Aluminum in ATIbTest Result

eLReef · Jan 15, 2021

Hi Reefers,

I recently experience the lost of 4 euphyllias and a few blasto colonies. Everything tested within range at home (I’ll put the results at the bottom) So I decided to do an ATI Lab test. I got my results and I have high levels of Aluminum, Low Iodine, low manganese, low barium. I wanted to get some experience reefer advice with narrowing down what is causing my reef aquarium to have aluminum and if that would have been the cause of all the sudden deaths of a few of my corals. I also want to know if the low level of the other elements are low enough to have caused a problem? I’d like to say I have a mix tank and my acros and any of my other corals were not affected at all. I also decided to use a poly filter with color changing feature to absorb any contaminate in the water but it did not color up. Please let me know, any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Here are a few more details.

System:
Redsea Reefer250 (65Gallon) - 3 yrs old
2x MP40QWD Vortech
2x XR15W Radion g4 w/Diffusers
2xReefbrite XHO Kit
Nyos Quantum 120 Skimmer
Paxbellum N18 Algae reactor + cobalt 1200 pump
Cobalt 200w heater
Ecotech Vectra M1

Livestock:
Mix Corals
Blue Tang
Gem Tang
Storm Clown
Scarlet Hermits
Red Sea Serpant Star
Astraea Snails
Margarita Snail
Nassarius Snail

Lighting:
12 hours a day at 55% intensity

Feeding:
Everyday: frozen Reef frenzy + reef chili + reef roids. Also add 2 drops of coral vitalizer and 2 drops of lps amino acids by (Korallen-Zucht) every day.

Twice a week: Target feed all my corals with reef roids and reef chili.

Maintenance:
I use polyester and change it weekly instead of filter socks.

15 gallons water changes weekly using RODI water with Red Sea Sea Salt. Mix it 24 hours before adding to the tank. I add one drop of iodine.

Every 2 weeks, clean cheato algae and throw away 1/3 of it.

Dosing:
B-Ionics 2 Parts: daily 14.5ml Alkalinity 10ml Calcium.

Parameters:
Ph: 8.2
Alkalinity: 8.4 (Hanna checker)
Calcium: 418 (Hanna Checker)
Magnesium: 1,250 (Redsea test kit)
Phosphates: .04 (Hanna Checker)
Salinity: 35 (Hanna Salinity checker)
Temperature: 76-77
Nitrates: 6 (Redsea test kit)

xxkenny90xx · Jan 15, 2021

Do you use any of phosphate removal media? Some of that stuff is known to leech aluminum.

The low barium levels I wouldn't be concerned about

eLReef · Jan 15, 2021

xxkenny90xx said:
Do you use any of phosphate removal media? Some of that stuff is known to leech aluminum.

The low barium levels I wouldn't be concerned about

No I don’t. One thing I forgot to add is I use reef reef life rock for my aquascape. I used reef glue, BSI gel glue and 2 little fish putty to stick it together. For my biological filtration I use marine pure bio filter media sphere’s.

eLReef · Jan 18, 2021

Wow! No help. Has anyone experienced high aluminum levels? I’m loosing another torch.. Any input will help please. I been reading about marine pure leeching aluminum into the reef aquarium but nothing with enough substantial evidence. Also reading about some types of ceramics products doing the same. I have a lot of frag plugs and not sure if real reef rock is also made from ceramic. What’s the best way besides water changes to get rid of aluminum. I tried poly filters. Is there something else?

xxkenny90xx · Jan 18, 2021

hey sorry I missed your last post. I have also heard of the marine pure blocks leeching aluminum. Best to pull those imo

xxkenny90xx · Jan 18, 2021

How about something like this

HuduVudu · Jan 18, 2021

eLReef said:
Low Iodine, low manganese, low barium.

Fix these first. Especially the first two.

If you did ATI you should have done an RO/DI sample what was the result of that?

You can try to water change out the Al. Not really sure that it is an issue though. Yes Marine Pure can be an issue.

eLReef · Jan 18, 2021

xxkenny90xx said:
hey sorry I missed your last post. I have also heard of the marine pure blocks leeching aluminum. Best to pull those imo

No worries. I use the spheres made by marine pure but I’m sure they are made the same way What biological filtration media do you use? I was thinking of trying the eshopps bio-Lux. Anyone have any good experience with these?

xxkenny90xx said:
How about something like this

Would that work for aluminum? Have you used it before?

HuduVudu said:
Fix these first. Especially the first two.

If you did ATI you should have done an RO/DI sample what was the result of that?

You can try to water change out the Al. Not really sure that it is an issue though. Yes Marine Pure can be an issue.

Think those levels were low enough to have actually caused the death of a few of my corals? Yes my RODI water results we’re good. I’ll post them next. What bio media do you recommend? I use the marine pure spheres to fill up the 2 filter cups in my Redsea reefer 250. So it’s not a lot. Counted about 10 per cup so 20 spheres total. Some more details about my corals that suddenly died. Corals started gasping from the mouth then started to polyp bail out until they died.

xxkenny90xx · Jan 18, 2021

I subscribe to the kiss method. My filtration is mostly tons of live rock and live rock rubble. When I have issues I like to do a large water change. Maybe run some carbon (rarely).

No I have not tried that metal remover but it appears to be just what your looking for.

HuduVudu · Jan 18, 2021

eLReef said:
Think those levels were low enough to have actually caused the death of a few of my corals?

Very likely. Especially the Iodine.

I am with @xxkenny90xx, live rock. I don't use anything else.

If this where and issue with my tank I would water change it out. If you remove the source your normal course of water changes should drop it down.

eLReef · Jan 19, 2021

xxkenny90xx said:
I subscribe to the kiss method. My filtration is mostly tons of live rock and live rock rubble. When I have issues I like to do a large water change. Maybe run some carbon (rarely).

No I have not tried that metal remover but it appears to be just what your looking for.

Got it. I tried reading about it. I didn’t see anything about it working for aluminum. I’m thinking I am going to take out the marine pure bio spheres and add some real reef live rock in the filter cups instead see how it goes. Do you think I should do it slowly or all at once? Think it will mess with my bio-load?

HuduVudu said:
Very likely. Especially the Iodine.

I am with @xxkenny90xx, live rock. I don't use anything else.

If this where and issue with my tank I would water change it out. If you remove the source your normal course of water changes should drop it down.

How low is to low for iodine to become an issue? Yea I like the water change method as well. Just hope it is the marine pure bio spheres. Debating on whether to take them all at once or little by little so it doesn’t affect the biological bacteria.

HuduVudu · Jan 19, 2021

eLReef said:
How low is to low for iodine to become an issue?

Like everything in this hobby there is no hard number. The more important question is how long has it been like this? Looking at absolute numbers is a red herring. It is far better to be adding chronically low amounts constantly than it is to be adding the exact amount all at once.