New tank and tin

Ares · Jan 10, 2018

I'm setting up 210 gallon tank soon, brand new everything.

I recently had my first ICP test on my office tank and it came back high for tin and have read lots of people having high tin. PVC, new glass, etc as reasons. I can't find anything in my tank but did replace 15 ft or so of PVC a month before the ICP test.

Test result was 57

Been doing big water changes so it's hard to say but nothing in the tank has seemed to be effected by it, especially if its a recent issue because of the PVC. If it has been there long term (years) then it must not be an issue...

Anyways my point of concern is plumbing a new tank to my basement, big tank, big sump, lots of expense everywhere then have elevated levels of tin...
Is there an alternative to PVC pipe that wouldn't have the same tin leaching issue?

And if PVC is leaching tin, how long does it leach for? Indefinitely but higher amounts when it's new? Or?

BigHildy53 · Jan 10, 2018

This thread may provide some insight:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/very-elevated-tin-levels.337574/

Want2BS8ed · Jan 17, 2018

Similar situation with long runs of flexible PVC to a basement sump and high tin in a new system. In a nutshell it took ~6-months, two treatments of Triton De-Tox, two Treatments of Panta Lith from Panta Rhei and what amounted to three 100% water changes. Still detectable, but massively reduced.

M

tastyfish · Jan 18, 2018

Want2BS8ed said:
Similar situation with long runs of flexible PVC to a basement sump and high tin in a new system. In a nutshell it took ~6-months, two treatments of Triton De-Tox, two Treatments of Panta Lith from Panta Rhei and what amounted to three 100% water changes. Still detectable, but massively reduced.

M

Triton detox wont actually remove tin. IIRC it's only effective at binding lead and copper.

I've not used Panta Lith, but from the very limited information available, it appears to work the same way as Triton detox and vaguely states "removes heavy metals". Tin can only be removed from water via ion exchange, I've heard conflicting accounts, but some have suggested Metasorb, which is an ion exchange polymer. I've not tried it yet.

Water changes are the proven way to remove tin unfortunately. I think standard Triton instructions are 6 x 15% water changes. However if you have tin leaching from something (plasticisers in PVC, for example) then it might take more water changes to remove.

The visible effect of tin in the tank mainly seems to hit SPS and is also dependent on other factors stressing the corals out. I'm suffering from coral casualties at levels of 6ug/l (6000ppm) with elevated phosphate levels.

Wishing I'd gone all silicone on the flexible pipework now....

Want2BS8ed · Jan 18, 2018

tastyfish said:
Triton detox wont actually remove tin. IIRC it's only effective at binding lead and copper.

Dunno, I'm not a chemist.

I know after the first round of 6x15% water changes tin increased.

UniqueCorals recommended the DeTox mentioning it bound more than what was on the bottle. Followed the DeTox directions, waited, followed the Panta Lith directions, waited and had just begun the second round of water changes when the next ICP sample was sent in and Tin had been cut in half.

Second round of DeTox/Panta Lith/water change virtually eliminated the Tin.

Not particularly scientific and certainly anecdotal I realize, but somewhere along the process Tin was either bound or removed.

Was it the DeTox, the Panta Lith or the two in combination with the water changes? I can't say, but I won't argue with the end result.

Silicon would be awesome, but given what I paid for a foot long piece of thick walled 1-1/2" silicon to connect an Abyzz pump the cost of running a full beananimal to the basement + a 7' shift to the right would have been prohibitive.

M
#dorighttriton

daelie · Jan 18, 2018

tastyfish said:
Triton detox wont actually remove tin. IIRC it's only effective at binding lead and copper.

I've not used Panta Lith, but from the very limited information available, it appears to work the same way as Triton detox and vaguely states "removes heavy metals". Tin can only be removed from water via ion exchange, I've heard conflicting accounts, but some have suggested Metasorb, which is an ion exchange polymer. I've not tried it yet.

Water changes are the proven way to remove tin unfortunately. I think standard Triton instructions are 6 x 15% water changes. However if you have tin leaching from something (plasticisers in PVC, for example) then it might take more water changes to remove.

The visible effect of tin in the tank mainly seems to hit SPS and is also dependent on other factors stressing the corals out. I'm suffering from coral casualties at levels of 6ug/l (6000ppm) with elevated phosphate levels.

Wishing I'd gone all silicone on the flexible pipework now....