ICP results help

[cjtabares]

So I got my API ICP results back and I could use some help. Here are the results.

https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/d8441ac7b5a1401ac71a

I guess, my main worry are tin, aluminum, and iron, although not crazy high(aluminum and iron seem to be in range), they all seem a little elevated from the ideal. I can’t find anything rusty, would this come from somewhere else?

I have fixed my salinity issue, but this is lower then I had thought. I thought I was a around 1.024. My refractometer was not calibrated correctly, even brought it to a lfs to verify and then said it was reading like theirs. I ended up making Randy’s salt test solution and found it was wrong.

I am tuning zeolite, so that seems to be a cause of high barium, so that I will fix.

The tank is 3 months old, and besides zeovit, I am using All for Reef. Anything else I should be concerned about?

 

[Mechano]

first off, do u have a lot of corals in your system? A picture would help and species.

Unless you have a boat load of corals that are using the big 3 and trace elements , I would not be dosing like crazy yet. Tank is too new (unless of course u actually have your tank jammed with corals)

A pic would help

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Id raise the salinity, but the tin, aluminum and iron are not high enough to be an apparent problem in most situations.

 

[Pod_01]

Your salinity needs correction, once you do that all of the other elements will increase by same ratio. Something to keep in mind.

Yes your tin is elevated, could be due to new tank and with water changes it should come down. Keep an eye on it but I would not be doing anything about it.
You Al is ok in my opinion, again keep an eye on it.
Elevated Iron can feed algae, many salts use Iron as anticaking agent so it tends to be elevated after water changes and it will precipitate out over time. Good practice to take water samples 3 days after water change.

What I would increase is Iodine, from my observation coral look better when this is at the recommended level.

But if the plan is to keep corals the values that need to increase are PO4 (critical building block for corals) I prefer 0.05-0.15 ppm range and NO3 should be at least 1ppm.

As an aside Zeolite is one of those advanced reefing tools, when you want to achieve the next level. I would not use it on a new tank. For example I use 2/3 stones just to clear my water.

Good luck,

 

[cjtabares]

Thanks everyone. I had corrected my salinity before I even got the results from the ICP.

first off, do u have a lot of corals in your system? A picture would help and species.

Unless you have a boat load of corals that are using the big 3 and trace elements , I would not be dosing like crazy yet. Tank is too new (unless of course u actually have your tank jammed with corals)

A pic would help

I have been out of the hobby for about 10 years, I have what I would call 2 largish frags, but have seen pieces this size called colonies being sold on websites. This is my most recent pic, about 2 weeks ago.

Your salinity needs correction, once you do that all of the other elements will increase by same ratio. Something to keep in mind.

Yes your tin is elevated, could be due to new tank and with water changes it should come down. Keep an eye on it but I would not be doing anything about it.
You Al is ok in my opinion, again keep an eye on it.
Elevated Iron can feed algae, many salts use Iron as anticaking agent so it tends to be elevated after water changes and it will precipitate out over time. Good practice to take water samples 3 days after water change.

What I would increase is Iodine, from my observation coral look better when this is at the recommended level.

But if the plan is to keep corals the values that need to increase are PO4 (critical building block for corals) I prefer 0.05-0.15 ppm range and NO3 should be at least 1ppm.

As an aside Zeolite is one of those advanced reefing tools, when you want to achieve the next level. I would not use it on a new tank. For example I use 2/3 stones just to clear my water.

Good luck,

I did the whole zeovit when I was in the hobby 10 years ago to good success, this time it just seems to be causing more issues. Maybe I just don’t remember right, but I might stop using it, going to give it a little more time though. Maybe I will reduce the amount of stones or remove them entirely and reduce the zeostart I am using to get the nutrients up a little. I was also thinking of using TM phosfeed when I get more coral.

 

[Mechano]

Thanks everyone. I had corrected my salinity before I even got the results from the ICP.


I have been out of the hobby for about 10 years, I have what I would call 2 largish frags, but have seen pieces this size called colonies being sold on websites. This is my most recent pic, about 2 weeks ago.

I did the whole zeovit when I was in the hobby 10 years ago to good success, this time it just seems to be causing more issues. Maybe I just don’t remember right, but I might stop using it, going to give it a little more time though. Maybe I will reduce the amount of stones or remove them entirely and reduce the zeostart I am using to get the nutrients up a little. I was also thinking of using TM phosfeed when I get more coral.

If u only have 2 corals, don’t even bother dosing yet

Keep your salinity in check

**watch your nutrients , don’t let them bottom out**

 

[cjtabares]

If u only have 2 corals, don’t even bother dosing yet

Keep your salinity in check

**watch your nutrients , don’t let them bottom out**

Without the dosing my Alk drops by about .3 dkh per day.

 

[Mechano]

Can you just use an alk buffer instead of adding all the rest?

And get your nitrate and phosphate to detectable levels?

 

[Mechano]

Thanks everyone. I had corrected my salinity before I even got the results from the ICP.


I have been out of the hobby for about 10 years, I have what I would call 2 largish frags, but have seen pieces this size called colonies being sold on websites. This is my most recent pic, about 2 weeks ago.

I did the whole zeovit when I was in the hobby 10 years ago to good success, this time it just seems to be causing more issues. Maybe I just don’t remember right, but I might stop using it, going to give it a little more time though. Maybe I will reduce the amount of stones or remove them entirely and reduce the zeostart I am using to get the nutrients up a little. I was also thinking of using TM phosfeed when I get more coral.

Also on another note. 10 years ago were you using real ocean rock? And not the dry rock like nowadays out of curiosity?

 

[Pod_01]

I was also thinking of using TM phosfeed when I get more coral.

Hmmmm…..

And Hans Werner recommendation on how to use it:

I recommend to use it if the phosphate concentrations are below 0.1 ppm. I expect you see a difference after a week.

Up to 0.15 ppm phosphate I suggest to just give it a try and see if it improves color and growth of your corals. I expect this will turn out positive in more tanks than you might initially think.

In my eyes it is not necessary to use other coral foods when using Phos-Feed. However you can continue using other feeds if your corals look better in your eyes or you feel better.

Good luck,

 

[cjtabares]

Can you just use an alk buffer instead of adding all the rest?

And get your nitrate and phosphate to detectable levels?

Yeah, I can switch, have already made some sodium carbonate, just need to mix it. I will be trying to get the nitrates and phosphates to a detectable level. Thank you.

Also on another note. 10 years ago were you using real ocean rock? And not the dry rock like nowadays out of curiosity?

I am not 100% sure if the rock I have was live rock, it was in the sump at a lfs, it is the rock I am using now. It is definitely not man made, but it has been dry for those 10 years.

 

[Mechano]

Yeah, I can switch, have already made some sodium carbonate, just need to mix it. I will be trying to get the nitrates and phosphates to a detectable level. Thank you.

I am not 100% sure if the rock I have was live rock, it was in the sump at a lfs, it is the rock I am using now. It is definitely not man made, but it has been dry for those 10 years.

Ok cool.

Just be careful to monitor how much phosphate you add as your rock is gonna probably absorb it like crazy.

Then months or years down the road it could leach it. It’s a very trying hobby sometimes lol. But well worth it once things are balanced and working nicely