Vanadium, Nickel, Zinc and Manganese always zero on triton test.

[Fisherman Joe]

Hi all.

Vanadium, Nickel, Zinc and Manganese always zero on triton test.

I have been dosing 3-4 times the recommended dose, weekly (as per the recommendation and it’s still at zero.

My tank is 600L, the other week my magnesium was low, I accidentally added 100ml of Managenese instead of magnesium (by accident) and now that is barley registering.

I feel like I am wasting my money, should I persevere?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

How are your corals doing?

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Generally fine. Can’t complain.

Coral colours could improve but I think that’s owed more to consistency.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

If your corals seem happy then there is no issue here. Dosing a bunch of stuff (especially in high doses) probably isn't necessary.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

But reading Randys notes on these elements, they seem pretty important.

I am worried they are precipitating out of the salt water somehow or getting bound up in something?!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

But reading Randys notes on these elements, they seem pretty important.

I am worried they are precipitating out of the salt water somehow or getting bound up in something?!

Randy knows his stuff so I'd keep dosing, but not 3-4 times the recommended dose. That's asking for trouble imo.

That being said keep in mind that me and 99.99% of successful reefers have never done an icp test and are just fine. So I'm not sure how stressed I'd get over those elements.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Like I said above, I’m dosing as triton recommends.

With subsequent zero level tests they advise to combine the previous three doses in one. I’m adding 3ml of vanadium a week to my 600L (125g) tank and have been for ages. It’s always zero.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Like I said above, I’m dosing as triton recommends.

With subsequent zero level tests they advise to combine the previous three doses in one. I’m adding 3ml of vanadium a week to my 600L (125g) tank and have been for ages. It’s always zero.

Ok then do as you wish but like I said above if your corals are happy then your doing ok. Making big changes chasing numbers when your tank is already doing good rarely ends well.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

You make a valid point. But I’m not doing that, i am not chasing numbers. I’m follwing Tritons recommended dosing levels but NOT seeing the results.

I’m asking what could be happening to the elements I’m dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Some of these deplete very fast, especially manganese.

But is maintaining a NSW level necessary? Not typically, but we do not know exactly what levels are needed.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Some of these deplete very fast, especially manganese.

But is maintaining a NSW level necessary? Not typically, but we do not know exactly what levels are needed.

Thanks Randy.

Do we know why they deplete so quickly?

Would your persevere to try and dose noticeable oevels

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy.

Do we know why they deplete so quickly?

Would your persevere to try and dose noticeable oevels

Manganese is used a lot. Just a few grams of macroalgae growth can deplete the whole aquarium of manganese.

Iron precipitates and is used.

Those two sinks likely apply to all of them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here's my comment when I tested them:

My Triton Testing Results: By Randy Holmes-Farley - REEFEDITION

Recently, Triton GmbH in Germany has initiated a method of testing many ions at once for a single price. In the US, that service is coordinated by Unique Corals. For $49 they will send you a couple of tubes to collect a tank water sample, and a prepaid mailer to send the sample back to them...

www.reefedition.com

example:

Manganese (Mn). Triton can just barely detect the natural level of manganese (0.17 µg/L) since their LOD is 0.12 µg/L. Detecting none suggests it may be depleted, and is another possibility for dosing, but I have less confidence that this one is really seriously depleted since it is so close to the LOD. But Mn is biologically important and I will consider it.

Iron (Fe). The natural iron level varies a lot with depth, but surface seawater may have only 0.006 µg/L. The Triton LOD = 0.3 µg/L. I dose iron, and when I dose it I boost iron to roughly 1-2 µg/L, which would be detectable. This sample was taken more than a week after the last iron dosing, and none was detected as it gets depleted in the meanwhile. I’ve not yet seen a Triton test result for a real aquarium sample that had detectable iron, but that doesn’t mean these tanks are necessarily deficient. Iron is also a case where the form is critical, and ICP cannot distinguish form. Binding to organic matter, for example, can alter the bioavailability of iron.