ATI Results (Trace low/Silicon high)

[mginster]

I have a lot of questions about my recent ATI results. I have been using Tropic Marin 2 Part Trace additives for a few months. The March column is before I began using it and September is after a few months. I am using 120ML per Alk/CA gallon I make (BRS recommendation for Medium consumption). I listed all elements claimed to be in the mix and their corresponding ATI test values.

Questions:
- All of my trace elements are either non-existent or lower than before I even was dosing trace. Am I simply consuming it faster than I am dosing or are there issues anyone knows about using the Tropic Marin trace?
- My Iodine is very low in both cases. I read a lot about people dosing Iodine, yet also see discussion saying its not necessary. What is the consensus? I dont like dosing something I cant test for and AFAIK all the Iodine tests are crap.
- My silicon in my RODI is very high (and my tank appears elevated). Is this just a change in my tap or a bad DI cartridge? I have always gotten 3TDS pre-DI and 0 post-DI.

	March (pre-Trace)	September (with Trace)
K Elements
Barium	low	low
Boron	normal	normal
Chrome	none	none
Cobalt	none	none
Iron	none	none
Copper	none	none
Manganese	none	none
Nickel	normal	none
Strontium	normal	normal
Zinc	normal	high
A Elements
Bromine	normal	normal
Flourine	normal	low
Iodine	VERY low	VERY low
Lithium	normal	normal
Molybdenum	normal	normal
Selenium	normal	normal
Vanadium	normal	none
Silicon	normal	normal (but double recommended)
RODI
Silicon	none	VERY high (618)
Copper	none	high
Zinc	none	high

September Results:



September RODI:

Trace Elements:

Trace Element Package For BRS Two Part (Balling Hybrid)

Easily maintain calcium, alkalinity, trace elements, & magnesium in your reef! Easily add Trace Elements To Your BRS Two Part! The BRS Pharma Hybrid Balling Method is the answer for implementing trace elements alongside the BRS two-part you know and love. Easily make single or multiple gallons...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Reefahholic]

@taricha hehe. I’ll remain silent if I can.

 

[mginster]

@taricha hehe. I’ll remain silent if I can.

If you have any feedback, I do appreciate it. I am probably overthinking and overreacting to tests which is what a lot of us do.

 

[Reefahholic]

If you have any feedback, I do appreciate it. I am probably overthinking and overreacting to tests which is what a lot of us do.

Sure I was poking at Taricha because I see the same pattern with ICP-OES all the time.

Anyway, Iodine, Fluoride, barium are almost depleted. Zinc is overdosed. Copper is likely overdosed but is not trustworthy on this analysis.

Also, along with Cu….Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, Se, Ni, and Zn can’t be trusted until their overdosed like Zn. Cu is probably overdosed since it’s showing up. A good value for Cu is under 0.1 ug/L.

Best of luck. Send OCEAMO-MS next time to accurately see them all.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Unless you have a problematic level of diatoms, the Si is no concern.

You might benefit from a trace element supplement such as Tropic Marin A and K.

Make sure you have no metal parts in the water that might be releasing zinc.

 

[mginster]

Unless you have a problematic level of diatoms, the Si is no concern.

You might benefit from a trace element supplement such as Tropic Marin A and K.

Make sure you have no metal parts in the water that might be releasing zinc.

I am dosing A and K, that is part of the reason I made this post. Over many months, it isn’t detect really much at all in the ICP test.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am dosing A and K, that is part of the reason I made this post. Over many months, it isn’t detect really much at all in the ICP test.

How much are you using?

 

[rtparty]

ICP OES can’t detect the majority of traces that say none

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I see no reason to not dose more.

 

[saltyfins]

moonshiners!!! that's all I can say

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

moonshiners!!! that's all I can say

Pretty small vocabulary. lol

 

[saltyfins]

Pretty small vocabulary. lol

no. It's just that I've read the whole thread regarding moonshine, and I don't want that to happen again. if traces are low, that's enough reason right there to start. I have had mine going on the shine, 2 years now, and aside from my own issues...the tank is growing very nicely!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

no. It's just that I've read the whole thread regarding moonshine, and I don't want that to happen again. if traces are low, that's enough reason right there to start. I have had mine going on the shine, 2 years now, and aside from my own issues...the tank is growing very nicely!

OK, but since he is already using something, dosing more of it would also seem reasonable.

 

[rtparty]

OK, but since he is already using something, dosing more of it would also seem reasonable.

Precisely. Go to high consumption instead of medium. I bet the TM/BRS recipe is conservative to begin with.

 

[mginster]

How much are you using?

120ml/gallon of alk/ca solution. The suggestion from BRS for medium consumption.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

120ml/gallon of alk/ca solution. The suggestion from BRS for medium consumption.

So how much Tropic Marin A and K per day?

This is the tropic marin recommendation:

Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water.

 

[mginster]

So how much Tropic Marin A and K per day?

This is the tropic marin recommendation:

Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water.

Just saw you responded to this…

That’s probably my issue. This is also why I never understood the BRS recommendations of 80/160/330ml (based on estimated demand) to add to the 1 gallon of alk/ca. Alk/ca amounts to dose already vary based on demand. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have a constant amount to add to the 2 parts and let your consumption of them control the demand? That would make it like AFR where there is a set amount of trace in it. If we scale the trace mixed into 2 part based on demand, we would be dosing trace exponentially.

Where is the 1ml/100l recommendation? Not saying you are wrong, just didn’t see it on BRS. If that is true that is 4.5ml/d for me and at my current 10ml/d of 2 part would be almost half trace.

But maybe I just realized my own issue, my alk/ca consumption is very low….although everything is growing well.

Either way I could be overthinking it and maybe my nutrients/trace are so low that explains my low consumption. I will bump my 2 parts with more trace when I make some soon.

I do need to figure out my zinc/cu though. It is coming from my RODI and I know I have 0 metal corroding there. I may need additional membranes/di.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd try to look beyond BRS for advice.

A- Elements | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

from it:

Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water. The trace element solution must not come into direct contact with the animals.

The dose may be doubled if the corals consume large quantities of trace elements (maximum dosage).

 

[mginster]

I'd try to look beyond BRS for advice.

A- Elements | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

from it:

Add 1 ml of trace elements (each solution) to each 100 l of aquarium water. The trace element solution must not come into direct contact with the animals.

The dose may be doubled if the corals consume large quantities of trace elements (maximum dosage).

Thank you. Do you think the linked page is exactly the same strength as the one I’m using? I don’t see this one on TM’s site.

Edit: ah yeah it’s not in the photos, but is the one in the video so yeah it’s the same.

Trace Element Package For BRS Two Part (Balling Hybrid)

Easily maintain calcium, alkalinity, trace elements, & magnesium in your reef! Easily add Trace Elements To Your BRS Two Part! The BRS Pharma Hybrid Balling Method is the answer for implementing trace elements alongside the BRS two-part you know and love. Easily make single or multiple gallons...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

But yeah, I will use BRS recommendations with a grain of salt from now on. I don’t get why they don’t simply have you calculate trace ml/day for volume then add that much to 1 gallon of 2 parts based on your current 2 part demand.

I guess my trace is so far off based on their recommendation and possibly does explain my low consumption of CA/Alk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The link I posted is from Tropic Marin’s site.