Elevated zinc, cause of sps deaths?

[shermoen]

This tank is a 40 gallon aio that is 6months old. I am able to keep lps and softies but they do not seem to be growing or multiplying. I have put about 6 or 7 tester sps corals in over the last month and they all seem to start bleaching, losing tissue, followed by slow death.

I did an icp test a month or so ago and the only Level that registered high was zinc @ 31.48ppb. Everything I have found with elevated zinc levels were never this high so have come up short finding if this is a detrimental level to the corals. According to icp analysis anything over 30 can kill corals.
anyone have experience with this? Could the deaths be chalked up to a young tank?
Also calcium and alkalinity are not being used up by the corals so thats a thing going on too.

 

[shermoen]

Bump

 

[Perry]

"This tank is a 40 gallon aio that is 6months old."
This is your issue if the tank was established with dry rock.

 

[Reefer Matt]

My opinion is to wait another 6 months before trying sps. A cycled tank is not an established one, and it may take more time for the tank to mature. I had the same issue in my 75 gal sps tank until it was a year and a half old.

 

[shermoen]

"This tank is a 40 gallon aio that is 6months old."



This is your issue if the tank was established with dry rock.

My opinion is to wait another 6 months before trying sps. A cycled tank is not an established one, and it may take more time for the tank to mature. I had the same issue in my 75 gal sps tank until it was a year and a half old.

This tank was cycled with mostly dry rock and seeded with live rock. Thanks for the second opinions on the sps deaths. Im still a bit concerned with the elevated zinc.

 

[Perry]

This tank was cycled with mostly dry rock and seeded with live rock. Thanks for the second opinions on the sps deaths. Im still a bit concerned with the elevated zinc.

Sorry, but it looks like an undeveloped micro biome. I have personally went through this and know firsthand. Something about having developed a diverse bacteria population that helps to bring phosphate to the coral, as they consume phosphate and polyps consume bacteria. You can chase micro minerals through shaky, at best, ICP analysis, but I have personally never done one, nor plan to. Hanging your hat on any test, is a risky move. If you didn't add Zinc, then move on, and focus on developing your micro biome. ISPF kits, sand seeding, adding more mature proven rock, and most of all, patience! A tank established with real ocean rock changes the equation, but still needs time for glass, plastics, pipes, sand, rocks, all to be well coated with bacteria, sponges, dusters, worms, pods, micro stars, tunicates, etc. These will all be visible in your overflow with a flashlight. When you start seeing these developments, then you are getting closer. Adding bacteria and carbon source is a way to get around this, but this advanced system is truly challenging within itself, but imo, the only way to get around all the above
Cheers

 

[Reefer Matt]

Perhaps @Randy Holmes-Farley can help.

 

[shermoen]

Sorry, but it looks like an undeveloped micro biome. I have personally went through this and know firsthand. Something about having developed a diverse bacteria population that helps to bring phosphate to the coral, as they consume phosphate and polyps consume bacteria. You can chase micro minerals through shaky, at best, ICP analysis, but I have personally never done one, nor plan to. Hanging your hat on any test, is a risky move. If you didn't add Zinc, then move on, and focus on developing your micro biome. ISPF kits, sand seeding, adding more mature proven rock, and most of all, patience! A tank established with real ocean rock changes the equation, but still needs time for glass, plastics, pipes, sand, rocks, all to be well coated with bacteria, sponges, dusters, worms, pods, micro stars, tunicates, etc. These will all be visible in your overflow with a flashlight. When you start seeing these developments, then you are getting closer. Adding bacteria and carbon source is a way to get around this, but this advanced system is truly challenging within itself, but imo, the only way to get around all the above
Cheers

Thanks Perry. When I did the icp initially I was concerned I would see something that would cause me to think its causing issues with the tank. I appreciate the great explanation you gave and can tell you that I am on my way there. Ive been seeing pineapple sponges appear recently. I just added some tigger pods this morning, and have considered dosing vinegar to accelerate some growth and control nitrates. Patience is key and I know this, the bad part is I am a very impatient person!!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I believe most of the comments to be on track, and great advice. My last icp tested zinc at 10.78mg/l and higher and lower every test before that, basically don't trust/follow icp as if it were law, it can definitely be off, 2 samples of my r.o water will test different sometimes.

I will say although the frags are not making it, they are doing something very important by bringing in diversity to your system, thats why some times people think they have had 10 frags not make it for the first year then all of a sudden frags start surviving, thats the diversity finally building up, I would keep bringing in good (easy/cheap) frags from mature systems, and It will be there in no time. You seem to know what's going on, the tank just isn't up to your speed yet .

Edit: temp could be on the high side @80 but if stable probably not an issue. But if easily lowered I would opt for that a degree or two.

I run one tank at 78-79 and one tank at 77-78 and don't notice a difference but they are very stable Temps.

 

[shermoen]

I believe most of the comments to be on track, and great advice. My last icp tested zinc at 10.78mg/l and higher and lower every test before that, basically don't trust/follow icp as if it were law, it can definitely be off, 2 samples of my r.o water will test different sometimes.

I will say although the frags are not making it, they are doing something very important by bringing in diversity to your system, thats why some times people think they have had 10 frags not make it for the first year then all of a sudden frags start surviving, thats the diversity finally building up, I would keep bringing in good (easy/cheap) frags from mature systems, and It will be there in no time. You seem to know what's going on, the tank just isn't up to your speed yet .

Edit: temp could be on the high side @80 but if stable probably not an issue. But if easily lowered I would opt for that a degree or two.

I run one tank at 78-79 and one tank at 77-78 and don't notice a difference but they are very stable Temps.

Really appreciate it thatmanMIKEson! Im getting antsy and need to just chill and let the process do its thing.
I am running my temp at 80 as a kind of experiment to see if it will stop cyano or dinos from forming. so far I have not seen any cyano which normally I would have seen by now with such a fresh tank (knock on wood, i.e. my head). I live in Kansas and sometimes it seems like cyano happens at certain times of the year but that could just be coincidental.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I doubt that zinc at 30 ppb is the issue, but ICP is not always accurate (and I'm not a fan of this company) and it says nothing about the chemical form that can impact toxicity a lot.

Can you post the whole ICP result?

 

[shermoen]

I doubt that zinc at 30 ppb is the issue, but ICP is not always accurate (and I'm not a fan of this company) and it says nothing about the chemical form that can impact toxicity a lot.

Can you post the whole ICP result?

Yes Randy, here are results for both salt and rodi.

 

[shermoen]