Guess the Phosphate level

Well this thread is a breath of fresh air for me. I've only had my tank running for six months and is pretty full of LPS, I have just started to appreciate SPS coral and have bought three Acropora. I don't know the names of two of them but I have a blue one and a pink one and this one http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=258034&p=1192579#p1192579 (sorry for linking if it's not allowed).
I knew nothing about Keeping SPS so I started reading, found that my PO4 should be around .03, tested mine ..... .5 !!!!!
Started freaking out, pulled out the Bio pellet reactor that I had bought but never used and started to set it up. I forgot how to use it so went on here, did a search and found this post.
Now the strange thing is that my tank is as good as any other I have seen, the LPS are thriving, the Alveopora (x2) that only experts are able to grow are booming, my Hammers are loving it, my Elegance takes up a good portion of my tank and the Acrapora are getting a deeper colour and have good polyp extension and I have no algae problem.
This is not supposed to be the case with the parameters my tank is running at so I'm "told", but the one thing it does have is STABILITY. My numbers don't vary.

So pack up the reactor and carry on as I have been doing until I SEE a problem.

Thanks Thails for some old school sensibility.
 
i just stumbled on this this thread

i dont understand, how can people get hair algae problems with extremely low phosphate levels and others like thales who have high phosphates and thier tanks look great and algae free?
 
brob22 said:
i just stumbled on this this thread

i dont understand, how can people get hair algae problems with extremely low phosphate levels and others like thales who have high phosphates and thier tanks look great and algae free?
Click to expand...

Algae has been a problem and confusing since before we were able to test for and reduce phosphate. Before phosphate, we had very much the same discussion about nitrate. There are many things that can impact algae growth so it is hard to say what exactly makes the difference. Is it herbivores? Is the nutrient load in the water column different from the load in the substrate? Does the maturity of the tank matter?
 
it seems having herbivores would make a difference. but wut do u do in nano tanks where there is no room for algae eating fish. are snails a must have?

thx for the reply Thales
 
Some current test results. ATS got dialed in around the 7/30

7/23
NO3- = 106.9
Alk = 2.652
Ca = 474.8
Mg = 1418.9
PO43- = 1.784

7/28
NO3- = 54.9
Alk = 4.48
Ca = 536
Mg = 1458.5
PO43- = 1.843
 
7/23
Alk = 2.652
Ca = 474.8


7/28
Alk = 4.48
Ca = 536

I know my corals would stress from such shifts, is this normal for your system ? dont tell me need for stable KH is also a myth ... :)
 
Allmost said:
7/23
Alk = 2.652
Ca = 474.8


7/28
Alk = 4.48
Ca = 536

I know my corals would stress from such shifts, is this normal for your system ? dont tell me need for stable KH is also a myth ... :)
Click to expand...

What he said.. Also, is it even possible for your nitrates to drop by 50% in less than a week??

Unless this post is designed to indicate just how unreliable testing can be...
 
Sorry dates are wrong should be

6/23
NO3- = 106.9
Alk = 2.652
Ca = 474.8
Mg = 1418.9
PO43- = 1.784

7/28
NO3- = 54.9
Alk = 4.48
Ca = 536
Mg = 1458.5
PO43- = 1.843

My alk has been bouncing up and down, the reactor seems more sensitive than I remember.
 
Thales said:
My alk has been bouncing up and down, the reactor seems more sensitive than I remember.
Click to expand...

have you noticed any stress on corals as result ?

have you encountered any algae growth during the alk swings ?

usually in systems I care for, result of alk swing is less uptake of nutrients by corals, which in turn give rise to more algae growth, sponge growth, or ...

calcium at 530 I would get awkward growth on acros. or bubbles under the tissue.

secondly, with nitrate dropping to half of what it was [while po4 raised !!!!] did you notice anything change with corals ?

lastly, why do u think no3 dropped so much ? if it was the algae, I would assume it would have taken up po4 as well ?
 
One of the things I am interested in is claims about carbon dosing or ATS lowering phosphates - it think it really doesn't do it in any noticeable way as the C:N:P = 106:16:1.
 
The last 3 or four weeks has seen about a 5 gallon bucket full of old overgrown coral skeletons removed, along with major rearrangement of the left side, and minor rearrangement of the entire bottom. I am liking the way it is looking, and find it interesting that there was some much material to remove. Perhaps I won't have to do anything major for 5 more years.

BBC_8133-2.jpg
 
Wow.. It looks..... Sooo.... Different... I think.
:)
Seriously, your tank is still so packed, it's hard to tell that you did anything!
On close inspection, going back a few pages to see a before shot, you can see that things have been rearranged and slightly thinned out... I see a clam in the right side now.. Where was it before?
How are the levels these days?
 
Haha! I posted the wrong picture! The one above is from last August! Here is the new one!

FTS-Aug-2014-2183.jpg


Levels from 7/28/14

NO3- = 54.9
Alk = 4.48
Ca = 536
Mg = 1458.5
PO43- = 1.843
 
Gotta say... Still looks pretty packed.. With a tank like that, I'm not surprised you could remove a ton of stuff and still have it look full..
But also looks fantastic!
So, did you change the lights on the tank or the camera or camera settings?
The overall cast is different.. Nicer.. More colorful. But also a little more 'tweaked'
 
The tank is looking really great in the last pic. I'm impressed. Your no3 level has me laughing. My no3 is 20ppm and I'm considering getting it lower, but things are looking very good at this level. Perhaps I'll just let it be :)

When was the last time you experienced STN/RTN at these levels? Was it wide spread or just a piece or 2?
 
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