ICP test score 58/100 need help!

[Daniel Z0112]

Hi,

I have my RS350 running for 6 months. Never did a water change. Recently my corals are not opening up well and algae are growing fast. So I did a ICP test and attached is the result. I did a 30% water change just now. Hopefully coral will start coming back.

I get my RO water from local pure water shop. It seems to have excessive silicon. Could the silicon be the cause of algae outbreak?

 

[dlemonz]

Why is your salinity so low

 

[Daniel Z0112]

Why is your salinity so low

Looks like my refractormeter wasnt calibrated correctly. I ordered a solution to calibrate it. It was this level since I set it up. I’ll slowly raise it to 35ppt

 

[Oldreefer44]

Fix salinity first. And not too slowly. To me it is dangerously low. Calcium is a little too high and the obvious silicon issue. Other than that nothing seems critically out of place so my advice is to address these first and then retest with an ICP MS test. ICP OES is less accurate.

 

[Merge_595]

I would never trust any shop with RO or Saltwater. Invest in a RODI so you know forsure that water reads 0 TDS when I first got into the hobby multiple LFS got me real good with dirty water. Unless you're dosing elements I would definitely do weekly water changes to get the tank in order then biweekly changes. Also I use hanna to check salinity & calibrate it often..

 

[Clownreef]

Throw the refractometer in the trash and get a digital one.

 

[HolyGrailFish&Corals]

Salinity is to low like others have said, another next issue is no nitrate detected. This will create issues as well. slowly raise salinity I have been told no more the .5 per day. spread it over multiple days. Nitrate as well needs to be raised a bit slowly. Other i consider majors would be Iron, Manganese, Fluorine. Fluorine helps with growth in the calcification process. I would highly recommend dosing trace elements and icp test once a month to get everything dialed in. Separately is best to dose, but i hear good things with Tropic Marin all-for-reef

Hope that helps any questions feel free to ask

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Fluorine helps with growth in the calcification process.

Hope that helps any questions feel free to ask

Does it? Lots of companies repeat that same claim, but what is the underlying evidence?

There's nothing wrong with maintaining natural levels, IMO, but many ICP company claims seem to lack evidence.

 

[Luminous74]

In your case, I would start with three large water changes of 30% each, at a rhythm of 1 to 2 days, gradually adjusting the salinity. After the final water change, there may still be a small adjustment needed to bring the salinity into the target range. This will move your main elements in the right direction. While doing this, monitor the nutrients NO3 and PO4, and supplement them if they drop too much. I would particularly keep an eye on NO3 and dose a little if necessary. Make sure you are using a refractometer that is correctly calibrated to 35 ppt. Then, I would switch to performing regular 10% water changes per week. Silicate is generally not harmful but can lead to diatoms. However, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about that at the moment.

 

[SPSDomination]

Not sure the reason for not doing water changes, but that would be a great way to replace the elements you are depleting.

 

[Merge_595]

Does it? Lots of companies repeat that same claim, but what is the underlying evidence?

There's nothing wrong with maintaining natural levels, IMO, but many ICP company claims seem to lack evidence.

I just started Reef Moonshiners last week out of all the bottles Fluoride was the largest dosage & I've just completed the 5 day correction. Acro’s that weren't moving for months are already encrusting..my Iodine was low also either way I can already see a difference forsure..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just started Reef Moonshiners last week out of all the bottles Fluoride was the largest dosage & I've just completed the 5 day correction. Acro’s that weren't moving for months are already encrusting..my Iodine was low also either way I can already see a difference forsure..

Doesn't mean the fluoride is doing anything. You started dosing many things.

in any case, fluoride may be useful. But the evidence is not so clear.

 

[HolyGrailFish&Corals]

Doesn't mean the fluoride is

Does it? Lots of companies repeat that same claim, but what is the underlying evidence?

There's nothing wrong with maintaining natural levels, IMO, but many ICP company claims seem to lack evidence.

Im no chemist. Many companies claim this and that, but when in doubt sticking to ICP tests and around natural levels is a good start for us. Fluorine in the major trace elements from OP's ICP is just about half what natural level is. This would push me to correct this

 

[spsick]

The only concerns I see are the low salinity and the Tin.

The calcium, Magnesium, and silicon don’t warrant any action imo. Turn down your calcium dose a little maybe but the Tin is the big issue. Comes from new PVC pipes and tubing in my experience and kills sps.

 

[BryanM]

Throw the refractometer in the trash and get a digital one.

Heh. I have the milkwakee, and it is not reliable IMO, and I switched back to the refractometer.

 

[IceNein]

IME refractometers, at least the one I have, is not accurate from week to week without calibration, but calibration fluid is cheap, and RHF has a recipe to DIY your own if you're extra cheap.

But if you just calibrate it every time you use it at 35ppt, it works great.

I dunno, it actually makes me feel confident when I recalibrate for every test anyway.

 

[Dburr1014]

I also see sg as the problem here.
Raise that and you should be good.
At 32 sg, my coral get angry and I can see it. Same as above 36 sg.

Funny thing is they don't get angry at zero nitrates.