Crazy High Aluminum? How to resolve?

[Masons Reef]

Salt mixes are not generally a source of high aluminum.

I would not assume that all of the aluminum released to an aquarium is just floating around. A lot of it may be temporarily bound to calcium carbonate surfaces and organics. When you replace the tank water, these come back off by Le Chatlier's Principle.

That is most readily seen by reefers with phosphate on calcium carbonate surfaces, but it is expected to happen with metals as well.

I do not know if that is what happened in this case, but water changes not producing a big drop does not necessarily implicate the salt mix.

Hello Randy,

Thank you for your info which is a great help - what would you do now if you where me ( Ai@290) large water change or see this high level as non toxic and ignore?

 

[JBKReef]

While I have gathered the CoralVue ICP test is not the most reliable I wanted to jump into the discussion. I’ve attached my results and I’m showing elevated aluminum as my only significant outlier (to the best of my knowledge.)

I have a marinepure plate, a brightwell brick, and something a bit more unique which could also be causing the issue. Instead of going bare bottom I covered the bottom of my tank in 3” Ocean Wonder frag tiles.

I’ve been reading up on the potential issues with bad bales of ceramic media, but has anyone experienced leeching from frag tiles (in bulk) as well?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

300 ug/L is quite high.
Are the frag tiles the only white material? No phosguard?

 

[JBKReef]

300 ug/L is quite high.
Are the frag tiles the only white material? No phosguard?

No phosguard, that is correct.

Only the tiles, marine pure, and brightwell brick.

Quick clip of set up

youtube.com

I just uploaded a quick shot of the system, still terrible quality as YouTube processes the file.

My LPS has gone down in quality, extension, coloration, tissue for the past 12 months. (Tiles in tank for 18 months, plate/brick only 6 months)

I have made some substantial changes to the tank over the past 6 months but the tank has been stable for the past 4mo with no changes other than bi-weekly water changes

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally would not suspect the tiles, just the porous materials (Brightwell and MarinePure).

 

[JBKReef]

I personally would not suspect the tiles, just the porous materials (Brightwell and MarinePure).

Thanks for the quick response, I’ll try to remove them from the system and step up my water changes and then run the tests again.

Since the last time it was discussed, any other methods of stripping aluminum from the water column?

 

[BostonReefer300]

I love it when sponsors post questions like the rest of us! When experts have problems with their tanks, it makes me feel like I'm not a complete reef moron---and I usually learn something valuable. BTW, I purchased from REEFTIDE for the first time recently and was very impressed!

 

[Saltyanimals]

Any update here on removing or reducing Al from the tank? My Triton ICP came back with a YELLOW elevated and yes I been phosguard to battle phosphate. The phos is now back to desired range and phosguard removed, but how to get the Al out?

Thanks for the quick response, I’ll try to remove them from the system and step up my water changes and then run the tests again.

Since the last time it was discussed, any other methods of stripping aluminum from the water column?

 

[David100]

I have also had a recent ICP test come through with a high Aliminium content, is phosguard known to add Al? or Perhaps Bio Bricks? I have both and I'm reading 121.64 µg/l

 

[Reef.]

I have also had a recent ICP test come through with a high Aliminium content, is phosguard known to add Al? or Perhaps Bio Bricks? I have both and I'm reading 121.64 µg/l

Phosguard almost certainly will be adding some, whether it adds enough to be a problem is a different question, apparently it is only meant to affect soft corals at the most.

 

[JBKReef]

I personally would not suspect the tiles, just the porous materials (Brightwell and MarinePure).

As a follow up to this comment a couple years later.

Once I removed all the ceramic media, my Al returned to normal.

I’m not sure if I had a bad batch, or I did something to drive this effect but as I was removing the Brightwell brick it literally crumbled in my hand. It broke in two, then I could crush the pieces like it was just barely firmer than compacted sand.

 

[Saltyanimals]

As a follow up to this comment a couple years later.

Once I removed all the ceramic media, my Al returned to normal.

I’m not sure if I had a bad batch, or I did something to drive this effect but as I was removing the Brightwell brick it literally crumbled in my hand. It broke in two, then I could crush the pieces like it was just barely firmer than compacted sand.

The media and Al mystery continues. My comment above was from Dec. Since then I've done 2 additional ICPs (below). That Dec was near that 65 for me (far left point) and somehow it dropped to 30 and now back up to 50. However I didn't do anything material to the tank. If I had to guess, I did stop using Phosguard and the Al comments. Now back to GFO for the PO4. Tanks continues to be full of marinepure and I've added the biobricks since then. I did add a back of Cuprisorb a couple weeks after "just because" my ICP came back at that 50, but I'm not really expecting any real benefits from it.

Re: your crumbling media. When did you add and how long was it in your tank? My media is all still very solid. I know because I moved and consolidated all the various marinepure bags into a box inside the sump. Brick still solid.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not know if the ICP test you got is accurate enough to distinguish 30 from 50 from 65 ppb, but it sounds like you made a number of changes, all of which may have contributed to actual changes.

 

[JBKReef]

The media and Al mystery continues. My comment above was from Dec. Since then I've done 2 additional ICPs (below). That Dec was near that 65 for me (far left point) and somehow it dropped to 30 and now back up to 50. However I didn't do anything material to the tank. If I had to guess, I did stop using Phosguard and the Al comments. Now back to GFO for the PO4. Tanks continues to be full of marinepure and I've added the biobricks since then. I did add a back of Cuprisorb a couple weeks after "just because" my ICP came back at that 50, but I'm not really expecting any real benefits from it.

Re: your crumbling media. When did you add and how long was it in your tank? My media is all still very solid. I know because I moved and consolidated all the various marinepure bags into a box inside the sump. Brick still solid.

I was using a brightwell Xport Bio brick… used it for about 2 years.

 

[Killafornia]

Hello all! My question is does high AL effect fish?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello all! My question is does high AL effect fish?

I’m sure if high enough it will. But I do not know what specific levels of which chemical forms will impact fish.
Why are you asking?

 

[Killafornia]

I’m sure if high enough it will. But I do not know what specific levels of which chemical forms will impact fish.
Why are you asking?

I have 6 MarinePure block I was going to pull from my reef tank and add them to my fish only tank. They work great and are expensive. But I figured not to risk so I just dried them out. Reef al levels are 208 ppb

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have 6 MarinePure block I was going to pull from my reef tank and add them to my fish only tank. They work great and are expensive. But I figured not to risk so I just dried them out. Reef al levels are 208 ppb

I don’t know if that level is a concern, or even what form it is, but I personally wouldn’t do it.