ATI ICP Results; I'm confused

[Runningfanatic]

Hi Reefers. I just received my first ICP test results. Chemistry was always a mystery to me, so I'm totally lost. I'm looking for help to give me advice on the proper way to proceed.

Tank is 75 gallons, 10+ years old. I use Instant Ocean Reef for salt. There are currently 5 small fish (2 clowns, lawnmower blenny, yellow clown goby, and Banggai cardinal). I dose AFR, sometimes NeoNitro, NoPox, phyto, copepods. I also add Aquavitro Alpha for Reefs to new RODI water when doing a water change, "just in case". I've had dinos off and on since I got caught up in the Vibrant usage about 4-5 years ago (I've stopped that!), but my nutrients have never "bottomed out". I weekly add bacteria, alternating with Dr Tim's EcoBalance, Refresh, WasteAway, and MicroBacter 7.

A year ago, I finally started to add "real" corals (I do have mushrooms and gsp). Goniopora - died after a few weeks. Hammer - died after couple of weeks. Montipora cap doing ok and growing until it died from me trying to get rid of dinos. I'm still working on those by dosing waterglass (started that after ICP samples were taken).

Obviously there is a problem with my water because I cannot keep corals alive. This is why I decided to do the ICP. (I also did my own testing at the same time to compare results. They were fairly close to my Hanna tests, not so much with the API.)
Results show critically high on quite a few things and critically low on one:

Sulfur 1190 mg/l
Calcium 519.5 mg/l (API was 450)
Bromine 88.45 mg/l
Strontium 12.93 mg/l
Zinc 46.31 ug/l
Iodine 20.35 ug/l

There were other elements that were either above or below normal, but these are the critical. I've attached the final results in case anyone wants to see the full report. The following recommendations were calculated for the aquarium Main Display Tank with 300 liters content.

Bromine Important
Stop addition of bromide to reduce value to 65-67 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Strontium Important
Stop adding strontium to reduce value to 7.8-8.2 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Sulfur Important
Stop addition of sulfur to reduce value to 900-920 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Zinc Important
Zinc is elevated. Find and eliminate the source (e.g. corroding metals, contaminated water treatment, osmosis water, etc.). Carry
out several large water changes with Absolute Ocean to reduce the value.

Calcium Important
Stop addition of calcium to reduce value to 410-440 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Boron Recommended
Reduce/stop addition of boron to bring value down to 4,3-4,7 mg/l.

Lithium Recommended
Lithium is elevated. If the value continues to rise, it should be lowered by weekly water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Phosphorus Recommended
Dose 1.5 ml Nutrition P per day. Reduce the dose if the home test shows more than 0.03 mg/l PO4.

Nitrate Recommended
Nitrate is slightly too high. Improve the filtration and/or reduce the food supply.

Salinity Recommended
Increase the salinity to 35 PSU.
For example, add 1374 ml Absolute Ocean #1 and 1374 ml Absolute Ocean #2 to the aquarium.

My RODI water tested normal for everything, so I'm guessing the salt mixture is where I'm getting some of these values? If not, I have no idea how these things are getting into my tank. They recommended using Absolute Ocean. However, I am unable to locate it anywhere for purchase. So, should I change to a different salt mixture? If so, which one?

I am at a loss of what to do. My tank looks like crap, and I can't keep any corals alive. I get so jealous when I see some of the tanks that are featured here. It's what I want my tank to look like, but I have no idea what to do.

Please help! I don't know where to start!

 

[KStatefan]

I am not a chemist but I would start here.

Zinc Important
Zinc is elevated. Find and eliminate the source (e.g. corroding metals, contaminated water treatment, osmosis water, etc.). Carry
out several large water changes with Absolute Ocean to reduce the value.

 

[Runningfanatic]

I am not a chemist but I would start here.

Zinc Important
Zinc is elevated. Find and eliminate the source (e.g. corroding metals, contaminated water treatment, osmosis water, etc.). Carry
out several large water changes with Absolute Ocean to reduce the value.

That's one of my issues. I have no idea where these elements are coming from. I would use the absolute ocean, but it's not available. So how can I reduce them?

 

[Shirak]

Stop dosing all the bacteria products and aquavitro alpha. You don't need them. Do a series of large water changes or a whole bunch of small ones to get everything back in line with the mix.

Stop dosing other stuff if you are unsure if you need it or not. Get quality test kits if you do not have. I recommend Hanna Alk, ULR Phosphate, HR Nitrate. From there you can go with salifert Ca but without much stony corals there really isn't a need to test at this point. Refractometer to measure salinity and calibrate properly with DIY calibration solution.

Get your salinity to 1.026sg and from there start monitoring and recording Alk, PO4 and NO3 a few times a week. Alk I would target whatever the salt mix you use or close to it. PO4 .05-.09ppm, NO3 15-20ppm are good ranges.

If I had to guess based on your mention of recurring Dino's over a long time frame, is your water parameters are not stable and bouncing around and you are trying to control stuff in the tank with things like Vibrant and NoPox.

Stable water parameters is key for the coral. Deal with algae and other stuff with CUC

 

[Pod_01]

Just my opinion, I would do few water changes to re-set the chemistry. As mentioned I would also back off on all of the different additives.
Stick with AFR, it works quite well.

Follow this:

That helped me a lot.

For example I use TM Original Balling with TM A and K (AFR does the same). I do feed the fish, I also use TM Phos Feed (phosphate food for corals) and I use TM Reef Actif (gentle carbon dosing) alternative food source for corals as in carbon feeds bacteria and bacteria feeds corals. I don’t use carbon dosing to control nutrient.

Sometimes less is more.
Corals may not be showcase but they look happy:

Good luck,

 

[KStatefan]

That's one of my issues. I have no idea where these elements are coming from. I would use the absolute ocean, but it's not available. So how can I reduce them?

Did you look for metal in your tank? You know it is not your RODI water. Replace the ATI absolute ocean with any brand of salt.

 

[get-salty]

Stop dosing all the bacteria products and aquavitro alpha. You don't need them. Do a series of large water changes or a whole bunch of small ones to get everything back in line with the mix.

Stop dosing other stuff if you are unsure if you need it or not. Get quality test kits if you do not have. I recommend Hanna Alk, ULR Phosphate, HR Nitrate. From there you can go with salifert Ca but without much stony corals there really isn't a need to test at this point. Refractometer to measure salinity and calibrate properly with DIY calibration solution.

Get your salinity to 1.026sg and from there start monitoring and recording Alk, PO4 and NO3 a few times a week. Alk I would target whatever the salt mix you use or close to it. PO4 .05-.09ppm, NO3 15-20ppm are good ranges.

If I had to guess based on your mention of recurring Dino's over a long time frame, is your water parameters are not stable and bouncing around and you are trying to control stuff in the tank with things like Vibrant and NoPox.

Stable water parameters is key for the coral. Deal with algae and other stuff with CUC

Man, your not a chef.. ! stop with the different ingredients lol

sorry no offense. happy reefing !

 

[Mels_Reef]

Hi Reefers. I just received my first ICP test results. Chemistry was always a mystery to me, so I'm totally lost. I'm looking for help to give me advice on the proper way to proceed.

Tank is 75 gallons, 10+ years old. I use Instant Ocean Reef for salt. There are currently 5 small fish (2 clowns, lawnmower blenny, yellow clown goby, and Banggai cardinal). I dose AFR, sometimes NeoNitro, NoPox, phyto, copepods. I also add Aquavitro Alpha for Reefs to new RODI water when doing a water change, "just in case". I've had dinos off and on since I got caught up in the Vibrant usage about 4-5 years ago (I've stopped that!), but my nutrients have never "bottomed out". I weekly add bacteria, alternating with Dr Tim's EcoBalance, Refresh, WasteAway, and MicroBacter 7.

A year ago, I finally started to add "real" corals (I do have mushrooms and gsp). Goniopora - died after a few weeks. Hammer - died after couple of weeks. Montipora cap doing ok and growing until it died from me trying to get rid of dinos. I'm still working on those by dosing waterglass (started that after ICP samples were taken).

Obviously there is a problem with my water because I cannot keep corals alive. This is why I decided to do the ICP. (I also did my own testing at the same time to compare results. They were fairly close to my Hanna tests, not so much with the API.)
Results show critically high on quite a few things and critically low on one:

Sulfur 1190 mg/l
Calcium 519.5 mg/l (API was 450)
Bromine 88.45 mg/l
Strontium 12.93 mg/l
Zinc 46.31 ug/l
Iodine 20.35 ug/l

There were other elements that were either above or below normal, but these are the critical. I've attached the final results in case anyone wants to see the full report. The following recommendations were calculated for the aquarium Main Display Tank with 300 liters content.

Bromine Important
Stop addition of bromide to reduce value to 65-67 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Strontium Important
Stop adding strontium to reduce value to 7.8-8.2 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Sulfur Important
Stop addition of sulfur to reduce value to 900-920 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Zinc Important
Zinc is elevated. Find and eliminate the source (e.g. corroding metals, contaminated water treatment, osmosis water, etc.). Carry
out several large water changes with Absolute Ocean to reduce the value.

Calcium Important
Stop addition of calcium to reduce value to 410-440 mg/l. Can be accelerated by several water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Boron Recommended
Reduce/stop addition of boron to bring value down to 4,3-4,7 mg/l.

Lithium Recommended
Lithium is elevated. If the value continues to rise, it should be lowered by weekly water changes with Absolute Ocean.

Phosphorus Recommended
Dose 1.5 ml Nutrition P per day. Reduce the dose if the home test shows more than 0.03 mg/l PO4.

Nitrate Recommended
Nitrate is slightly too high. Improve the filtration and/or reduce the food supply.

Salinity Recommended
Increase the salinity to 35 PSU.
For example, add 1374 ml Absolute Ocean #1 and 1374 ml Absolute Ocean #2 to the aquarium.

My RODI water tested normal for everything, so I'm guessing the salt mixture is where I'm getting some of these values? If not, I have no idea how these things are getting into my tank. They recommended using Absolute Ocean. However, I am unable to locate it anywhere for purchase. So, should I change to a different salt mixture? If so, which one?

I am at a loss of what to do. My tank looks like crap, and I can't keep any corals alive. I get so jealous when I see some of the tanks that are featured here. It's what I want my tank to look like, but I have no idea what to do.

Please help! I don't know where to start!

You have no stoney corals. I am baffled why you would be wasting so much time and money on all the additives??

Nopox has always been poison for my system. Even at half dosage, I start losing SPS corals after several weeks using it.

You should not be getting dinos in a 10 year old tank unless you’re constantly putting in new dry rock or frag racks or something. So something is curious about that. I am guessing that one of your additives are fueling the Dino’s.

The other suggestion I would make is to send off an Aquabiomics micro-biome test. That will give you a snapshot of the microbial population of your system. A healthy, diverse micro-biome is very important to successfully keeping coral.

 

[Hans-Werner]

The problems to address first:

- high zinc
- low phosphate
- high sulfur

The easiest and fastes thing to do is to add phosphate and see what it changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd be most concerned about the zinc.

Are there any metal parts of any sort in the water?

i do not consider the bromide or strontium or calcium any concern at all. The sulfur probably reflects your salt mix composition unless you have added a lot of magnesium sulfate. I'd back burner that concern for now.

My tank had similar iodine without apparent issue, but if you want to raise it, I'd recommend adding a NSW level of iodide once or twice a week.