Dying torches. ICP tests arrived. Help!

[smotard]

Friends, I had 2 torch corals in my mixed tank (soft corals and anemones) for about 6 months. They were doing well but not growing. Within three weeks they closed and some polyps were bailed out.
I did aquarium ICP and osmosis tests. High salinity result (even though it had to be correct based on my refractometer calibrated several times) but also many minor elements at zero. It's possible? Tank of approximately 300 litres, change 20 liters per week. Balling Triton Other method. Can I really have all those elements at zero while still doing water changes and using Triton? And if so is it a problem?
Then I have high aluminum (could it be the Seachem phosphate resins?).
I use activated carbon which I change every 10 days having anemones and softies that do chemical warfare.
Then I find scandium in the osmosis water and then I don't find it in the aquarium water, is it possible?
In your opinion, are these analyzes reliable? Am I using too much activated charcoal?
What can I do to fix the shot? Obviously I check the saltiness again and if it is high I bring it into the right range but the reading on my refractometer has been the same for months, even when the torches were fine I read the same value.
I'd like to try again with some LPS but I wouldn't want to condemn them to death without knowing why...
Thank you

 

[scotty333]

Right , here’s my opinion and bear in mind there’s a lot more knowledgeable chemists on here but having my acros with no polyp extension really peeved me off so I did an icp and found barium was like yours at 10x the upper limit and silicates were 50% higher, so I set about 4 x 30 % water changes so left something like 25-30% original water and after todays water change I now have polyps on some of my acros .
I also dose triton method core7 be and had undetectable trace on everything bar iodine ( I dose, maybe you should as my lfs advises this )
I also run and suspect carbon for this .
Trouble is I can’t put my finger on it’s the dilution of barium or the addition of trace , or the stability of the water due to the water changes. Normally I’ve been experiencing fluctuations of phosphate and nitrates and use gfo and vodka every other day to adjust.
One more thing that doesn’t help me solve the puzzle is the addition of ozone and the increase in orp over the last 2 weeks from 200-350.

Your calcium’s high but it’s no issue, as for your phosphate does it stay consistently a little high or swings like mine?

Sorry I can’t help with science but these are just my findings and hope somehow it could help you make some decisions

RAAAANDY!!!!!! Need your wizardry here boss

Good luck

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

When people have corals for a long time that don't grow, then slowly start to die, my first thought is low lighting. Do you know the par level of the torches, or what kind of lighting do you use and what intensity?

 

[Twocorns]

20 liters a week out of 300 is 6.67% of a water change. That's not a lot. You'll need to up your WC volume.

 

[Stang67]

What even is Scandanium? I don't see any real glaring issues either. Barium (per things I have read) really hasn't been "proven" to affect things or at least we don't know how it is important. Maybe you have a pest?

 

[smotard]

When people have corals for a long time that don't grow, then slowly start to die, my first thought is low lighting. Do you know the par level of the torches, or what kind of lighting do you use and what intensity?

I am using 2 HM Electronics CORE XP LED ceiling lights (167 watts each, 2 sets of LED clusters each). Set with blue and actinic at about 65 percent, white at 28 percent. Very low red, green and UV.
12 hours of light with dawn and dusk ramps of approximately 1 hour.
It is a shallow reef with DSB. Water column approximately 17 inches. Torches about halfway up outside the main light cone. The light shouldn't be a problem...in fact in the past I even lowered the power because some ZOAs on the bottom turned white.
Torches don't like moderate light and flow?

 

[smotard]

What even is Scandanium? I don't see any real glaring issues either. Barium (per things I have read) really hasn't been "proven" to affect things or at least we don't know how it is important. Maybe you have a pest?

I read that scandium is an element used in catalysts for glass polishing... but the ICP test found it only in the osmosis water that I took directly from the outlet tube. No contact with glass or other containers...error in the test?
However it is not detectable in the tank so it shouldn't be the problem.
I didn't see any parasites. In the past I have also taken iodine baths without finding anything.

 

[smotard]

20 liters a week out of 300 is 6.67% of a water change. That's not a lot. You'll need to up your WC volume.

What is your hypothesis? Lack of minor elements? But shouldn't Triton provide them with full balling anyway?
I was thinking of increasing water changes to reduce any allelopathy between soft corals, bubble anemones, condylactys anemone and LPS.
For this coexistence I use a lot of charcoal.
I also ordered CHEMI PURE BLUE, I would like to start using it instead of charcoal. It seems to me to be a more complete product for absorbing allelopathic substances.
Ideas?

 

[smotard]

Up

 

[Stang67]

I read that scandium is an element used in catalysts for glass polishing... but the ICP test found it only in the osmosis water that I took directly from the outlet tube. No contact with glass or other containers...error in the test?
However it is not detectable in the tank so it shouldn't be the problem.
I didn't see any parasites. In the past I have also taken iodine baths without finding anything.

Which test did you send out? Some are not as reliable or accurate as othera.

 

[smotard]

Which test did you send out? Some are not as reliable or accurate as othera.

Modern reef. The tests are attached in the first post.