heavy metals found in my triton test- again but corals looking good

[codydemmel4]

I am clueless on what is going on then. The tips become looking very very brittle and look like theyre been nipped at or something but I know that is not the issue. Then after the tips start to look brittle, they start to STN and then that coral will slowly die over 1-2 weeks. Even if I cut off the brittle part, the new frag will look good for a couple days and then the same thing will happen over again.

 

[Pife]

I am clueless on what is going on then. The tips become looking very very brittle and look like theyre been nipped at or something but I know that is not the issue. Then after the tips start to look brittle, they start to STN and then that coral will slowly die over 1-2 weeks. Even if I cut off the brittle part, the new frag will look good for a couple days and then the same thing will happen over again.

Are all your acros doing this?

 

[swnoob]

Everything you're describing sounds like what my corals suffered when i had low nutrients. I always tried to keep my tank at <.02 phosphates and <5 nitrates while i ran an alk of 7.

I also thought i had maybe something leaching heavy metals in my tank but never sent in my water sample to get tested. I did daily 10% water changes for several weeks to try and get whatever it was out but looks like i was doing more damage than good.

I have since bumped my phosphates to >.08 with nitrates to 20 and an alk of 8.5. My tank is looking better than ever with good growth.

I also did not do any water changes for a couple months but dosed couple drops of lugols and 2 mls of replenish daily.

I recently fragged a bunch and did not find any brittle acros like before.

 

[chercm]

Everything you're describing sounds like what my corals suffered when i had low nutrients. I always tried to keep my tank at <.02 phosphates and <5 nitrates while i ran an alk of 7.

I also thought i had maybe something leaching heavy metals in my tank but never sent in my water sample to get tested. I did daily 10% water changes for several weeks to try and get whatever it was out but looks like i was doing more damage than good.

I have since bumped my phosphates to >.08 with nitrates to 20 and an alk of 8.5. My tank is looking better than ever with good growth.

I also did not do any water changes for a couple months but dosed couple drops of lugols and 2 mls of replenish daily.

I recently fragged a bunch and did not find any brittle acros like before.

seems like a lot of us are havin the same issue that the tips seems to nip on with brown alage growing. i did the triton and came back with high chronium and cobalt but nothing is rusty in my tank

 

[codydemmel4]

Are all your acros doing this?

I would say 80% are with 2-3 weeks of being in my tank. they look great and then all of a sudden they slowly decline starting from the very top tip of the coral, then hit about every branch tip

 

[codydemmel4]

Everything you're describing sounds like what my corals suffered when i had low nutrients. I always tried to keep my tank at <.02 phosphates and <5 nitrates while i ran an alk of 7.

I also thought i had maybe something leaching heavy metals in my tank but never sent in my water sample to get tested. I did daily 10% water changes for several weeks to try and get whatever it was out but looks like i was doing more damage than good.

I have since bumped my phosphates to >.08 with nitrates to 20 and an alk of 8.5. My tank is looking better than ever with good growth.

I also did not do any water changes for a couple months but dosed couple drops of lugols and 2 mls of replenish daily.

I recently fragged a bunch and did not find any brittle acros like before.

Thanks for the reply, I do not wanna raise my alk higher then where it is now I know that. I will try to raise my nurtients but I do not think mine are that low for it to be involved with that. However I will test my nutrients today and check back here with what the hanna ulr says

 

[codydemmel4]

seems like a lot of us are havin the same issue that the tips seems to nip on with brown alage growing. i did the triton and came back with high chronium and cobalt but nothing is rusty in my tank

Yeah it is very strange and annoying.








I am not sure if this is anything but before the move of the tank when my corals did great. My rose bubble tip anemone used to extend very very long and almost look like a long tentacle anemone. Now in the new home it is a lot smaller and bubbles up like the pictures you see on live aquaria etc. Would that prove anything?

 

[codydemmel4]

What about iodine?

I saw some threads that said low iodine could cause alk burn like symptoms. on my triton tests my iodine has been 7 and 10, triton suggest 60 and the great barrier reef is right around 60 too

 

[Pife]

What about iodine?

I saw some threads that said low iodine could cause alk burn like symptoms. on my triton tests my iodine has been 7 and 10, triton suggest 60 and the great barrier reef is right around 60 too

Why not dose a couple of drops of lugals a day for a week and see if there is any changes. I'd do it rather than not do anything.

 

[codydemmel4]

Why not dose a couple of drops of lugals a day for a week and see if there is any changes. I'd do it rather than not do anything.

I will have to look into it, doing more water changes would raise iodine too correct? I have no idea how to test for iodine though, dont wanna over dose

 

[jda]

Lugols is not a good source of I that the corals can use. Yes, salt mix does have I in it. You can test for I, but I cannot remember if it is Iodine, Iodide, Free, Bonded, etc.

Before you dose or test for I, read up on a RHF article about which one you need.

 

[codydemmel4]

Lugols is not a good source of I that the corals can use. Yes, salt mix does have I in it. You can test for I, but I cannot remember if it is Iodine, Iodide, Free, Bonded, etc.

Before you dose or test for I, read up on a RHF article about which one you need.

Why do you say it is not good? A lot of the reefers on here use it with looks like great success

 

[jda]

It adds the wrong kind that the coral cannot use, I2 IIRC. I cannot remember if it is Iodine and the coral want Iodide or Iodate, or the other way, or what? It might have one -, when it needs I2... something like that.

It is another supplement that probably is not doing what most folks think that it is doing... like nearly all of them outside of what is in seawater.

I2 is good to kill stuff in dips, but does nothing in a tank where it breaks down very rapidly.

These are good:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/3/chemistry
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/4/chemistry

 

[jda]

I brushed up on it a bit. Iodate and Iodide are present in seawater. Lugols is I2 - elemental Iodine, which is not in seawater and breaks down quickly when added. The folks who swear that they can see a difference by adding Lugols actually have nothing since it does nothing in seawater.

You can buy Iodide and Iodate to supplement if you want - these are at least in seawater and could be used by the organisms in theory.

Triton tests for Organic Iodine, which nobody else sells a test kit for, so info is very sparse on this.

In any case, Lugols is a good dip, but nearly certainly does nothing otherwise.

 

[codydemmel4]

I brushed up on it a bit. Iodate and Iodide are present in seawater. Lugols is I2 - elemental Iodine, which is not in seawater and breaks down quickly when added. The folks who swear that they can see a difference by adding Lugols actually have nothing since it does nothing in seawater.

You can buy Iodide and Iodate to supplement if you want - these are at least in seawater and could be used by the organisms in theory.

Triton tests for Organic Iodine, which nobody else sells a test kit for, so info is very sparse on this.

In any case, Lugols is a good dip, but nearly certainly does nothing otherwise.

thanks for the info, I greatly appreciate it!

 

[codydemmel4]

so what i am going to do starting today:

30g water changes every week, feed more to try to bring phosphates up to between 0.05-0.1 leave nitrate where they are between 4-8. quit dosing anything besides brs 2 part, lower full t5 lighting period to 7 hours.

continue checking alk daily, I want to lower it to 7.3-7.5. Thinking about using coprisorb to get rid of the heavy metals faster then the water changes.

Thoughts?

 

[jda]

I am a huge fan of water changes. They fix so much.

Do you use IO? If so, is it the 50G bags? If so, then get a 44G Brute, fill nearly to top with cold water, put in whole 50G bag and 2 TBSP of dowflake. Mix. The next day put in 20mls of Muratic acid and turn the heater on. Let this aerate for a day or so until the PH is back up to normal - a cheap PH pen can really help with this. This should make up a pretty good SPS mix for you. You can test it out and tweak the muratic and dowflake as you desire... maybe a bit more muratic as you are trying to lower your alk in the tank, but go slow.

Cubrisorb is fine. It won't take long.

I would not worry about the phosphates. If you are not actively removing them (GFO or organic carbon), then they will be at a fine level for the dinos in the coral to eat.

 

[codydemmel4]

I am a huge fan of water changes. They fix so much.

Do you use IO? If so, is it the 50G bags? If so, then get a 44G Brute, fill nearly to top with cold water, put in whole 50G bag and 2 TBSP of dowflake. Mix. The next day put in 20mls of Muratic acid and turn the heater on. Let this aerate for a day or so until the PH is back up to normal - a cheap PH pen can really help with this. This should make up a pretty good SPS mix for you. You can test it out and tweak the muratic and dowflake as you desire... maybe a bit more muratic as you are trying to lower your alk in the tank, but go slow.

Cubrisorb is fine. It won't take long.

I would not worry about the phosphates. If you are not actively removing them (GFO or organic carbon), then they will be at a fine level for the dinos in the coral to eat.

Yeah I use IO and the 50g. I have no idea what dowflake is but I will be adding Muratic Acid to the mix and letting that aerate for awhile with pumps running. Maybe I should make the water outside to help the PH go up even faster.

 

[jda]

Dowflake is a calcium carbonate that is sold as ice melter. It is the same stuff that people spend 10x the money for at BRS, or the like. You can get like a lifetime supply of it for cheap. It is pure and great stuff.

As a two-part guy, you really need to get 50lb bag of DowFlake... and the huge thing of Baking Soda at Costco or Sams.

 

[jda]

You can use this formula for a rough estimate for Muratic. Gallons * desired dKh drop * .123 = MLs or Muratic to use. 20ml is a good place to start with IO.

Remember that super low alk is not a huge deal if you are not driving your nutrients to zero. I like mine around 8, but I won't sweat it if they get down to 7 before I bump the CaRx up, which might hit 9 right after I do. I keep my N very near zero (the rock and sand does this naturally) and the phosphate about 3-5 on Hannah ULR Checker. I consider myself Low Nutrient, but not Ultra Low.