Reef Ceramics analysis

hsvtoolfool · #1 04/08/2007, 12:29 PM

Hello Randy,

As described in this thread, there seems to be a serious problem
with the decorative Reef Ceramics product leeching toxins. Nitrate
levels remain elevated so long as the product remains in the
tank. If someone mailed you a chunk of this material, could you
determine what is being released?

Billybeau1 · #2 04/09/2007, 01:04 AM

Sorry but, Randy is taking a (well deserved) break from Reef Central. I hope you understand.

I would think this is something you could test yourself as most nitrate kits are pretty accurate.

Nitrates come from Nitrites which are converted from Ammonia and junk. (uneaten food etc. ). This is how the biological cycle works.

So I would think, if the ceramic product is leaching something. it has nothing to do with high nitrates.

Boomer · #3 04/09/2007, 10:08 AM

I do not think it is the ceramics, as they wold not have nitrates or even be Nitrate base, as Billy has indicated. More than likely it is converting the Ammonia>Nitrite>Nitrate quicker due to its surface, with little denitrification taking place to lower the Nitrate, kinda like what you get from Bioballs in a Trickle Filter. In other words, the surface of the ceramic is out competing other surface areas for nitrification. There may also be something chemical about the ceramics that is attracting more nitrifiers. What is this stuff made of, do you know ?

hsvtoolfool · #4 04/09/2007, 08:22 PM

Randy, have a margarita on the beach for me.

I must believe the testimony of so many experienced reefers.
They've all positively indentified this product as unsafe in their
tanks, but not the mechanism involved.

I do not use the product, so my kneejerk response was to ask
our resident chemist if he could help. My next move was to ask
Skippyreef to send a sample to RHF for analysis. I don't like rumor
and anecdotal evidence. There's too much in our hobby already.

I suppose the ammonia cycle could somehow be faulty when
using this product as the lone substrate. My first thought was
that the product is releasing a substance which is false-testing as
nitrate, or is perhaps breaking down into nitrate and giving the
reported test results.

I suppose the only way to test that theory is to "cook" the
Reef Ceramics for a few months until the ammonia cycle has no
fuel. Then if the nitrate levels remain elevated, a chemist might
analyze the product.

Oh well, just an idea.

PatrickJ · #5 04/09/2007, 11:08 PM

It seems as the ceramics need to be well estrablished before they are put into a reef. I mean well established as in fully encrusted with algae and coralline algaes.

PatrickJ · #6 04/09/2007, 11:24 PM

It seems as the ceramics need to be well estrablished before they are put into a reef. I mean well established as in fully encrusted with algae and coralline algaes.

I think that it has something to do with that most ceramic has Aluminum in it. That would cause STN. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaolinite that is a link to the main mineral found in porcelain.