Randy's Aquarium Water Test Results

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are three primary reasons that I opted to get my water tested for both inorganic elements, and organic compounds (by Oceamo).

1. I have a magnifica anemone that just won't stay put, and despite apparently doing fine, it releases from the rock entirely about once every 10 days. While it might be many things (light, flow, foot injury (none visible), irritant by an organism, etc.), I wanted to try to rule out chemistry issues in the water.

2. I seem unable to get soft corals to thrive (koji wada, yellow leather, weeping willow, green toadstool) despite hard corals (e.g., montipora digitata and stylophora) growing.

3. I want to see if the supplementing I am doing (AFR, foods, water changes, and additional iodine, iron, and manganese) are seemingly suitable.

The organics test will be done shortly, but the ICP-MS from Oceamo is complete.

Short answer is that nothing jumps out to explain #1 or #2 above. Tin from plastics was one of my concerns, but its not apparently any issue. I might add some element dosing to the mix (maybe molybdenum and nickel), but that's not urgent, IMO.

Also, my RO Buddie seems to work perfectly well for my needs. :)

 

[rtparty]

Another IO run tank with super low levels of Molybdenum. This has become super common and I believe they aren't adding enough. Not shocked though

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Another IO run tank with super low levels of Molybdenum. This has become super common and I believe they aren't adding enough. Not shocked though

That may be part of the reason, certainly. Insufficient molybdenum in the AFR and foods I am using is another potential contributor.

 

[rtparty]

That may be part of the reason, certainly. Insufficient molybdenum in the AFR and foods I am using is another potential contributor.

I have never made DIY molybdenum. The recipe I found calls for sodium molybdate. If you go that route, I am interested in what you find and make

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sounds like a good idea. :)

 

[fishyjoes]

I am curious to see if/how you solve the issue with softies. My tank is the same way.

 

[areefer01]

That may be part of the reason, certainly. Insufficient molybdenum in the AFR and foods I am using is another potential contributor.

What makes you think that AFR has insufficient molybdenum? Not sure I will say this correctly but if the value is low, and if AFR does not supplement it (it has a base value), then the problem is the salt product. Not AFR.

Here is my Molybdenum over time. I do not add it so obviously AFR keeps it in check. Of course I am using a different salt so not apples to apples I know.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What makes you think that AFR has insufficient molybdenum? Not sure I will say this correctly but if the value is low, and if AFR does not supplement it (it has a base value), then the problem is the salt product. Not AFR.

Here is my Molybdenum over time. I do not add it so obviously AFR keeps it in check. Of course I am using a different salt so not apples to apples I know.

Do you know why yours was so high to begin with?

I'm not identifying it as the only culprit, certainly, but it is insufficient in my tank to maintain 10 ug/L. That is a simple fact. That does not mean it is defective or flawed. It may not be insufficient in any other tank that uses higher doses or has lower needs due to different salts for water changes or different organism needs, etc.

Bear in mind that my AFR dose is pretty low, while macroalgae will be taking it up.

1 kg of dry Ulva reportedly contains about 2.4 mg of molybdenum. That would strip all of the molybdenum from 240 L of natural seawater.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am curious to see if/how you solve the issue with softies. My tank is the same way.

I hope for both our sakes I do. :)

 

[KrisReef]

Hmmm.

Those red arrows, pointing down with the legend "Urgent need for action"-- I would think that the arrow should indicate an upward action and not be pointing down?

Red Icon's. I wonder how many folks have gone the wrong way following the arrows?

 

[fandaga]

Maybe the macroalgae is releasing something that bothers the soft corals and nem?

I thought you also had a lot sponges and a gorg - those doing okay?

Have you tried zoas or palys? My zoas and leathers didn’t do well for the first year and then all of a sudden started exploding in growth.

 

[areefer01]

Do you know why yours was so high to begin with?

I am not sure to be honest. The initial peak was on October 18th, 2018. About 2 years after I had set up the display. Looking back at my notes I was using IO Reef Crystals to start the display. The base reef structure was made up of 180 lbs of dry Pukani rock. This tank was an upgrade so I had moved over a smaller system in the process. That display was about 6 years of age.

Also during the first two years I was using ESV 2 part for my dosing. The molybdenum dropped on Dec 12, 2019. I do not have the date that I switched from ESV to All For Reef which is sort of a vital point to the answer. I see that I made a note of creating a new batch in February of 2020. So that is not much help to answer.

I apologize. I can say that I have been using the same ICP data throughout though which is ATI. I do have 2 from Oceanmo, let me see if I have those reports. These tests do not align with my ATI sample and done only to experience Oceanmo's offering.

Mar 03, 2021:

Nov 05, 2021:

I'm not identifying it as the only culprit, certainly, but it is insufficient in my tank to maintain 10 ug/L. That is a simple fact. That does not mean it is defective or flawed. It may not be insufficient in any other tank that uses higher doses or has lower needs due to different salts for water changes or different organism needs, etc.

Apologise, I did not mean to imply that. As I was replying I was thinking that AFR has a controlled or set amount and not a supplement. Not sure if I worded that correctly.

Bear in mind that my AFR dose is pretty low, while macroalgae will be taking it up.

1 kg of dry Ulva reportedly contains about 2.4 mg of molybdenum. That would strip all of the molybdenum from 240 L of natural seawater.

I do have a refugium that has Sea Grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera) but I do not believe it grows at the rate of your macro. I also dose ESV Transition Elements which contains iron.

I wish I had an answer as to why mine started high - I really have no idea.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maybe the macroalgae is releasing something that bothers the soft corals and nem?

I thought you also had a lot sponges and a gorg - those doing okay?

Have you tried zoas or palys? My zoas and leathers didn’t do well for the first year and then all of a sudden started exploding in growth.

Yes, that is certainly a possibility. I’m trying to get chaeto to grow and maybe replace the ulva as a test if that.

I’ve not tried and zoas or palys.

The sponges are hanging in. The sea fan faded away. Probably lack of optimal foods for it.

 

[fandaga]

Maybe the macroalgae is releasing something that bothers the soft corals and nem?

I thought you also had a lot sponges and a gorg - those doing okay?

Have you tried zoas or palys? My zoas and leathers didn’t do well for the first year and then all of a sudden started exploding in growth.

Yes, that is certainly a possibility. I’m trying to get chaeto to grow and maybe replace the ulva as a test if that.

I’ve not tried and zoas or palys.

The sponges are hanging in. The sea fan faded away. Probably lack of optimal foods for it.

Well, I really hope LC-MS will be insightful - pretty exciting!

Bummer about the sea fan. I haven’t been able to keep them so far as well.

Speaking of nems, did you get any lightbulb ones on the TBS rock? I ordered from them last month for a new tank, and one rock had two lightbulbs. So far mine have stayed in place. Granted I know it’s a big difference between these and magnifica. On my other tank, I tried two BTAs near the system start, hoping they would find their happy spot. They never settled and eventually died.

 

[backbayreef]

2. I seem unable to get soft corals to thrive (koji wada, yellow leather, weeping willow, green toadstool) despite hard corals (e.g., montipora digitata and stylophora) growing.

I believe Toadstools and Sinularia can produce toxins. Equally, your Mag (similar to my Haddoni's) can excrete chemicals into the war column that we cannot test for.

Are you running carbon? I run carbon on all my nem tanks as a precaution. I should be swapping them out every 2 weeks but sometimes do get lazy and do it every 3-4 weeks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe Toadstools and Sinularia can produce toxins. Equally, your Mag (similar to my Haddoni's) can excrete chemicals into the war column that we cannot test for.

Are you running carbon? I run carbon on all my nem tanks as a precaution. I should be swapping them out every 2 weeks but sometimes do get lazy and do it every 3-4 weeks.

Yes, I use ROX 0.8 GAC as well as skimming.

 

[Dan_P]

There are three primary reasons that I opted to get my water tested for both inorganic elements, and organic compounds (by Oceamo).

1. I have a magnifica anemone that just won't stay put, and despite apparently doing fine, it releases from the rock entirely about once every 10 days. While it might be many things (light, flow, foot injury (none visible), irritant by an organism, etc.), I wanted to try to rule out chemistry issues in the water.

2. I seem unable to get soft corals to thrive (koji wada, yellow leather, weeping willow, green toadstool) despite hard corals (e.g., montipora digitata and stylophora) growing.

3. I want to see if the supplementing I am doing (AFR, foods, water changes, and additional iodine, iron, and manganese) are seemingly suitable.

The organics test will be done shortly, but the ICP-MS from Oceamo is complete.

Short answer is that nothing jumps out to explain #1 or #2 above. Tin from plastics was one of my concerns, but its not apparently any issue. I might add some element dosing to the mix (maybe molybdenum and nickel), but that's not urgent, IMO.

Also, my RO Buddie seems to work perfectly well for my needs. :)

How is the sponge and bacteria growth, little fan worms, and worms? Are these organism coating the pipes and high flow area in reactors or filters? I am formulating a theory that if these canaries in the coal mine are proliferating, there isn’t much to eat floating around in the water. I specifically ask because of the relative newness of your system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How is the sponge and bacteria growth, little fan worms, and worms? Are these organism coating the pipes and high flow area in reactors or filters? I am formulating a theory that if these canaries in the coal mine are proliferating, there isn’t much to eat floating around in the water. I specifically ask because of the relative newness of your system.

I dose phyto which may be contributing to lots of pods, which I can see and which has my mandarin growing fast.

Not sure how to gauge bacteria growth, except red Cyanobacteria, of which there is plenty.

Not seeing a lot of fan worms. There are plenty of spirorbid worms on poorly lit areas that I do not scrape (such as the tank back).

 

[Dan_P]

I dose phyto which may be contributing to lots of pods, which I can see and which has my mandarin growing fast.

Not sure how to gauge bacteria growth, except red Cyanobacteria, of which there is plenty.

Not seeing a lot of fan worms. There are plenty of spirorbid worms on poorly lit areas that I do not scrape (such as the tank back).

Hey, life looks plentiful, but I still feel (can’t articulate it yet) that your rock surfaces still seem covered by too much what looks like mixed algae mats. I need to apply some arrows to the photos to explain what I am looking at and what you should make go away :-) More later.

 

[areefer01]

Hey, life looks plentiful, but I still feel (can’t articulate it yet) that your rock surfaces still seem covered by too much what looks like mixed algae mats. I need to apply some arrows to the photos to explain what I am looking at and what you should make go away :-) More later.

Not to throw a wrench into the equation (seems like I am always doing this with your posts, I apologize) but didn't the tank start with oceanic live rock and sand?