Guess the Phosphate level

[bif24701]

I just added a very conservative 10ml of Seachem Florish Phosphate.


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[bif24701]

I just added a very conservative 10ml of Seachem Florish Phosphate.


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[bif24701]

My NO3 is ~5ppm, what level of PO4 should I look to achieve a "balance". My PO4 has been chronically low for several weeks maybe months since my tank is fallow and I have been adding potassium nitrate.


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[sensei]

Sensei,
This thread is actually a fantastic and interesting read with lots of great information. Even though it is now 30 pages long, it is well worth going back and looking at the beginning of it.
I have learned a lot from this thread and I am sure you could as well. I have no idea of your level of experience with reef keeping but I think that anyone could benefit from looking at the perspective put forth in this thread.
It is very interesting.

Yes, I read completelly the first 11 pages. it is a excellent thread. It makes a lot of sense not to chase numbers. I am learning as much I can.

 

[sensei]

Thanks Matt!

Sensei

Yep those are from my tank. If you don't want to read the 30 pages much is summed up in this talk

https://youtu.be/ZRIKW-9d2xI

And this article

http://packedhead.net/2014/skeptical-reefkeeping-ix-test-kits-chasing-numbers-and-phosphate/

Thanks Thales,

excellent presentation.

I believe at the begining of the thread I read that you system is around 20 years old? I ask because the maturity of a system can also have an impact of the capacity of the system to stand hiugher levels?
Do you think that newer systems can also handdle this levels of High NO3 and PO4? having such high numbers can make us nervous, how do we know when to stop or what should be our limmit?

Thanks for your comments

 

[Thales]

I just added a very conservative 10ml of Seachem Florish Phosphate.

I do not advocate doing that!

 

[bif24701]

I do not advocate doing that!

Others do. Why don't you? Only reason I'm adding it is because my corals are liters starved and I have no detectable PO4 via Hanna ULR checker.


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[acesq]

Par readings over 24 hours from one inch from the surface

What causes all the valleys? Are some of the lights shutting down periodically?

 

[sensei]

Par readings over 24 hours from one inch from the surface

Thales,
I saw in the video that you have reflectors over your tank. I believe they are Metal Halides? can I know how many watts and how many hours of MH do you give your tank?

I believe you also have some other lights for dusk and dawn??

Thanks

 

[Thales]

My NO3 is ~5ppm, what level of PO4 should I look to achieve a "balance". My PO4 has been chronically low for several weeks maybe months since my tank is fallow and I have been adding potassium nitrate.


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We have no idea.

 

[Thales]

Others do. Why don't you? Only reason I'm adding it is because my corals are liters starved and I have no detectable PO4 via Hanna ULR checker.


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I don't trust the hanna checker, especially when it reads zero. I have no experience in intentionally raising phosphate. I also don't think raising phosphate is a way to feed corals and would suggest feeding them instead.

 

[Thales]

Thanks Thales,

excellent presentation.

I believe at the begining of the thread I read that you system is around 20 years old? I ask because the maturity of a system can also have an impact of the capacity of the system to stand hiugher levels?
Do you think that newer systems can also handdle this levels of High NO3 and PO4? having such high numbers can make us nervous, how do we know when to stop or what should be our limmit?

Thanks for your comments

It was set up in 2003. Age of a system might have something to do with it, though most have thought that age contributes to OTS.
Sadly we don't know yet! I wish I had more concrete info for you. It may be that the idea of slowly stocking may be wrong, but we don't know yet.

 

[Thales]

What causes all the valleys? Are some of the lights shutting down periodically?

I am running Radion g4's. The valleys are the cloud function. I put it on when I switch lights or change schedules. I kind like it thought and often don't turn it off.

 

[Thales]

Thales,
I saw in the video that you have reflectors over your tank. I believe they are Metal Halides? can I know how many watts and how many hours of MH do you give your tank?

I believe you also have some other lights for dusk and dawn??

Thanks

I used to run MH until two years ago. I ran 4 250's, 2 in each reflector, 2 Radiums and 2 Ushio 14k (I think). After killing 90% of my SPS after amquel additions I switched to Radions G3's, now G4's. So, no MH now.

I have also run 2 XHO reefbrite strips, one front on back, with both the MH and the current lights.

 

[acesq]

I am running Radion g4's. The valleys are the cloud function. I put it on when I switch lights or change schedules. I kind like it thought and often don't turn it off.

Cool. Looks like it brings down your average PAR reading quite a bit. I wonder how the corals would react if you turned it off.

 

[sensei]

It was set up in 2003. Age of a system might have something to do with it, though most have thought that age contributes to OTS.
Sadly we don't know yet! I wish I had more concrete info for you. It may be that the idea of slowly stocking may be wrong, but we don't know yet.

What is OTS?
old tank syndrome??
what are the results of OTS?

 

[sensei]

I used to run MH until two years ago. I ran 4 250's, 2 in each reflector, 2 Radiums and 2 Ushio 14k (I think). After killing 90% of my SPS after amquel additions I switched to Radions G3's, now G4's. So, no MH now.

I have also run 2 XHO reefbrite strips, one front on back, with both the MH and the current lights.

Why did you add amquel? fish died?
if you killed most of your sps 2 years ago, does that mean that the photos of the acros you posted last week are colonies that have grown in 2 years after that??

why did you change from MH to led?
any comments from the experience of having used both?

 

[bif24701]

I don't trust the hanna checker, especially when it reads zero. I have no experience in intentionally raising phosphate. I also don't think raising phosphate is a way to feed corals and would suggest feeding them instead.

I have been feeding. My RS Pro also indicates 0.00ppm. My tank is fallow at the moment and I have been adding potassium nitrate because it bottomed out also. It's now up to 5ppm but my PO4 dropped like a rock. I normally have .02-.04. Others who add potassium nitrate may also need PO4 it seems. Even with no fish o have been feeding the tank. PE mysis and calanus, Coralific Delite Coral Food - Hikari, BRS Reef Chilli, and other stuff.


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[Thales]

Why did you add amquel? fish died?

I thought I was doing something smart, late at night. Don't work do anything to your tank late at night! LOL

if you killed most of your sps 2 years ago, does that mean that the photos of the acros you posted last week are colonies that have grown in 2 years after that??

Yes. All obtained within the last two years.

why did you change from MH to led?

Because I had no acros so it was a good time to change.

any comments from the experience of having used both?

I seem to be getting the same growth. I love the controllability of the led's through my apex.

 

[Thales]

I have been feeding. My RS Pro also indicates 0.00ppm. My tank is fallow at the moment and I have been adding potassium nitrate because it bottomed out also. It's now up to 5ppm but my PO4 dropped like a rock. I normally have .02-.04. Others who add potassium nitrate may also need PO4 it seems. Even with no fish o have been feeding the tank. PE mysis and calanus, Coralific Delite Coral Food - Hikari, BRS Reef Chilli, and other stuff.


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Hmm. Why potassium nitrate? To raise nitrate or potassium?