changes the coming months to get sulfate and lithium in line.

Yep, not quite that low, but for this test salinity did drift down just below 32 due to issues with my refractometer. Slowly corrected over several days since then

 

[Jxw6963]

Also, the sodium and chloride levels suggest a salinity below 30‰.

In my opinion that is a waaaaayyyyy bigger concern than any trace element.
In fact in the trace elements I don’t see anything of concern. Excepts maybe the high lithium.

I would correct salinity and potassium.
Plus do some extra water changes the coming months to get sulfate and lithium in line.

That's one thing I've now learned. Redundancy is needed for everything.
Have had issues with just about every piece of equipment I own, have to double check everything to be sure.

 

[Freenow54]

Yep, not quite that low, but for this test salinity did drift down just below 32 due to issues with my refractometer. Slowly corrected over several days since then

Smart to do it slow in my opinion. I was messing with mine and found that it took 5 hours to stabilize , and I think I have good flow. Fairly surprised , and don't remember why I decided to exhibit such patience. Just experience of failures from the past I guess. After a lengthy thread where people admitted that they had calibration issues I got some guaranteed fluid and checked mine. I always rinse mine after use and it looks brand new. However I still have an attitude that can bend your mind Where does the proof of accuracy start ? I remember a thread where a bunch of people showed salt build up on theirs , and were talking about how to clean them . Quite honestly It took a lot of self control to not say anything but I sure wanted to butt my head against the wall. Especially when a self appointed expert lol took over

 

[Freenow54]

That's one thing I've now learned. Redundancy is needed for everything.
Have had issues with just about every piece of equipment I own, have to double check everything to be sure.

Lithium ? I had no idea . I guess just throw in a battery every so often . Seriously where does that originate from in a natural Ocean ?