Low sulphur levels is it an issue?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't think that there is an unusual anaerobic environment in my tank. It runs bare bottom with just a little bit sand in a glas bowl for the wrasse. I will check my icp and my documentation for the last 3 years.

What additives are you using, especially for calcium?

 

[korallen-koch]

What additives are you using, especially for calcium?

Tank size is 500 liter (circa 130 gallon). For carbonate alkalinity I use a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 (ca. 450 gram dissolved in 5 liter, actual dosing rate is 120 ml/day). For calcium I use a solution of calcium chloride dihydrat CaCl2 x 2H2O (2 kilogram dissolved in 5 liter, actual dosing rate is 24 ml/day). For magnesium I use magnesium chloride hexahydrat MgCl2 x 6H2O but at the moment I don't need to dose Mg because that parameter got a little bit to high and my tank doesn't consume much Mg.

In spring 2022 my sulphur parameter went down to 740 mg/l. I manually added about 2,25 liter sulfate solution evenly distrubuted for several months that should have raised sulphur 166 mg/l mathematically and in autumn/winter 2022 the parameter went up to about 860 mg/l. From spring to autumn 2023 the sulphur paramter fluctuated between 815 and 830 mg/l. In september 2023 I startet dosing sulfate with a dosing pump. I keep the sulphur parameter between 850 and 870 mg/l. Latest icp was 838 mg/l sulphur. I think that is not that bad but I need to add 10 ml/day of sulfate solution to stay above 800 mg/l (startet with 25 ml/day). I always wondered where that sulphur/sulfate all went. Makes sense most of it disappeared because of the removed saltwater to keep salinity in level. Think I will buy a batch of MgSO4 and NaSO4.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Tank size is 500 liter (circa 130 gallon). For carbonate alkalinity I use a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3 (ca. 450 gram dissolved in 5 liter, actual dosing rate is 120 ml/day). For calcium I use a solution of calcium chloride dihydrat CaCl2 x 2H2O (2 kilogram dissolved in 5 liter, actual dosing rate is 24 ml/day). For magnesium I use magnesium chloride hexahydrat MgCl2 x 6H2O but at the moment I don't need to dose Mg because that parameter got a little bit to high and my tank doesn't consume much Mg.

In spring 2022 my sulphur parameter went down to 740 mg/l. I manually added about 2,25 liter sulfate solution evenly distrubuted for several months that should have raised sulphur 166 mg/l mathematically and in autumn/winter 2022 the parameter went up to about 860 mg/l. From spring to autumn 2023 the sulphur paramter fluctuated between 815 and 830 mg/l. In september 2023 I startet dosing sulfate with a dosing pump. I keep the sulphur parameter between 850 and 870 mg/l. Latest icp was 838 mg/l sulphur. I think that is not that bad but I need to add 10 ml/day of sulfate solution to stay above 800 mg/l (startet with 25 ml/day). I always wondered where that sulphur/sulfate all went. Makes sense most of it disappeared because of the removed saltwater to keep salinity in level. Think I will buy a batch of MgSO4 and NaSO4.

You are using an unbalanced two part, adding chloride and not sulfate. That is why sulfate is depleted.

 

[korallen-koch]

You are using an unbalanced two part, adding chloride and not sulfate. That is why sulfate is depleted.

I'm trying to get that fixed by using a Mg or Na-sulfate. Thanks for the advice.

 

[2una]

Hi peps, I had a low sulfate level & figured out I needed to dose 680g, thanks to this thread participants for the info to follow.

My math's riddle that I don't know how to work out is that I also have/had a lowish sodium level (salinity 35) so with that 680g Sodium Sulphate (anhydrous) I'm adding how much should I have also raised the Sodium in a 600L tank?
Could anyone help with the maths on that please?

 

[2una]

Or perhaps this - does AI speak the correct answer?


using 680g of sodium sulphate anhydrous what is the increase of sodium in 600 litres water

To calculate the increase in sodium concentration, we first need to determine the amount of sodium in the added sodium sulfate.
1. Calculate the moles of sodium sulfate:
Molar mass of Na2SO4 = (2 * 22.99 g/mol) + (1 * 32.07 g/mol) + (4 * 16.00 g/mol) = 142.04 g/mol
Moles of Na2SO4 = Mass / Molar mass = 680 g / 142.04 g/mol ≈ 4.79 mol
2. Calculate the moles of sodium ions:
Each mole of Na2SO4 produces 2 moles of Na+ ions.


Moles of Na+ = 2 * Moles of Na2SO4 = 2 * 4.79 mol ≈ 9.58 mol
3. Calculate the mass of sodium added:
Mass of Na+ = Moles of Na+ * Molar mass of Na = 9.58 mol * 22.99 g/mol ≈ 220.4 g
4. Calculate the concentration of sodium in the solution:
Volume of solution = 600 L = 600,000 mL
Concentration of Na+ = Mass of Na+ / Volume of solution = 220.4 g / 600,000 mL ≈ 0.000367 g/mL
5. Convert the concentration to a more common unit (mg/L):
Concentration of Na+ = 0.000367 g/mL * 1000 mg/g * 1000 mL/L ≈ 367 mg/L
Therefore, adding 680 g of sodium sulfate anhydrous to 600 liters of water will increase the sodium concentration by approximately 367 mg/L.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi peps, I had a low sulfate level & figured out I needed to dose 680g, thanks to this thread participants for the info to follow.

My math's riddle that I don't know how to work out is that I also have/had a lowish sodium level (salinity 35) so with that 680g Sodium Sulphate (anhydrous) I'm adding how much should I have also raised the Sodium in a 600L tank?
Could anyone help with the maths on that please?

I no longer check ai stuff. It is too often wrong and is a waste of my time.

sodium sulfate raises sodium by 48% as much as it raises sulfate. Adding 100 ppm sulfate raises sodium by 48 ppm.

In general, I do not recommend efforts to raise or lower sodium alone. Small changes in salinity swing it around quite a bit.

 

[2una]

I no longer check ai stuff. It is too often wrong and is a waste of my time.

sodium sulfate raises sodium by 48% as much as it raises sulfate. Adding 100 ppm sulfate raises sodium by 48 ppm.

In general, I do not recommend efforts to raise or lower sodium alone. Small changes in salinity swing it around quite a bit.

Ok thanks Randy - if that's the case then that AI answer is way out then, something like 122ppm more like.
Salinity is correct but chloride a little high & sodium a little low and sulfur was way low.
Result of no icp for 3 years and dosing what needs mag sulphate added to the recipe by the looks.
3 years on hydroxide at x1.5 your no 1 recipe but a different(aquaforest recipe) on part c which only uses mag chloride. Shall tweak something closer to your part c for mag from now on.