ICP test shows high aluminum

Wrassefan78

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Good Day All,

Just got my ICP test back and I have pretty high aluminum 231 to be exact. I just started cycling my tank and every piece of equipment is brand new and never been used. I wondering if the former owner had some type of metal in the tank previously? There looks to be some sort of corrosion possibly on the bottom glass pane of the sump. Also would fish and coral still be okay? If not is there anything on the market that can take out this heavy metal?

best,

Anthony
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Aluminum is hard to judge toxicity from concentration because it will depend on the form.

Are you using any white media in the system? Phosguard? Biofilter bricks of various sorts?

Just as an fyi, aluminum is not a heavy metal. It's actually among the lightest of metals.
 

Lavey29

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Aluminum is hard to judge toxicity from concentration because it will depend on the form.

Are you using any white media in the system? Phosguard? Biofilter bricks of various sorts?

Just as an fyi, aluminum is not a heavy metal. It's actually among the lightest of metals.
Since it is not a heavy metal it will not be reduced using cuprasorb or something similar?
 

Biokabe

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Are you using any kind of ceramic filter media or artificial rock? Those sometimes have aluminum in them. It's always a good idea to rinse those thoroughly before adding to the tank.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Since it is not a heavy metal it will not be reduced using cuprasorb or something similar?

It's complicated. If it is fine particulates, binders are unlikely to remove it. Water changes are suitable.

But binders such as metasorb do claim to bind it. I'd ignore the company claim about aluminum binding to a polyfilter. It might bind, but they claim it turns red which is certianly not true and makes me wonder exactly what they were doing at the time.
 
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Lavey29

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It's complicated. If it is fine particulates, binders are unlikely to remove it. Water changes are suitable.

But binders such as metasorb do claim to bind it. I'd ignore the Boyd claim about aluminum binding to a polyfilter. It might bind, but they claim it turns red which is certianly not true and makes me wonder exactly what they were doing at the time.
Thank you, good to know.
 

Lavey29

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Good Day All,

Just got my ICP test back and I have pretty high aluminum 231 to be exact. I just started cycling my tank and every piece of equipment is brand new and never been used. I wondering if the former owner had some type of metal in the tank previously? There looks to be some sort of corrosion possibly on the bottom glass pane of the sump. Also would fish and coral still be okay? If not is there anything on the market that can take out this heavy metal?

best,

Anthony
My ICP showed aluminum also but I think Randy provided a correct assessment and indicates that it is not harmful depending on its form.
 
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Wrassefan78

Wrassefan78

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Aluminum is hard to judge toxicity from concentration because it will depend on the form.

Are you using any white media in the system? Phosguard? Biofilter bricks of various sorts?

Just as an fyi, aluminum is not a heavy metal. It's actually among the lightest of metals.
Hello,
The only thing I have running right now is a carbon reactor. Other then that nothing.

Anthony
 
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Wrassefan78

Wrassefan78

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It’s right where the baffle used to be. That’s why I couldn’t see it when I bought the tank. It’s a line about 6-7” or so.

Best,
Anthony
 

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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I've not seen much info on toxicity of aluminum to fish, and its impossible to gauge perfectly without knowing the chemical form. Fish are not historically what has shown effects when using a product like Phosguard. Leather corals are the canary in the coal mine.

Did you do anything to lower the aluminum?
 
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Wrassefan78

Wrassefan78

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I've not seen much info on toxicity of aluminum to fish, and its impossible to gauge perfectly without knowing the chemical form. Fish are not historically what has shown effects when using a product like Phosguard. Leather corals are the canary in the coal mine.

Did you do anything to lower the aluminum?

Good Day,

I put in a poly filter to see if I can get some of the aluminum out. I also ordered some metasorb. If worse comes to worse I’ll either have to get a new sump or a new tank all together. All I know is that I have a 7” streak of corroded something.

One last question, are the dry rock going to absorb the aluminum in the water?

Best,

Anthony
 
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Randy Holmes-Farley

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I don’t know if the aluminum is in a form to bind to calcium carbonate. Free aluminum ions will, and aluminum hydroxide/oxide particulates well not, but that’s ok as bound aluminum will not readily come back off.
 

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It’s right where the baffle used to be. That’s why I couldn’t see it when I bought the tank. It’s a line about 6-7” or so.

Best,
Anthony
Are you still having issues or have you resolved this?
I dont understand? That brown streak is what you suspecting to be the issue?
 
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Wrassefan78

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Are you still having issues or have you resolved this?
I dont understand? That brown streak is what you suspecting to be the issue?

My issue was never really resolved and whatever I did didn’t help the situation. So I bought a brand new tank. That fixed the problem as per my latest ICP test. Weird that I could never find the cause.
 

thatmanMIKEson

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My issue was never really resolved and whatever I did didn’t help the situation. So I bought a brand new tank. That fixed the problem as per my latest ICP test. Weird that I could never find the cause.
Well that's good, and all that matters, new tanks are always nice :) glad you got it sorted out!
 
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