High silicates in RODI

[russell.dexter]

Hi guys

I just got back an ATI ICP result for my 1.5 year old 36 gallon bow front with sump (total volume about 50 gallons )

So I just installed a RODI unit veraua topping up with distilled from the store and the test shows a crazy silicate number . (195.8 ug/l)

What can I do to address this as the RODO units and membranes are new?

 

[Spare time]

Are you having diatom issues? I dose silica in my tank for sponges.

 

[Miami Reef]

Are you having diatom issues? I dose silica in my tank for sponges.

I dose silica for sponges too!

 

[Lavey29]

Are you having diatom issues? I dose silica in my tank for sponges.

Interesting, I was having silicate in my RODI to and switched to spectrapure silicate buster DI filter and now my RODI silicate is zero. I used to get light dusting of diatoms but thought it was a natural defense against dinos. Now I don't have diatoms but didn't know sponges need it. I have a ton of sponges too.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’d focus on 0 ppm tds in the di, but ignore analysis of anything in it unless there is a specific reason to be concerned with those low level ions.

I dosed far more silicate that you are effectively dosing using that water. Each time I dosed, the green growth on the glass turned golden brown for a few days with diatoms, then went green again as it ran out.

This article gives more info:

Silica In Reef Aquariums

Why would I recommend dosing silica? Largely because creatures in our tanks use it, the concentrations in our tanks (at least in mine) are below natural levels, and the sponges, mollusks, and diatoms may not be getting enough to thrive.

reefs.com

 

[Spare time]

Interesting, I was having silicate in my RODI to and switched to spectrapure silicate buster DI filter and now my RODI silicate is zero. I used to get light dusting of diatoms but thought it was a natural defense against dinos. Now I don't have diatoms but didn't know sponges need it. I have a ton of sponges too.

I noticed that when I started using DI resin (for a while I wouldn't because it would burn out in a day or two until I made a bypass to use when flushing them membrane), that all of the neat yellow sponges and what not in my tank disappeared. Something may have ate them too but it might have had to do with the DI removing most of the silica from my RO water.

I also like getting a little more diatoms from silica since I think zooplanktons eat them and I always like having a bunch of little zooplankton running around

 

[russell.dexter]

Thanks guys,

You have alleviated my fears, lol. No issues with diatoms at all- in fact I have been fighting chrysophytes and lately dinos in the sandbed due to chronic low levels of nitrate of phosphate in the system. I now consider a microscope an indispensable tool of the hobby. (I have never managed to get over 2ppm of nitrate and 0.04 0.02ppm phosphate since I started the tank a year and a half ago. ICP confirms undetectable nitrates and 0.02ppm phosphate respectively.) Perhaps the silica ends up being a good thing for the tank!

Tank is skimmerless.

Please let me know if you have any tips on getting nitrates higher.

(I should note that the live rock for this setup was wild collected here in the Bahamas locally- so perhaps I just sourced the world's best nitrifying bacteria by chance.)

 

[Miami Reef]

I noticed that when I started using DI resin (for a while I wouldn't because it would burn out in a day or two until I made a bypass to use when flushing them membrane), that all of the neat yellow sponges and what not in my tank disappeared. Something may have ate them too but it might have had to do with the DI removing most of the silica from my RO water.

I also like getting a little more diatoms from silica since I think zooplanktons eat them and I always like having a bunch of little zooplankton running around

Did the yellow sponges ever grow back?