My first ICP TEST (need help!!!)

Alberto Magalhaes · May 22, 2020

I performed my first ICP test on my 200 liter aquarium which I send attached.
I don't understand the high calcium value, but I have already started making water changes to lower the value.
Regarding aluminum, I don't know what to do. Some help?
On the remaining parameters, apparently I will have to add some trace elements to improve my corals. Essentially I have Zoanthus, Favias and Sarcos. However, I would like to move on to hard corals.
Any products (all-in-one) that you advise and that cover most of the missing elements?

Thanks so much for your help.
Alberto Magalhães

Miller535 · May 22, 2020

I personally wouldn't worry about the trace elements. I think it's too much of a risk for overdosing. I do not want to dose anything I can no monitor with a test kit. And for most reefers I think there is little value in dosing them.

Your calcium is dangerously high. Bringing it down to normal value is good, but you definitely need to figure out what happened. you are over double normal value. You must have over dose or had a calcium reactor problem.

Aluminum is hard to sometimes figure out. I have seen some claim they are from ceramic media, and blocks like what some use in their sump. Could also be aluminum based phosphate removal media.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 22, 2020

If the test is accurate, this water is pretty messed up in terms of the major ions.

What is the source of the salt water originally?

Alberto Magalhaes · May 23, 2020

Hi Randy, thanks for your post. I use synthetic salt mixed with water filtered by reverse osmosis.

Jamesmost · May 23, 2020

What brand salt?

Alberto Magalhaes · May 23, 2020

Aquaforest probiotic reef salt

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 23, 2020

Part of the issue may be low salinity. What do you think it is?

Let's try putting your salt batch number into this link to see what they say about the parameters:

https://aquaforest.eu/en/icp-oes-results/
The potassium looks very low, sulfate very low, sodium somewhat low (that's a salinity issue), magnesium is pretty high for a salt mix, calcium is crazy high (did you dose a lot?).

Don't worry about the aluminum right now. My testing suggests in needs to be higher to be an issue.