ICP Test Results, Help! High Tin, aluminum, lithium and silicon?!?!

[nbd13]

Here's how I do it. I turn it on, flush with the TDS meter on, and I keep flushing until TDS reads 0. While flushing, my TDS will count down from like 80 to 0. There's a good chance you're putting TDS into your fresh water. I'm no metal expert, but it seems they could be coming from your source water as well.. What is your source water? Is it well or city? If city, check with their website for a water report..

Thanks. It’s city water. I’ll check with them. I’ll start doing that process and see if it helps.

 

[nbd13]

Send in a rodi ati icp test. That could rule out your rodi. But my guess is still on the blocks

Sending in a RODI test Monday to see...

 

[nbd13]

Many are quick to assume this is the case -- especially with Marine Pure. I followed multiple threads here and on RC on the topic. Some posters deployed scientific methods to rule them out, while others ruled them in as the culprit. There was not enough of a control group to be conclusive IMO. There are several potential contamination factors (sand, rock, water, other) to consider as well as removal tools (GFO, poly pads, etc) that are not controlled for.

As said, I run SIX 8 X 4 X 4 MP blocks and aside from them consuming too much nitrate I have had no problems. It was posited a few times that leathers are susceptible to Al but am mostly SPS with the occasional LPS and zoa doing fine.

Let you know when my ICP comes back. If they are high, honestly, I don't think I will be doing anything differently. Unless you are a leather person (the aquarium kind) I would not be too concerned about Al. Tin and silicate I cannot speak to.

Happy to hear others thoughts though. I learn something new here every day.

Thanks. I am mostly SPS with the occasional LPS and one BTA. The SPS are doing fine after a crash. The LPS are fine and always have been. I tried adding a zoa frag and it shriveled up, same thing with ricordia mushrooms...SPS are finally ok again.

Let me know when your ICP comes in very interested to see...do you do water changes at all?

 

[ScottB]

Thanks. I am mostly SPS with the occasional LPS and one BTA. The SPS are doing fine after a crash. The LPS are fine and always have been. I tried adding a zoa frag and it shriveled up, same thing with ricodea mushrooms...SPS are finally ok again.

Let me know when your ICP comes in very interested to see...do you do water changes at all?

Ricordia. Interesting, as I cannot keep those either. Just assumed my water was too clean but... my zoas do OK in my frag system and gangbusters in my display system which runs a little more nutrient and is infinitely more stable due to all my old rock. Same goes for SPS across the two. Each have 3 blocks.

I should get my results... Thursday I think/hope.

Yes I am pretty good on WCs at 15-20% every two weeks.

 

[nbd13]

Ricordia. Interesting, as I cannot keep those either. Just assumed my water was too clean but... my zoas do OK in my frag system and gangbusters in my display system which runs a little more nutrient and is infinitely more stable due to all my old rock. Same goes for SPS across the two. Each have 3 blocks.

I should get my results... Thursday I think/hope.

Yes I am pretty good on WCs at 15-20% every two weeks.

Maybe you regular water changes help keep the leached elements in check? I never did any due to the triton method until more recently in the last month and a half...

 

[ScottB]

Maybe you regular water changes help keep the leached elements in check? I never did any due to the triton method until more recently in the last month and a half...

Yeah good point. Another factor not controlled for potentially causing a "false negative" as the WCs removed Al.

 

[bar|none]

The only thing that looks high is the Aluminum. The tin and lithium are close to the set points.

ROWAPhos does remove the aluminum. I run ROWAPhos now. Bonus that it keeps my phosphates were I want them as well.

I had a tin issue at one point, much higher than yours but didn't see an issue with my corals. I did test my RO water as well as fresh mix salt. It ended up being a bad batch of salt.

 

[ScottB]

The only thing that looks high is the Aluminum. The tin and lithium are close to the set points.

ROWAPhos does remove the aluminum. I run ROWAPhos now. Bonus that it keeps my phosphates were I want them as well.

Another good point -- although don't start Rowa without a substantial presence of PO4. Or be prepared to dose phosphates. Otherwise, (some of you have heard me say this before) I will see you over in the dinoflagellate thread.

 

[bar|none]

...though don't start Rowa without a substantial presence of PO4. Or be prepared to dose phosphates. Otherwise, (some of you have heard me say this before) I will see you over in the dinoflagellate thread.

Good advise...Do not run your PO4 to 0...there be dragons there.

 

[ScottB]

Good advise...Do not run your PO4 to 0...there be dragons there.

@bar|none presents a most suitable metaphor above. Pay heed to these spare, but potent, words.

 

[nbd13]

Well...cleaned one of my MP40’s are there is a small hairline crack on the wet side with rust color. I mean it’s maybe a centimeter long and little hairline in width.
Called echo tech great customer service. Sending it in and they said they should replace it for me.

So this maybe along with the Brightwell Xport blocks are the cause of some of this metal in my tank?!?

Have poly filter arriving tomorrow and will through it in a spare reactor and get it running to pull aluminum out ASAP! Using this instead of Rowaphos so I don’t crash my PO4.

Then will remove the Xport bricks and place them in fresh saltwater for 5-7 days in a bucket and run poly filter in that bucket to see if it changes color which would indicate its leaching aluminum and other metals.

 

[ScottB]

Well...cleaned one of my MP40’s are there is a small hairline crack on the wet side with rust color. I mean it’s maybe a centimeter long and little hairline in width.
Called echo tech great customer service. Sending it in and they said they should replace it for me.

So this maybe along with the Brightwell Xport blocks are the cause of some of this metal in my tank?!?

Have poly filter arriving tomorrow and will through it in a spare reactor and get it running to pull aluminum out ASAP! Using this instead of Rowaphos so I don’t crash my PO4.

Then will remove the Xport bricks and place them in fresh saltwater for 5-7 days in a bucket and run poly filter in that bucket to see if it changes color which would indicate its leaching aluminum and other metals.

Perfect.

 

[ScottB]

Thanks. I am mostly SPS with the occasional LPS and one BTA. The SPS are doing fine after a crash. The LPS are fine and always have been. I tried adding a zoa frag and it shriveled up, same thing with ricordia mushrooms...SPS are finally ok again.

Let me know when your ICP comes in very interested to see...do you do water changes at all?

For those of you just joining the thread, the OP and I were discussing potential sources of elevated aluminum in OP's system. One previously proposed culprit was ceramic block, eg. Brightwell or Marine Pure. I run a large amount of block, but never tested for Al. I had just sent out an ICP as I had a fussy goniopora and duncan...

ICP results are in. Aluminum was present in both tanks but not flagged as out of range. I am apparently low in Arsenic (anybody got some to spare?) and Iodine in both.

Each system has 3 of the large marine pure blocks (139G DT, and 260G frag). Average age of block is almost 3 years.
Each get 30% WC per month.
DT runs Rowaphos 4 hrs per day. In the FT I have to dose PO4 so no GFO.

I dosed Iodine, and both the duncan and the goniopora perked right up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, lithium is not a concern in reef tanks at the "elevated" levels that are commonly found.

Silicon is not any concern unless you have a problem with diatoms or possibly some chrysophytes.

 

[ScottB]

For those of you just joining the thread, the OP and I were discussing potential sources of elevated aluminum in OP's system. One previously proposed culprit was ceramic block, eg. Brightwell or Marine Pure. I run a large amount of block, but never tested for Al. I had just sent out an ICP as I had a fussy goniopora and duncan...

ICP results are in. Aluminum was present in both tanks but not flagged as out of range. I am apparently low in Arsenic (anybody got some to spare?) and Iodine in both.

Each system has 3 of the large marine pure blocks (139G DT, and 260G frag). Average age of block is almost 3 years.
Each get 30% WC per month.
DT runs Rowaphos 4 hrs per day. In the FT I have to dose PO4 so no GFO.

I dosed Iodine, and both the duncan and the goniopora perked right up.

Forgot to mention, my Iodine was 0 on the frag tank versus NSW of .06 IIRC. I only had .02 in my display. I use IORC and a lot of ESV 2-Part. IORC is supposed to mix to .06 of I. Don't know where that and my potassium is going all the time as I dose both and they are both low.

Does a calcium reactor solve for these ancillary elements better than 2-Part @Randy Holmes-Farley ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Forgot to mention, my Iodine was 0 on the frag tank versus NSW of .06 IIRC. I only had .02 in my display. I use IORC and a lot of ESV 2-Part. IORC is supposed to mix to .06 of I. Don't know where that and my potassium is going all the time as I dose both and they are both low.

Does a calcium reactor solve for these ancillary elements better than 2-Part @Randy Holmes-Farley ?

No calcium and alk dosing method will maintain iodine. It depletes very rapidly (NSW to none in less than a week in many tanks). I also do not consider it useful to most reefers, but dosing it is certainly a fine thing to experiment with.

If you use a two part that does not contain potassium, that will slowly drive it down. ESV should have the right amount so any depletion is from less input via foods relative to export into tissues. A CaCO3/CO2 reactor won't do much for potassium as coral skeletons are not a big sink or source of it.