ICP Analysis Results - Just low P?

[atlantean]

Anything here I'm missing as a concern other than the low P?

 

[pigmo]

yea, it's tiny, only 20 gals, your icp levels will be nearly impossible to keep once you load it with corals. as for elements, depends how many resources you want to throw at it. for 20 gals, imo not even worth icp'ing. just do big water changes lol. we have 750 gallons, maybe someone closer in scale has a better perspective.

 

[atlantean]

yea, it's tiny, only 20 gals, your icp levels will be nearly impossible to keep once you load it with corals. as for elements, depends how many resources you want to throw at it. for 20 gals, imo not even worth icp'ing. just do big water changes lol. we have 750 gallons, maybe someone closer in scale has a better perspective.

I agree that an icp is not as useful on a small volume. Mainly wanted an ICP to see if equipment is leeching anything, double check my low phosphate readings, and see if anything is out of whack in the tank or RO water. I also recently had more than half of a BC shipment RTN within 72 hours (previously hadnt had a single RTN or coral loss with this tank) and wanted to confirm it was likely due to shipment stress.

 

[pigmo]

your tank looks very new for acros. patience is key ;Clown

 

[atlantean]

your tank looks very new for acros. patience is key ;Clown

Well you should tell that to them and my anemone because they’ve been growing great and have had no losses except for that shipment batch. I think all these waiting times are overgeneralized from people having negative early experiences starting with sterile tanks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Salinity may be a bit low. Bringing it up may bring potassium and magnesium more in line (they are low now).

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Anything here I'm missing as a concern other than the low P?

I don’t know why you think your P is low. That equates to 10 ppb, or approximately 0.03 ppm PO4. If everything is happy, I wouldn’t chase a higher number.

 

[blasterman]

Well you should tell that to them and my anemone because they’ve been growing great and have had no losses except for that shipment batch. I think all these waiting times are overgeneralized from people having negative early experiences starting with sterile tanks.

Man speaketh the truth.

SPS want stable nutrient levels, especially acros. .03 phosphate is right on the money.

As long as you can keep a small tank from going through the typical young tank nutrient swings, and while it's tricky it can be done with common sense, there should be little issues. If reefers spent as much resources keeping nitrate and phosphate stable as they do obsessing over their digital calcium meters we would have 500% more success in this hobby.

 

[atlantean]

Man speaketh the truth.

SPS want stable nutrient levels, especially acros. .03 phosphate is right on the money.

As long as you can keep a small tank from going through the typical young tank nutrient swings, and while it's tricky it can be done with common sense, there should be little issues. If reefers spent as much resources keeping nitrate and phosphate stable as they do obsessing over their digital calcium meters we would have 500% more success in this hobby.

This has definitely required the most attention from me. They really want to bottom out. I'm hoping getting my Orchid Dottyback in there tonight from quarantine will make my life easier. The three fish in there are still pretty small and aren't adding much bioload so I have to stay on top of coral feedings and manual dosing of P and N. Interestingly, my BTA's tentacles under full spectrum have been very responsive to P levels and have been the best visual guide.

 

[atlantean]

Salinity may be a bit low. Bringing it up may bring potassium and magnesium more in line (they are low now).

I wonder if low potassium is why the red in my PC rainbow has been a bit finicky and my Monti cap growth has been slower than other SPS in the tank. I'll start aiming for the upper edge of 35ppt since I generally shoot on the lower edge.

On another note, I recently added Tropic Marin Plus-NP to my regimen (with still some Neo-phos supplementation). I figured that the organic phosphates in it might not bind to the rock and substrate in the same way as inorganic phosphates and stay in the water a bit longer. Is this the case?

 

[atlantean]

I don’t know why you think your P is low. That equates to 10 ppb, or approximately 0.03 ppm PO4. If everything is happy, I wouldn’t chase a higher number.

Good catch. I was thinking it was .01 P04 ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder if low potassium is why the red in my PC rainbow has been a bit finicky and my Monti cap growth has been slower than other SPS in the tank. I'll start aiming for the upper edge of 35ppt since I generally shoot on the lower edge.

On another note, I recently added Tropic Marin Plus-NP to my regimen (with still some Neo-phos supplementation). I figured that the organic phosphates in it might not bind to the rock and substrate in the same way as inorganic phosphates and stay in the water a bit longer. Is this the case?

Why do you think there are organic phosphates in Brightwell Neophos? I've never heard that suggested, and think it unlikely.

 

[atlantean]

Why do you think there are organic phosphates in Brightwell Neophos? I've never heard that suggested, and think it unlikely.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that. I used to only do Neophos but I added the TM Plus-NP because it contains both organic and inorganic P. The Neophos was getting absorbed out pretty quickly and I didn’t want to have to dose it throughout the day to maintain a minimum level. Hence, my thought about trying TM’s organic/inorganic combo.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that. I used to only do Neophos but I added the TM Plus-NP because it contains both organic and inorganic P. The Neophos was getting absorbed out pretty quickly and I didn’t want to have to dose it throughout the day to maintain a minimum level. Hence, my thought about trying TM’s organic/inorganic combo.

Neophos doesn't give any potency and my suspicion is that it is just a very weak solution. Many people say it accomplishes little.

I'd recommend a product that you know its purity, concentration, and composition. Food grade sodium phosphate is quite inexpensive.

 

[atlantean]

Neophos doesn't give any potency and my suspicion is that it is just a very weak solution. Many people say it accomplishes little.

I'd recommend a product that you know its purity, concentration, and composition. Food grade sodium phosphate is quite inexpensive.

I was having doubts about my either the NeoPhos or my Hanna checker but I dosed .05 mls to a quart of saltwater and checked it. Expected PPB using their formula should have been about 173 and I got 164 on the checker. I haven't tried replicating it though. Maybe next time I do an ICP test I'll tinker with the RODI water

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was having doubts about my either the NeoPhos or my Hanna checker but I dosed .05 mls to a quart of saltwater and checked it. Expected PPB using their formula should have been about 173 and I got 164 on the checker. I haven't tried replicating it though. Maybe next time I do an ICP test I'll tinker with the RODI water

I'm not aware of a calculator from Brightwell. Where did you find one?

 

[atlantean]

I'm not aware of a calculator from Brightwell. Where did you find one?

I made one in Excel using their most recent formula on the bottle.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What does the bottle say?

Strange that they give no info about concentration or potency in their technical description on the web site.

 

[atlantean]

What does the bottle say?

Strange that they give no info about concentration or potency in their technical description on the web site.

They just indicate 1mL will increase 1 US gallon by about 0.25 ppm and to use the following formula:

Gallons*3.785*Desired PPM Increase = mL Dosage

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Wow, that is very weak. About 1.3 g solid per liter.