Aluminum and crystallization

[azgard1]

View attachment 25401


Boomer I temporally surrounded a hammer coral with Aluminum gutter guard to protect it from a thread-fin butterfly in my tank. I have a BTA near by that will soon be with pair of clowns and hope they will defend the hammer.

Anyway I'm wondering what this white stuff is that is bonding with and growing on the Aluminum screen.

My water is well water

S.G 1.025
PH 8.2
Nitrate 17.6 NO3
CA=2 1038 ppm
DKH 10.2
MaG ? unknown

 

[podboy]

I'd take the aluminum out of the tank asap! Stick with something plastic. The aluminum will break down and poison your tank.

How long has it been in there? If it were me I'd be doing a few water changes and might look into running something that would remove metals.

 

[returnofsid]

I agree. Get that aluminum out of there right away. Even stainless steel isn't appropriate for salt water aquariums. I think about the only metal you can safely use would be titanium. Replace that aluminum gutter guard with vinyl as soon as you can.

 

[dnjan]

The white stuff is an oxidized aluminum compound. Probably aluminum oxide. I agree with the preceding posts - remove the aluminum ASAP.

 

[danno14]

Just to make it unanimous.....pull it out if you haven't already.

Plastic gutter guard works great for this sort of purpose.

 

[Boomer]

Don and the boys are correct. Not to mention Al is very toxic in water to aqautic life

 

[azgard1]

Thanks guys removing as recommended.
Boomer what is the bond is it "aluminum oxide"?

 

[Boomer]

Just think of it like Al rust, just like iron rust, so it is an ionic bond, just like rust or even table salt or Aragonite. The Al, like Fe, reacts to the water and O2 and it gets oxidized. There are a number of different kinds of "aluminum oxides", some contain water. Allot has to do with pH. One, Al2O3, is the stuff used to sharpen knives or used as PO4 remover and is also a ceramic. Aluminum can actually turn into a mush in seawater if not protected or formulated right. All "Aluminum" is not the same just like all steel is not the same.

 

[azgard1]

Thanks guys. Lesson learned.