Montipora STN - low potassium, low iodine, low po4

[Biologic]

Just wanted to share an issue that I am having. This is RTN of a couple species of montipora in my tank. Faunamarin has a great article on it.

Potassium - Fauna Marin

www.faunamarin.de

I recently one month ago. I ran heavy amounts of zeolites to remove some copper and tin from my water. The montiporas showed little mind to the copper and Acroporas bleached and browned out. Running the zeolites to remove copper was critical to pulling the Acroporas through. The acroporas are fine now, and now the montiporas are dying. Pretty lame! Check out those shaded spots. Those die first with this condition!

The orange setosa, uneffected by all this. Just chilling.

tested Magnesium 1400 ppm perfect.
tested alk 8.3 dKH steady
tested potassium 250 ppm — ouch
Tested PO4 - 0.01 ppm

I know my iodine is zero because it depletes quickly. So as written in that article, montiporas are particularly affected by low K.

raising it back slowly over 6 days at 24 mg per day to achieve 418 ppm.

 

[LeBon]

where did the copper come from? you dont run rodi?

 

[Biologic]

where did the copper come from? you dont run rodi?

lol yes I run RODI. I keep a reef. Running RODI is mandatory. Never figured out where the copper came from. I ran multiple (6) 50% water changes to get it down plus ran zeolites and cuprisorb. Running another ICP to see where I am at, but I am assuming zero.

Edit, it could have been from my LFS. I had all my rock and corals stored there when I went through a Hurricane. When I got my stuff back and I used a hose and pump from those guys, and possibly there might have been a fitting on there. That’s the only thing I can think of.

 

[LeBon]

I think Monti's appreciate high pH. 8.2 ish , (read; don't like co2) you didnt say yours. Mag they like but that looks ok

 

[Biologic]

My pH is great. 8.15 as an absolute low to 8.3 as an absolute high (and daily high). Alkalinity is stable at 8 dKH

I get the whole list your big 5 — salinity, alk, ph, calcium, mag and mentioning PO4 and NO3 is good for beginners, but at the point you are doing diagnostics using minor elements, I hope most people here are not forgetting the most basics such as salinity verified by a calibrated refractometer.

I have another ICP coming in about a week, so excited to see how things fall after the hard work of removing copper and tin containment. Still like to know where they came from, but as long as they are not rising from the values of my salt’s ICP, I should be good.