Low Sodium

[ElectricMusic]

This is probably a dumb question, but, if my ICP test shows that all elements are at good levels except for Sodium, besides adding more sea salt, what is the best way to raise sodium via dosing? (Add sodium chloride? Sodium hydroxide?)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How low?

Low salinity is virtually the only way. Super high magnesium or calcium might contribute.

 

[JimWelsh]

Where did you have the test done?

 

[ElectricMusic]

Triton did the test:

 

[JimWelsh]

Based on these numbers, the salinity of this sample was probably about 33.4. If you allowed evaporation to bring it up to S=35, then your Ca would be around 573, and your Mg would be around 1462, both of which are a bit high. As an aside, your SO4 (sulfur) is also a little bit high, implying that your Cl is probably low, relative to NSW. I don't see any of this as anything that needs immediate correction, personally, but it is true that if you used NaCl to slowly raise your salinity to 35 (instead of evaporation), then that would steer the ionic balance back in the right direction. So would water changes, though. Have you been using magnesium sulfate alone to raise Mg (just curious)?

 

[ElectricMusic]

No other dosing except core7 and several water changes using Tropic Marine Pro salt to get me to this point. I’ll most likely be moving to the ATI system in the near future due to all the supply issues Triton is having with some of their products. I’ll have to double check on the chloride level. Thanks for your analysis! Also .. as a side issue, I measured my salinity at 35 (1.026) at the time I sent in the sample so something is off... measured with a Milwaukee inst digital refractometer.

 

[JimWelsh]

You won't find the chloride level on your Triton test; they don't report it. But, assuming all of their other numbers are correct for the major elements, you can calculate the amount of chloride necessary to satisfy the requisite "charge balance" of the solution. Regarding the salinity discrepancy (and also regarding the chloride calculation), these calculations assume that the Triton results are correct mg/L numbers at 20C. You can find an excellent calculator for these things here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, the sodium is fairly close and isn't something that "needs" correcting, IMO, but as Jim noted, raising salinity will solve it, but will also push calcium up which is pretty high. Raising salinity and backing off on the calcium supplement for a while would work out.

 

[Jimbob74]

This is my icp results please let me know what you think https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/icp-oes/169246

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is my icp results please let me know what you think https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/icp-oes/169246

Are you dosing anything, and which salt mix are you using?
Reason for asking is your calcium level is elevated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree the calcium is pretty high, and if you are adding any, I'd stop, but it's not necessarily worth excessive efforts to reduce it.

Nothing else seems unusual to me. You might possibly benefit from a trace element supplement (e.g., iron, manganese, vanadium, etc.).

 

[kilnakorr]

How low?

Low salinity is virtually the only way. Super high magnesium or calcium might contribute.

Old thread, but wondering on my ICP, that does look a bit sketchy - High Chloride but low sodium (and Mg is very high).

Would my best approach here be to stop dosing All For Reef, and just mix a kh solution for alkalinity, and in the near future maybe Ca. if it drops to low?
Would this, in time, correct the Na/Cl relation?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, that sodium alone is not an issue. It's the high magnesium (that is there in place of sodium and other positively charged ions) that's the problem.

Have you been dosing magnesium, aside from the small mount in AFR?

 

[kilnakorr]

IMO, that sodium alone is not an issue. It's the high magnesium (that is there in place of sodium and other positively charged ions) that's the problem.

Have you been dosing magnesium, aside from the small mount in AFR?

Sorry for the late reply.
I did some time ago, and seems I overdid it.
However, my own testkit (Salifert) said 1500, at the same time as the ICP sample was taking.
Have done 2 x 15-ish% water changes, and now my salifert test says 1420 ppm.

So waterchanges to bring Mg and Ca. down abit would also even out the Na/Cl imbalance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry for the late reply.
I did some time ago, and seems I overdid it.
However, my own testkit (Salifert) said 1500, at the same time as the ICP sample was taking.
Have done 2 x 15-ish% water changes, and now my salifert test says 1420 ppm.

So waterchanges to bring Mg and Ca. down abit would also even out the Na/Cl imbalance?

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by a sodium/chloride imbalance. That can mean a number of different things to different people.

Your chloride is not high. The way that company presents it is pretty misleading. Your chloride is below what one expects for 35 ppt natural seawater.

I do not think you have any problem with sodium or chloride that needs correcting.

Your magnesium is very high, and I'd want to bring that down, and water change is the only way to lower magnesium.