Help! losing SPS. Got ICP results...

Ameer214

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I have been having issues lately with losing all my SPS (acros, chalice, monties). Also, growth on my LPS and softies has slowed down. All the basic parameters were within spec:
Salinity: 1.026
Phosphate: 0.06ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm
Calcium: 440ppm
Mag: 1360ppm
pH: 8.19

Setup:
-IM SR-80 with back section removed
-Trigger system triton sump (large one, about 40g?)
-3x radion xr15 g5 at 35%
-2x reef-brite xho radion add-ons (using the xr-30 version with a 3d printed bracket, you get twice the lights for about 10 bucks more)
-Refugium with Cheato on a H380 (about 5 hours a day on time)
-eShopps axium 120 skimmer (on for about 12 hours a day)
-Calcium reactor with Arm media (reef-octo dual chamber reactor)

The tank was started in December 2019. I used live rock from an existing tank (running for about two years) and new sand. Everything was going well, SPS, LPS, and softies growing. And about the time that covid hit, things started going downhill (no it wasn't covid). The SPS loss was STN basically. Lost all SPS over a span of two months.

I don't do many water changes just as a principle because I prefer to be more precise when solving the problem. So, I ordered an ICP test (see attached image). It looks like I am low on a few trace elements, but the thing that screams out the most is the Iron levels. It is basically 10 times higher than the max preferred value. I do supplement the tank with Cheatogrow (I think this has some iron in it), but I only add a cap full every two weeks (far below the recommended amount). So either this is cause, or some piece of metal has fallen into my tank.

Questions:
1. Is this high iron likely the cause of my issues or does it not matter so much?
2. Does anyone have recommendations on how to remove iron? I guess I could look in my tank for the metal, but that will be too hard (even impossible) with the sand, rocks, and holes.

1600110461189.png
 

reef_ninja

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Just spit-balling ideas. ChaetoGrow has iron in it, so if you're only running your fuge light for 5 hours, your chaeto may not be growing enough to process the iron?
 

hometown9

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I can't speak to iron levels and whether they are harmful, but your iodine looks a bit low. SPS like that and I've had issues (STN) when it was too low.

Assume nothing else has changed with flow, lighting, etc that coincided with this?
 
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Ameer214

Ameer214

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Just spit-balling ideas. ChaetoGrow has iron in it, so if you're only running your fuge light for 5 hours, your chaeto may not be growing enough to process the iron?

Good point. However, I only add a cap full every two weeks. The recommended is a cap full per 20g every week. My Cheato does grow pretty well.
 

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