Concerned with the results of Triton Test - Need help understanding them

[sunshinereefer]

Reason for Test: Corals to not thrive in the tank even when most of most parameters are stable and within acceptable range.

Capacity: 200g
Apex dosed and monitored
Avg. Temp : 78. (Chiller controlled)
Avg. PH: 8
Avg. dKH:9-10
Ecotech Radion Lightining

We detected elements in your water that can be harmful for your tank.
More information about each element is listed below.

We recommend to carry out 6 x 15% water changes with TRITON PURE 2.0 salt, spread over 6 weeks.

Your Lithium levels are too high.

Check for possible contamination source. To help you in your search for the source of error, we have listed them the most common lithium sources (sorted in descending order of frequency):

1. Trace element overdose / contamination
2. Contaminated salts / contaminated magnesium salts
3. Artificial Rock/ Reef ceramics
4. Food

Your Barium levels are too high.

Check for possible contamination source. To help you in your search for the source of error, we have listed the most common sources of Barium (sorted in descending order of frequency):

1. Phosphate iron-based (except ROWAphos or PhosBan)
2. Contaminated salts
3. Contaminated trace elements, in particular strontium
4. Dried fishfood

Use AL99 PO4 remover to remove Barium

Your Silicon levels are slightly elevated.

Check for possible contamination source. To help you in finding the source of error, we have listed the most frequent sources of contamination for silicon (sorted in descending order of frequency):

1. RO/DI Supply
2. Iron based phosphate remover (not RowaPhos or PhosBan)
3. SIPORAX Type media
4. Ceramics

Renew PO4 media, use AL99 or RowaPhos/PhosBan

Your Phosphorus / Phosphate levels are slightly elevated. - Known problem - Use RowaPhos and Refugium to manage it.

Low levels of Lead have been found in your system.

Although not as dangerous at very low levels it is important that you check your system for any possible contaminations. To assist you in finding the source of error, we have listed the most common sources of lead (sorted in descending order of frequency):

1. Contaminated sea salt mixtures
2. Contaminated salts such as calcium chloride
3. Contaminated trace elements
4. Contaminated feed for fish or coral

If you have problems in your tank, TRITON DETOX should be applied before the water changes.

Application DETOX: Take activated carbon and Phosphate media out of the system, add 3ml Detox / 100l of aquarium water. After 3 days, put on fresh activated carbon (Phosphate media can now also be introduced again), activated carbon should be changed after 7 days.


Monitor levels over future ICP-OES tests.

Low levels of Aluminium have been found in your system.

This is normal if you are using an aluminium based PO4 media. However try to find the contamination. To assist you in finding the source of error, we have listed them the most common sources of aluminium (sorted in descending order of frequency):

1. Aluminium based Phosphate remover
2. Zeolite
3. Metals in water

Use ROWAphos phosphate media to remove the aluminium.

Any help finding/suggestions to find what I am doing wrong to identify what could be the cause and how to fix it.

Salt Mix : Aquaforest Reef
Prior Mix : Red Sea Coral Pro.

 

[bios]

Heavy metals...

 

[bios]

Check all your equipment at first magnets in expecial way
Some pics please

 

[JimWelsh]

Please post the specific numbers, or images of the test results. The lithium is probably not much of a concern; I have extremely high lithium, and still have happy healthy livestock, including many species of SPS. Barium may be a concern, especially if you are running ozone, but it depends upon how high the level is. Many tanks have low levels of aluminum. The lead is the greatest concern, but, again, it would be good to know the number the test result gives.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Barium may be a concern, especially if you are running ozone, but it depends upon how high the level is.

What interaction do you anticipate between barium and ozone?

 

[JimWelsh]

What interaction do you anticipate between barium and ozone?

Do'h! My bad. That was bromine I was thinking of. That's what happens when I post before I've had my coffee. Good catch, Randy!

 

[sunshinereefer]

Attached is the results document.

 

[sunshinereefer]

Please post the specific numbers, or images of the test results. The lithium is probably not much of a concern; I have extremely high lithium, and still have happy healthy livestock, including many species of SPS. Barium may be a concern, especially if you are running ozone, but it depends upon how high the level is. Many tanks have low levels of aluminum. The lead is the greatest concern, but, again, it would be good to know the number the test result gives.

I don't run ozone on my tank.

I currently have a good colony of blastos that is thriving in this tank but most SPS don't survive and when it comes to zoas - they do not thrive and recede over a period of time.

I do have another frag tank setup and I am using the same salt, same (less) food, same brand of CA and ALK, and I have good color and growth only diff being frag tank is running T5.

 

[sunshinereefer]

Check all your equipment at first magnets in expecial way
Some pics please

Only magnets currently submerged are those holding the probes and those are sealed completely (apex probe holder).

 

[sunshinereefer]

One of the main reason for the post is to find out how I should proceed further..these Triton test are expensive and the results take 2-3 weeks ( a lot can change in 2-3 weeks in water chemistry )..so I am not sure how I can continue to measure any improvements going forward also not sure if consumer grade test kits are available for me to test them on my own.

Also looking for most common potential culprits to start the elimination process of the source of the contaminants.

 

[JimWelsh]

Ignore the "high" lithium. That level is very, very common in USA tanks, and often much higher. The aluminum level you have is very normal for those tanks that do show detectable aluminum. The results you posted show no detectable lead at all, so I'm confused why the textual advice mentions it. Your barium level is the highest I've ever seen, though, and is about 1 1/2 times the previous highest level I've seen someone post. Whether or not that is an issue, I'll leave Randy or others to comment on. As Randy pointed out, my comment about ozone was a red herring; I was thinking bromine.

 

[sunshinereefer]

The tank is almost 1 yr 9 months old.
Stock : 4 Large fish and 8-10 medium size fish. Sand bed- 1 inch.
Use RowaPhos media for phosphate removal - quantity as recommended by manufacturer for 200 g. Change every month.
Warner Marine Eco Back plus pellets running in Avast Marine Spy Glass Reactor.
Refugium with lot of algae growth (non-chaeto kind).

Any additional suggestions on bringing phosphate down.

Food Used : 1/2 inch square of Reef Frenzy each day along with small quantity of New Life Spectrum Pellet food. Occasional algae sheet or marine grazer feeding.

 

[sunshinereefer]

Are there any consumer grade tests available for barium ? Does barium have adverse effect on corals ?

 

[bios]

This what i do if tank was mine
Take out sand slowly every change of water
Add zeolite filter and change zeolite every 6days for 1 month
Increase feed the tank with amminoacids
Change products used to feed fish and corals suspend rowal..
And no more
But is only my opinion

 

[bios]

This what i do if tank was mine
Take out sand slowly every change of water
Add zeolite filter and change zeolite every 6days for 1 month
Increase feed the tank with amminoacids
Change products used to feed fish and corals suspend rowal..
And no more
But is only my opinion

 

[sunshinereefer]

This what i do if tank was mine
Take out sand slowly every change of water
Add zeolite filter and change zeolite every 6days for 1 month
Increase feed the tank with amminoacids
Change products used to feed fish and corals suspend rowal..
And no more
But is only my opinion

"Take out sand slowly every change of water" - Are you saying you would get rid of the sand bed and make it bare bottom ?

Whats a zeolite filter and change zeolite every 6 days for 1 month ? Is this a replacement for the bio-pellets ?

suspend rowal..??

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are there any consumer grade tests available for barium ? Does barium have adverse effect on corals ?

There are no kits that I am aware of that will work in seawater.

I do not know the effects, but I would not expct a significant problem until it got super high. It looks very much like calcium and strontium.

 

[bios]

Stop rowa-phos
Heavy metals acumulates in sand so leave few quantity in your tank
Zeolite is the only way to bind heavy metals ,so use a zeolite filter it also reduce po4 but also reduce nutrients so add some amino for your corals
And sorry for my english

 

[sunshinereefer]

Stop rowa-phos
Heavy metals acumulates in sand so leave few quantity in your tank
Zeolite is the only way to bind heavy metals ,so use a zeolite filter it also reduce po4 but also reduce nutrients so add some amino for your corals
And sorry for my english

Any preferred brand of Zeolite ??
I will work on switching the Rowaphos with Zeolite - assuming it can run in the same media reactor as zeolite ?
Since I currently don't have corals in this tank but all moved to my frag tank - should I still dose amino - does it also help reduce po4...?

 

[sunshinereefer]

There are no kits that I am aware of that will work in seawater.

I do not know the effects, but I would not expct a significant problem until it got super high. It looks very much like calcium and strontium.

So Randy based on the results of this test - do you see anything harmful in my water chemistry that will affect corals ? Its been almost close to 2 years that I have not been able to add corals to my tank and I was expecting this test would provide me some concrete answers..

If not - what would be the steps in diagnosing the problem...secondly can there be some infection or microbes in the water/live rock that keep infecting the corals that I add to the tank ?