Good Morning,
I just received my Triton ICP test back a week ago and I have a few results that are extremely high. I did my weekly testing the same time I took the samples to send to Triton to compare how my test kits did with accuracy, but I had some metals that are alarming as well as the PO4 results. I am trying to determine the accuracy of the results.
Mine Triton
Aluminum 8.843 ug/l
Calcium (Red Sea) 440 mg/l 452 mg/l
Magnesium (Aqua Forest) 1320 mg/l 1389 mg/l
Zinc 15 ug/l
Manganese 6.377 ug/l
Iron 310 ug/l
Phosphorus (Hanna ulr) 143 ug/l 579 ug/l
Phosphate (Hanna ulr) .438 mg/l 1.77174 mg/l
Nitrates (Salifert) 30 mg/l (ppm)
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79.3
PH 7.8
dkH 9
I have been fighting what I though was high NO3 and PO4 for months, my tests were consistently NO3 25-35 & PO4 .4 - .6+, my tank will be one year wet 11/8/21. I have been fighting GHA for months too and have tried to get chaeto to grow multiple times but it just melts after a couple of days. I tried to dose ChaetoGro for about two weeks prior to doing the ICP test, I don't any more. I had also started dosing Phytoplankton about the same time and still do daily hoping the pods I added previously would help with the algae. I would manually remove GHA, add chaeto, it would melt and before I could get more chaeto the GHA would be back. vicious cycle.
I feed frozen 2 times a day, don't rinse. A little flake from time to time and Nori for my YT.
I have been getting my RO/DI and Salt Mixed (Red Sea Coral Pro) water from a LFS close to where I work out of convenience, have checked salinity often and thought I was good.
I had mentioned to someone at another LFS about my chaeto issue and where I get my water from (this store is a longer drive away) and she said to check the TDS of the RO water. I did and it was at 11! I got a little more from the other store to verify and it tested at an 8. I immediately quit getting water there and started doing WC's using her water (the other store) which tests at 0 like its supposed to. Could these TDS levels be part of my elevated metal issue?
It gets better, I sent my samples off for the ICP test on 10/4 and got results back 10/18. During that time (I have tested 4 times in the past week to make sure this was correct) my NO3 has dropped to 0 each test and PO4 has ranged from .003 - .021 ppm. Using the same test kits I have had. I am told possibly the phyto feeding has kicked in my bacteria and my tank has finally hit maturity. I have only a very little GHA in my refugium only, the snails have cleared the DT of it.
I have checked for metal in the fuge and tank. My heater does have magnets that I have removed and repositioned the heater. they didn't look rusted, but the heater is a JBJ True Temp Titanium Heater I got from BRS, but it is made in China, so no telling. No screws, clamps or other stuff. Return Pump is a Vectra M2. Skimmer is a Skimz SP207, Power Head is an AI Nero 5, ATO is a Tunze 3155. No other equipment is in the water and all was brand new when I built my system 1 year ago.
I am doing major water changes, the Iron level is crazy if its accurate, Any suggestions on how to get this down fast? I am going to send off another water sample to Triton this week.
I apologize for the long post, but I have always read more information is better.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.
I just received my Triton ICP test back a week ago and I have a few results that are extremely high. I did my weekly testing the same time I took the samples to send to Triton to compare how my test kits did with accuracy, but I had some metals that are alarming as well as the PO4 results. I am trying to determine the accuracy of the results.
Mine Triton
Aluminum 8.843 ug/l
Calcium (Red Sea) 440 mg/l 452 mg/l
Magnesium (Aqua Forest) 1320 mg/l 1389 mg/l
Zinc 15 ug/l
Manganese 6.377 ug/l
Iron 310 ug/l
Phosphorus (Hanna ulr) 143 ug/l 579 ug/l
Phosphate (Hanna ulr) .438 mg/l 1.77174 mg/l
Nitrates (Salifert) 30 mg/l (ppm)
Salinity 1.025
Temp 79.3
PH 7.8
dkH 9
I have been fighting what I though was high NO3 and PO4 for months, my tests were consistently NO3 25-35 & PO4 .4 - .6+, my tank will be one year wet 11/8/21. I have been fighting GHA for months too and have tried to get chaeto to grow multiple times but it just melts after a couple of days. I tried to dose ChaetoGro for about two weeks prior to doing the ICP test, I don't any more. I had also started dosing Phytoplankton about the same time and still do daily hoping the pods I added previously would help with the algae. I would manually remove GHA, add chaeto, it would melt and before I could get more chaeto the GHA would be back. vicious cycle.
I feed frozen 2 times a day, don't rinse. A little flake from time to time and Nori for my YT.
I have been getting my RO/DI and Salt Mixed (Red Sea Coral Pro) water from a LFS close to where I work out of convenience, have checked salinity often and thought I was good.
I had mentioned to someone at another LFS about my chaeto issue and where I get my water from (this store is a longer drive away) and she said to check the TDS of the RO water. I did and it was at 11! I got a little more from the other store to verify and it tested at an 8. I immediately quit getting water there and started doing WC's using her water (the other store) which tests at 0 like its supposed to. Could these TDS levels be part of my elevated metal issue?
It gets better, I sent my samples off for the ICP test on 10/4 and got results back 10/18. During that time (I have tested 4 times in the past week to make sure this was correct) my NO3 has dropped to 0 each test and PO4 has ranged from .003 - .021 ppm. Using the same test kits I have had. I am told possibly the phyto feeding has kicked in my bacteria and my tank has finally hit maturity. I have only a very little GHA in my refugium only, the snails have cleared the DT of it.
I have checked for metal in the fuge and tank. My heater does have magnets that I have removed and repositioned the heater. they didn't look rusted, but the heater is a JBJ True Temp Titanium Heater I got from BRS, but it is made in China, so no telling. No screws, clamps or other stuff. Return Pump is a Vectra M2. Skimmer is a Skimz SP207, Power Head is an AI Nero 5, ATO is a Tunze 3155. No other equipment is in the water and all was brand new when I built my system 1 year ago.
I am doing major water changes, the Iron level is crazy if its accurate, Any suggestions on how to get this down fast? I am going to send off another water sample to Triton this week.
I apologize for the long post, but I have always read more information is better.
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.