High Barium and Zeovit Media

[Moe K]

Not a major issue but I thought I should put it out there. I am suspecting zeovit media to be the cause of high barium in my icp test results. When I first noticed that I had high barium I do as one does and search R2R for answers. I stumbled across two other posts that mentioned they had high barium and also use the zeovit method. I looked back an noticed my barium spike correlated with the addition of the zeovit media right at the beginning of July.

I removed the zeovit media and ran my system with out it for roughly 2 weeks and sent out the most recent icp test. The result appeared to be a nice drop in barium. It is not a serious issue IMO as other searches showed many reefers have had high levels with no ill effects to coral but in the pursuit of perfection I just thought I would show what I found. I am still not 100% sure but I do not recall changing any other aspect of my tank operations. The first batch of zeovit media was from KZ. I just put new zeovit media but this time it is from Aquaforest. Not sure if that will make a difference but I will try to update here on my next icp test. As a note I will be switching to triton icp tests in the future.

If you use zeovit media and have done an icp tests recently with a fresh batch please share your results. For all I know this could be part of the zeovit process in making some zeovit tank magic

 

[Moe K]

To add to this I also did an ATI icp test to confirm. Test results received Sept 19, 2023. So it was about 2 days later after looking for answers that I removed the zeovit. Roughly Sept 21-23. Somewhere in there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks for the info!

I agree that I don't think barium is a big concern even if somewhat elevated, but there may be some toxic effects at several hundred ug/L.

Developmental effects of barium exposure in a marine bivalve (Mytilus californianus)

Previous reports indicated that barium (Ba) and/or strontium (Sr) were primarily responsible for the toxicity of a southern California produced water to developing marine embryos. To further investig...

setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

 

[Pod_01]

I am suspecting zeovit media to be the cause of high barium in my icp test results.

Some additional information about Barium:

Out of curiosity did you use different foods as well?
Also did you switch activated carbon type?

Regardless interesting about Zeovit…

 

[Moe K]

Out of curiosity did you use different foods as well?
Also did you switch activated carbon type?

Regardless interesting about Zeovit…

I feed SA Hatchery Diet pellets every other day and frozen mysis daily. I use BRS Rox .8 monthly for about 1 week and remove it. There was a bag of Rox carbon running on the tank when I pulled the last icp sample.

This investigation is still ongoing and will try to update after the next icp with AF zeovit. When it is time to replace the AF I may try again with KZ brand. They look identical except the AF zeolites appear to be a little cleaner meaning they didnt have much small rubble as the KZ brand did. For all I know they come from the same place.

I am also going to go in with a little skepticism about the zeolites adding enough barium to be harmful or if at all as the tanks I have seen use it obviously have no issues in growing fantastic corals. This is why I hope to hear from others running zeovit that have done some recent icp tests.

 

[Christoph]

Hello!
Yes, zeolithes leach significant barium. You can see some data from our investigation posted already in 2019:

Reactor media under the ICP-OES loupe | Oceamo

Reactor media such as activated carbon, zeolite or phosphate adsorber are often used in reef aquariums. We were interested about what elements and in which quantities these reactor media release them into the water, and whether frequently heardf statements such as "phosphate adsorbers supply...

en.oceamo.com

Best regards,
Christoph

 

[Pod_01]

Hello!
Yes, zeolithes leach significant barium. You can see some data from our investigation posted already in 2019:

Reactor media under the ICP-OES loupe | Oceamo

Reactor media such as activated carbon, zeolite or phosphate adsorber are often used in reef aquariums. We were interested about what elements and in which quantities these reactor media release them into the water, and whether frequently heardf statements such as "phosphate adsorbers supply...

en.oceamo.com

Best regards,
Christoph

Wow, thank you Christoph for the article. That is interesting…

So since the article is from 2019 does this apply:

or is there additional recommendations?
I believe most media have a note to rinse them before use.
So soaking you mean for an hour, day etc…

 

[Troylee]

Wow, thank you Christoph for the article. That is interesting…

So since the article is from 2019 does this apply:

or is there additional recommendations?
I believe most media have a note to rinse them before use.
So soaking you mean for an hour, day etc…

I soak mine in ro for about a hour before filling my reactor up.. sunny x gave me that tip.

 

[Christoph]

Wow, thank you Christoph for the article. That is interesting…

So since the article is from 2019 does this apply:

or is there additional recommendations?
I believe most media have a note to rinse them before use.
So soaking you mean for an hour, day etc…

we did not investigate how fast the majority of barium is released, so i cant answer that with certainty. But several hours to one day should be a reasonable timespan.

All the best,
Christoph

 

[Moe K]

Hello!
Yes, zeolithes leach significant barium. You can see some data from our investigation posted already in 2019:

Reactor media under the ICP-OES loupe | Oceamo

Reactor media such as activated carbon, zeolite or phosphate adsorber are often used in reef aquariums. We were interested about what elements and in which quantities these reactor media release them into the water, and whether frequently heardf statements such as "phosphate adsorbers supply...

en.oceamo.com

Best regards,
Christoph

Wow. Thank you for confirming. I will better rinse mine from now on. My mistake I did not search harder for this information. It must have passed me by being in German.

 

[Superlightman]

Hello!
Yes, zeolithes leach significant barium. You can see some data from our investigation posted already in 2019:

Reactor media under the ICP-OES loupe | Oceamo

Reactor media such as activated carbon, zeolite or phosphate adsorber are often used in reef aquariums. We were interested about what elements and in which quantities these reactor media release them into the water, and whether frequently heardf statements such as "phosphate adsorbers supply...

en.oceamo.com

Best regards,
Christoph

Hello Christoph, could this with time become dangerous? Wich level are dangerous? It existe an absorber or a way to reduce this level?
Other question if we have also high aluminium without use aluminium based gfo, where can it come from and how to reduce it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello Christoph, could this with time become dangerous? Wich level are dangerous? It existe an absorber or a way to reduce this level?
Other question if we have also high aluminium without use aluminium based gfo, where can it come from and how to reduce it?

What level of aluminum?

 

[Superlightman]

What level of aluminum?

Hello Randy
Aluminium 54.40 µg/l
Barium 153.2 µg/l
That is just after one use of zeolite, I just change it again after 4 weeks, so it will probably jump again. For now, it is probably not a concern, but it may become it after a few changes of ZEO. But for now the corals seems to be more happy than before.

 

[Christoph]

Hello Christoph, could this with time become dangerous? Wich level are dangerous? It existe an absorber or a way to reduce this level?
Other question if we have also high aluminium without use aluminium based gfo, where can it come from and how to reduce it?

Hello,
i do not have a solid answer, at which concentration barium becomes acutely problematic. We generally recommend to stay below 100 ppb, but you can also be fine with higher levels. There is no specific adsorber, but once the input of barium is lowered (for example by rinsing your zeo, or exchanging it less often), barium levels are expected to fall quite fast.

54 ppb of Al does not concern me. Reef ceramics, or ceramic based media ("bricks") are other common sources. Aluminium is one of the most abundant elements in the earths crust, so there is some almost "everywhere" (Feeds, etc).

all the best,
Christoph

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree that 54 ppb of aluminum is not at the emergency level. 500 ppb caused issues in my tests on corals , but 50 ppb did not.

 

[Superlightman]

Thanks guys, that is helpful
Maybe an idea how I could get rid of without big water changers to avoid future accumulation. I rinsed already the zeo so I don't know really what I can do more. Maybe it can come also from ceramic as I had recently to pillars in my tank and some cement

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks guys, that is helpful
Maybe an idea how I could get rid of without big water changers to avoid future accumulation. I rinsed already the zeo so I don't know really what I can do more. Maybe it can come also from ceramic as I had recently to pillars in my tank and some cement

Not using it seems sensible if you are concerned.

 

[Superlightman]

Not using it seems sensible if you are concerned.

Well but since I put the zeolit and kz products, the tank look much better, my vibrio stopped within two days ( can't explain why??) and all the bad algae disappeared within two weeks. Corals get much better colors. So for now I want to keep this stones, even if the maintenance is boring me

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well but since I put the zeolit and kz products, the tank look much better, my vibrio stopped within two days ( can't explain why??) and all the bad algae disappeared within two weeks. Corals get much better colors. So for now I want to keep this stones, even if the maintenance is boring me

Ok. I personally do not think the zeolite does anything useful except be a place for bacteria to grow, and so can be replaced by other materials to hold bacteria.

I doubt you can remove barium except by water change or binding it into or into calcium carbonate. Some metal binders may reduce aluminum but will also reduce trace metals you want.

 

[Superlightman]

Ok. I personally do not think the zeolite does anything useful except be a place for bacteria to grow, and so can be replaced by other materials to hold bacteria.

I doubt you can remove barium except by water change or binding it into or into calcium carbonate. Some metal binders may reduce aluminum but will also reduce trace metals you want.

Ol I will do some water changes then :-/
How can bind it in calcium carbonate?
For the zeolit it seems to have another effect than just bacteria. I try many ways to reduce nutrients but I can't just get the same colors without even with same nutrients levels. And now for example I have the zeo and my nutrients are unfortunately not low despite the zeolit, but I get better and better colors. Also algua disappears. Why I don't but it seems to do something special. I used it in the past and now again because, without this stones, I can't get those results,it seems to have an effect not linked to the nutrients