Daniel's Reef Savvy 50g Cube - A Recovering Build...

[Daniel@R2R]

ok...got the results back. My nutrients are high, and but I'm trying to figure the results out in measurements that make sense. The measurements are strange to me. Any help?

http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/publicAnalysis/17898

 

[mahindra.dev]

ok...got the results back. My nutrients are high, and but I'm trying to figure the results out in measurements that make sense. The measurements are strange to me. Any help?

http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/publicAnalysis/17898

Dan test shows salinity @ 32.... is that what you are running at???

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Dan is shows salinity @ 32.... is that what you are running at???

No. I usually run at 1.025-1.026 which should be 34-35 ppt.

 

[mahindra.dev]

No. I usually run at 1.025-1.026 which should be 34-35 ppt.

Agreed. But if the test is saying 31.7... I think you should check the refractometer as well. That can be off too.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Agreed. But if the test is saying 31.7... I think you should check the refractometer as well. That can be off too.

I did notice that, so I want to double check my refrac. However, the calculation from ppt to specific gravity puts me at 1.0239 which should still be ok, right?

 

[mahindra.dev]

I did notice that, so I want to double check my refrac. However, the calculation from ppt to specific gravity puts me at 1.0239 which should still be ok, right?

I have this chart with temp factors. Hope this helps.

 

[Caravanshaka]

They are reading my salinity at 33.2, and I have a calibrated refractometer that read 35ppt, as well as a milwaukee digital salinity reader that read it at 35ppt at the time I sent them off. I wonder if they are checking the salinity at a colder temp.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have this chart with temp factors. Hope this helps.

What is that from? That is likely for hydrometers and is not appropriate for a refractometer.

It might even be a density table, not specific gravity.

Don't use this unless you are certain what it is and how it is intended to be used (and is from a reliable source).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

ok...got the results back. My nutrients are high, and but I'm trying to figure the results out in measurements that make sense. The measurements are strange to me. Any help?

http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/publicAnalysis/17898

I don't see anything especially amiss.

Low salinity.
Super high phosphate (1.5 ppm)
Low iodine
elevated aluminum

might be lacking certain trace elements

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

They are reading my salinity at 33.2, and I have a calibrated refractometer that read 35ppt, as well as a milwaukee digital salinity reader that read it at 35ppt at the time I sent them off. I wonder if they are checking the salinity at a colder temp.

They presumably get the salinity from the ICP. I presume they have everything calibrated to their room temperature.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I did notice that, so I want to double check my refrac. However, the calculation from ppt to specific gravity puts me at 1.0239 which should still be ok, right?

That's correct.

 

[Caravanshaka]

They presumably get the salinity from the ICP. I presume they have everything calibrated to their room temperature.

Any reason why it would read 2 ppt below what a refractometer and a milwaukee digital salinity gauge read? both have been properly calibrated per manufacturer instructions.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I don't see anything especially amiss.

Low salinity.
Super high phosphate (1.5 ppm)
Low iodine
elevated aluminum

might be lacking certain trace elements

Thanks, Randy. I knew PO4 was high (wasn't thinking it was quite THAT high though). I'm still confused though over what is leading to coral death. At this point, my only real idea is to do a major water replacement (something like a 75% WC) after I get my new RODI filters in (I'm replacing all of the filters including membranes as they're all quite old at this point anyway) and then run carbon to strip anything chemically in the water that I'm not aware of. ...but I am still just shooting in the dark on this stuff...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Randy. I knew PO4 was high (wasn't thinking it was quite THAT high though). I'm still confused though over what is leading to coral death. At this point, my only real idea is to do a major water replacement (something like a 75% WC) after I get my new RODI filters in (I'm replacing all of the filters including membranes as they're all quite old at this point anyway) and then run carbon to strip anything chemically in the water that I'm not aware of. ...but I am still just shooting in the dark on this stuff...

Might be more likely to be a biology problem (bacteria, virus, etc.) and not a chemistry problem.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any reason why it would read 2 ppt below what a refractometer and a milwaukee digital salinity gauge read? both have been properly calibrated per manufacturer instructions.

There's no reason it should, unless one or both are off.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Might be more likely to be a biology problem (bacteria, virus, etc.) and not a chemistry problem.

Hmm...coral viruses...not something I have any knowledge of. Any ideas on how I can treat for anything like that?

 

[evolved]

Hmm...coral viruses...not something I have any knowledge of. Any ideas on how I can treat for anything like that?

In addition to virus and bacteria, there's still other pathogens.
Rich Ross has been losing lots of corals lately to what he has determined to be a protozoan.
Treatments for most all things like this are pretty unknown.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

In addition to virus and bacteria, there's still other pathogens.
Rich Ross has been losing lots of corals lately to what he has determined to be a protozoan.
Treatments for most all things like this are pretty unknown.

 

[evolved]

I'm pretty sure my recent woes are due to something analogous.

I've gone through an event in the past like this too. Never fun.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I'm pretty sure my recent woes are due to something analogous.

I've gone through an event in the past like this too. Never fun.

So my plan at this point is basically:

1) Replace all RODI filtration (just bc it's old anyway)
2) 75% WC to try and bring stuff back in line
3) run carbon in media reactor
4) add an MP10 on the side of the tank to increase flow (I have one lying around, so why not)
5) Wait a while before adding any new coral...no clue what a timeline like this would look like...
6) Probably try to think of other random stuff I can do so I feel like I'm doing something...even though it probably is unrelated to whatever issue was killing stuff off...
7) Consider going FOWLR...