Yikes: Lithium level 430

jnels

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Over the last several months the tank has been in turmoil. I've essential lost all of my stony coral (LPS and SPS). No matter how tight I kept my parameters coral kept dying one day after the next. Softies continue to thrive. Its been a busy Summer and my fish were fine so I slow played it with multiple water changes. Coral still died. I finally sent an ICP test and it came back with a lithium level of >430micrograms/l. It recommends salt or 2 part contamination. I have been using ESV Bionic and tropic marin salt. Any advice on what to adjust first? salt, 2 part or food?

For reference the tank is a 100g mixed reef. Tropic Marin pro salt and ESV Bionic. I used to run kalk but haven't refilled in several weeks/months.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Do you have the whole test? I’d be surprised if lithium at that level killed corals. Elevated lithium is pretty common and not particularly toxic in seawater.
 
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jnels

jnels

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Do you have the whole test? I’d be surprised if lithium at that level killed corals. Elevated lithium is pretty common and not particularly toxic in seawater.
That's good to hear and simultaneously a bit frustrating. I was hoping I'd found a smoking gun.

Other items out of range on this Triton ICP test were Iodine (6 ref 30-90) and my Phosphate was .08. Everything else was in their reference range. Any pertinent negatives I should look for in the test?

My next step is to send an ATI of both my display tank and my saltwater reservoir. Definitely open to other ideas.
 

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