Does phosphate inhibit SPS growth?

[CeeGee]

I am currently battling phosphate in my tank. I am running HO T5's on individual icecap reflectors and I am not getting what I would consider good growth compared to other people that I have seen.

I do have 1 toadstool leather that I have heard can inhibit growth but there are plenty of people that say they have good growth even though they have a leather or two.

I am just trying to figure out why I am not having as much success in the growth department as others.

Thanks for your help,
C.G.

 

[robitreef]

I'll give you the simple answer: Yes.

 

[chadfarmer]

to high causes decalification

 

[smcooler]

yup it will try running some phos ban or grow some macro like chaeto.

 

[CeeGee]

I am running chaeto in my fuge but it doesn't seem to be growing too well. I know that I have phosphate as I am getting hair algae (really light almost blonde looking) on my power head outputs.

What is decalcification?

on the bright side a few of my corals are starting to color up nicely.

 

[robitreef]

Basically high levels of phosphate will interfere with the corals ability to produce calcium carbonate, which is what builds the coral skeleton.

 

[Sparkss]

just out of curiosity, what would you consider "too high" ? At what level does the decalcification start to happen ?

 

[Amphiprion]

It seems to vary and there is no concrete number to generalize with. However, even at levels below typical hobbyist test kits, phosphate has been shown to inhibit coral growth. How much? I don't know. Some studies were done, but I don't know/recall the outcome.