Arce's Tank

[vlangel]

I sure hope they find something. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[Arce]

Well the water samples have landed in Germany. 2-3 days more till i have my results online...

[Arce]

So before i sent out the test i had put in a poly filter per Kats recommendation to just see if it pulls anything. The entire pad pretty much was lightly brown, just indicating that I basically have "some" organics, no big deal. But i do have a couple specs of Red which is supposed to be Aluminum. Now it could also be cyano, i tried rubbing it off but its in the actual pad not on the surface so i don't know if it is or not. I didn't even notice these spots until i got my new Tunze pump and fixed my ATO.

 

The dinos are barely present anymore. I dont have any on my rocks but occasionally i get them on my one gorg in small strings. So who knows whats going on anymore. I stopped doing water changes, i think i was doing too many and not letting things balance out. Also im lazy and pissed at the tank lol.

[pokerdobe]

So before i sent out the test i had put in a poly filter per Kats recommendation to just see if it pulls anything. The entire pad pretty much was lightly brown, just indicating that I basically have "some" organics, no big deal. But i do have a couple specs of Red which is supposed to be Aluminum. Now it could also be cyano, i tried rubbing it off but its in the actual pad not on the surface so i don't know if it is or not. I didn't even notice these spots until i got my new Tunze pump and fixed my ATO.

 

The dinos are barely present anymore. I dont have any on my rocks but occasionally i get them on my one gorg in small strings. So who knows whats going on anymore. I stopped doing water changes, i think i was doing too many and not letting things balance out. Also im lazy and pissed at the tank lol.

 

I've been told that water changes actually make dinos worse?

[Arce]

 

I've been told that water changes actually make dinos worse?

Hm no idea. I did hear some say to stop doing changes, not sure what the reasoning is though.

[pokerdobe]

Hm no idea. I did hear some say to stop doing changes, not sure what the reasoning is though.

 

No one's ever been able to explain to me why no water changes other than the vaguely worded "dinos feed off minerals in new water." It never made sense to me, but a good percentage of people claim good results? I think there's another member here who is dosing vibrant and no longer doing w/c for his dinos.

 

To be honest, dino treatment advice is all over the map... it's hard to tell what really works. I've heard to increase carbon dosing, no water changes, aggressive water changes, high PH, etc.

[Arce]

 

No one's ever been able to explain to me why no water changes other than the vaguely worded "dinos feed off minerals in new water." It never made sense to me, but a good percentage of people claim good results? I think there's another member here who is dosing vibrant and no longer doing w/c for his dinos.

 

To be honest, dino treatment advice is all over the map... it's hard to tell what really works. I've heard to increase carbon dosing, no water changes, aggressive water changes, high PH, etc.

Yea, I've read a lot of different methods as well. What i did though was try to reduce nutrients so the dinos couldn't compete with hopes of them reducing in density or dying off. I also dosed various kinds of bacterial additives. If it even worked is hard to say unless i put water under a microscope. My issues with my SPS and corals leads me to believe they are still present, but i wont know until the Triton test comes back and tells me it isn't another element screwing things up.

[Arce]

The results are in people.

Now how can i post it here.

[Arce]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selenium is through the roof. Lithium as well.

 

Low levels of vanadium, copper, aluminum, zinc, barium and lead.

 

What in the hell happened lol. I've never dosed trace elements. I've changed my salt a couple times as well so its not a bad batch. Have to google some of these elements to see where they are common.

[Sharbuckle]

Interesting. Phosphates through the roof as well.

[Sailfish]

Hmm.
Did you check your tank water, or your freshly mixed saltwater?

[Arce]

Interesting. Phosphates through the roof as well.

Yea, i expected that though.

 

Hmm.

Did you check your tank water, or your freshly mixed saltwater?

Tank water.

[Sailfish]

Too bad
Because then you would know what your current salt mix contains, and more easily manipulate the levels.

One 100% WC would give you exactly the freshly mixed saltwater levels in you tank.
Now you know the values in your tank, but not in the new water that you will use for future WCs.
That means that even if you make some effort to get the off levels back in order, if the source is your salt or RO/DI water then you will slowly, but surely go back to the levels you have now.

I don't know how much the triton test costs, but I suspect it's not cheap
Still, I would send them a sample of my freshly mixed saltwater, to check if that is the source.

If that proves to be the case, the next step would be to send them a sample of your RO/DI water.

This way you can single out the salt mix or the RO/DI water as your source, and do something about it.
Treat the cause, not the effect

Good luck, man

[Arce]

Too bad

Because then you would know what your current salt mix contains, and more easily manipulate the levels.

One 100% WC would give you exactly the freshly mixed saltwater levels in you tank.

Now you know the values in your tank, but not in the new water that you will use for future WCs.

That means that even if you make some effort to get the off levels back in order, if the source is your salt or RO/DI water then you will slowly, but surely go back to the levels you have now.

 

I don't know how much the triton test costs, but I suspect it's not cheap

Still, I would send them a sample of my freshly mixed saltwater, to check if that is the source.

If that proves to be the case, the next step would be to send them a sample of your RO/DI water.

This way you can single out the salt mix or the RO/DI water as your source, and do something about it.

Treat the cause, not the effect

 

Good luck, man

They are $50 each. Knowing what elements were high or low was the first step. Seeing how the worst are heavy metals there are a couple methods for removing them.

[Sailfish]

They are $50 each. Knowing what elements were high or low was the first step. Seeing how the worst are heavy metals there are a couple methods for removing them.

Wow, that is pretty steep

But then again, we spend lots more then that on a single coral frag many times...

Two more tests (three-four, if you count in future check ups), would probably be worth it in a tank that has so many amazing (and expensive) corals as yours

 

What methods are you thinking about?

[Arce]

Wow, that is pretty steep

But then again, we spend lots more then that on a single coral frag many times...

Two more tests (three-four, if you count in future check ups), would probably be worth it in a tank that has so many amazing (and expensive) corals as yours

 

What methods are you thinking about?

Not sure if your looking at old pictures but this tanks pretty much empty.

 

While id love to shell out another $100 in tests, its not worth it. I spoke with Kat this morning after my results came in, she suggested using cuprisorb or continuum HM power cleanse. Both remove heavy metals. Not sure if they work on all of them but its worth a shot. I doubt these are coming in from my RODI, but i can always add a 5th stage onto my unit to make sure I'm removing everything.

[markalot]

It's is very very very very rarely the salt. And in those cases where it might have been, it's probably not. The simplest answer is usually the correct one, don't over analyze IMO.

 

I would suspect some of the readings may have been from Vibrant if used in here, and the Lithium is very common in US made salts, has been for years.

 

http://www.reefedition.com/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/

[Sailfish]

Not sure if your looking at old pictures but this tanks pretty much empty.

 

While id love to shell out another $100 in tests, its not worth it. I spoke with Kat this morning after my results came in, she suggested using cuprisorb or continuum HM power cleanse. Both remove heavy metals. Not sure if they work on all of them but its worth a shot. I doubt these are coming in from my RODI, but i can always add a 5th stage onto my unit to make sure I'm removing everything.

Ahh, yeah I was looking at the FTS in your first post

It's is very very very very rarely the salt. And in those cases where it might have been, it's probably not. The simplest answer is usually the correct one, don't over analyze IMO.

 

I would suspect some of the readings may have been from Vibrant if used in here, and the Lithium is very common in US made salts, has been for years.

 

http://www.reefedition.com/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/

Didn't you just say that the lithium probably originates from the salt?

[jedimasterben]

http://packedhead.net/2015/triton-lab-icp-oes-testing-of-a-certified-artificial-saltwater-standard/

 

 

Read that before trying to adjust any of the micro elements.

[markalot]

The selenium is interesting. I only found one other post on google talking about it, they used Tropic marin salt. My guess is either Vibrant or a contaminant from something used in the tank.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium

 

Interesting uses .. anything ring a bell?

Ahh, yeah I was looking at the FTS in your first post

Didn't you just say that the lithium probably originates from the salt?

 

Yes, I did, and put in a link to an article from RHF talking about elevated levels of it in his test.

[Arce]

The selenium is interesting. I only found one other post on google talking about it, they used Tropic marin salt. My guess is either Vibrant or a contaminant from something used in the tank.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium

 

Interesting uses .. anything ring a bell?

 

First thing i did was google selenium. Cant think of anything.

[Mariaface]

 

First thing i did was google selenium. Cant think of anything.

 

 

I think he might be referring to the idea that it's used in the production of glass and rubber, so it might just be a matter of 'this is how it is'

[markalot]

Here my Li results.

 

 

 

I think he might be referring to the idea that it's used in the production of glass and rubber, so it might just be a matter of 'this is how it is'

 

I wasn't trying to be obtuse there, though it sounded like it. I guess look for things like dyed glass, or maybe a florescent bulb accident, perhaps a surge protector incident (fell in tank, something like that). Reaching for straws as to where it might have come from.

[Arce]

Here my Li results.

 

I wasn't trying to be obtuse there, though it sounded like it. I guess look for things like dyed glass, or maybe a florescent bulb accident, perhaps a surge protector incident (fell in tank, something like that). Reaching for straws as to where it might have come from.

Ok so ill ignore the lithium for now. But none of the above for the selenium. I'm assuming from what I've read its only used to dye glass and not in regular glass production. Never had a power strip near water. Bulbs have never broken over or near my tank.

One thing i also have to confirm is the accuracy of my refrac and calc and mag tests. I dont doubt my ca and mag are low, ive honestly stopped dosing because my water changes were pretty much keeping up with the demand of my clam/acans. But i want to make sure my refrac is calibrated because i could have sworn i was reading 35ppt. Once again these are all stretches and i know they will never be near 100% accurate but i want to see how far off from the dot these readings are.

 

I also have to check my phosphate test. I dont recall having that high of a reading from any of my tests. I didn't doubt there were high phosphates but 0.25 is higher than expected by a bit.

http://packedhead.net/2015/triton-lab-icp-oes-testing-of-a-certified-artificial-saltwater-standard/

 

 

Read that before trying to adjust any of the micro elements.

I am all for being skeptical. Im not jumping to the gun on most of the things they have noted in the results. But a couple really standout with high levels and even with a +/- error they are still higher than they should be.

[Arce]

Did a bunch of testing last night and everything came out pretty much on point to what the triton tests were, with a couple differences, probably since it was a week ago. I definitely had a huge po4 spike. I have a recorded test on 1/7/17 that wasn't registering past 0.03 with the salifert test (not the low range). So within 2-3 weeks it jumped to 0.25 which is crazy. Could have been die off of dinos or my sporadic vibrant dosing but who knows. Regardless i dosed barely 1 drop of phosphate rx. Nitrates were under 20 which I'm not too concerned with. I did dose to bring up my calc/mag as well.

 

As for the heavy metals. I went to my LFS and he only had the poly filter pads. I picked up another one just to have but I'm planning to buy continuum power cleanse off amazon and give it a try. I've been trying to research the weird metals like selenium but i haven't found much in terms of reefs aside from one or two mentions. I don't even know if the continuum will pull out all metals but its worth a shot.