Help with acros PE please.

[smokenax]

what are your nitrates like? I would check those too.

 

[meshwheel]

Osteopth,
I would say increase your lighting for starters. How high above the water is your fixture? You need to get the water quality dialed in, then you can work on the lights and see color changes when increasing intensity. Seems to me your not giving them enough light. However your Phosphate levels are way too high!
SPS corals are very sensitive and parameters need to be correct as well as lighting. It's a challenge for sure.

 

[Osteopth]

I may have found my problem. My LFS told me that the Red Sea Magnesium Test was done when you saw a color change. So I've been dosing to the wrong results. I didn't feel comfortable with the lack of a solid end point, so I finally watched the you tube video from Red Sea. This time I waited for the first hint of blue and found my mag to be almost 2000!!!! Gonna do a 50% water change tomorrow and see where that gets me unless someone tells me I should do less.

 

[meshwheel]

I would let it drop on it's own. Not sure what negative effects it would have on your corals. Never had that happen to me before. Unless the replacement water for the water change is perfect in temp, salinity, kh ect. I would just monitor it.
You never said how close your lights where to the water?

 

[Osteopth]

I keep forgetting to measure the lights, sorry. I think about 5-6 inches. I'll check when I'm home after church today.

So I'll just do 10% changes until it's down, right? Could it be the problem?

 

[meshwheel]

Mag is the one of if not the quickest consumed element in my tank it seems like! I have to add quite a bit daily to keep it at 1300. I would say in 5 days or so you would see a significant drop!

 

[meshwheel]

I doubt thats the problem. Elevated Phosphate levels will stop growth or slow it in a real hurry. I Would work with your sand beds. Make sure they are spiffy clean. And it's hard to do. I run a 1/2 inch bed in my tank if that thick! Too hard to keep it clean.

 

[Osteopth]

8 inches above the water. Oriented lengthwise in the middle of the cutouts. Like I said, I have a third light in the fixture. I've thought about putting a 150 in it but I'm concerned about my acrylic crossbrace.

Btw, my nitrates are undetectable by API. I'm getting a Red Sea Pro on Tuesday.

 

[meshwheel]

I run a ULNS in my tank. Here's what my parameters are kept at. Yours will differ and you can run a higher alk. level if your not running ULNS

1. Alk 7-8
2. Cal. 4-420
3. Mag. 1290-1350
4. Nitrates- 0 or very close to it
5. phosphates 0.02 w/ Hanna Checker
I feed 2-3 times a day. I dose Vodka and this has taken my nitrates and phosphates down to near zero and allows me to feed more. Works great!

 

[Osteopth]

Runiing the larger reactors for GFO and 0.8 carbon. PO4 0.08 on Wed, 0.06 Thurs, 0.10 today. Gonna check again tomorrow, then check effluent and change GFO if needed. I think it's leaching from the rock. Mag is 1600 today. Another water change tomorrow. Still no PE but I feel like it's going in the right direction.

Other parameters:
Alk 8.1
Ca 460
Nitrates 0
Strontium 8
Iron low - dosed
Iodine Good
Potassium Low - dosed

Thanks again for all the help. I appreciate any other suggestions and I'll let you know if anything changes.

 

[Osteopth]

I have PE!!!!!!! It's just a start but my red planet just started extending it's polyps a little bit. All the rest are encrusting more. Thanks for all your help.

 

[Aqualund]

I have read somewhere that elevated levels of magnesium can be harmful to invertebrates...dont have a link though. I had a similar problem a few weeks ago and just did 20% water changes daily with RO/DI water and Reef Crystals until my water paramaters were in line for an SPS tank and things are fine now, which is im sure where you're at as well

 

[pimp2daizzo]

Aqualund that's what I was about to say....beside gfo or any phosphate media the best thing to do is water changes are the only way to get phosphate out. And what kinda foods are you feeding your tank?
And just wanting to know how fast is your alk and mag falling...

 

[funkejj]

Runiing the larger reactors for GFO and 0.8 carbon. PO4 0.08 on Wed, 0.06 Thurs, 0.10 today. Gonna check again tomorrow, then check effluent and change GFO if needed. I think it's leaching from the rock. Mag is 1600 today. Another water change tomorrow. Still no PE but I feel like it's going in the right direction.

Other parameters:
Alk 8.1
Ca 460
Nitrates 0
Strontium 8
Iron low - dosed
Iodine Good
Potassium Low - dosed

Thanks again for all the help. I appreciate any other suggestions and I'll let you know if anything changes.

Are you using the hanah meter? I have found that I really need to wipe down the vials to get a good true reading. One finger print skews it. I will run the test the 3 times with the same vials to make sure they are all close readings.