High Phosphates - Look at my corals - Oh No What Should I do ????

o2manyfish

o2manyfish
Hi Guys,

Been awhile since an update. I have tried at least 6x to get some photos of the tank since Dec and just can't get decent photos. I even had the Tedinator stop by last Friday night and together we couldn't get any real good photos.

So I tried something different, put the hood on the lens and took some top down shots that turned out pretty nice.

If you want a FTS log onto the webcam and take a look, but for now, here is what things are looking like from above.

Here is one of my favorite colonies, still have no idea what it is, but it's just getting bigger and bigger
Acro 1 - Feb15.jpg



Acro 3 - Feb15.jpg



Here is a little Aussie piece I picked up about a month ago. Wasn't anything crazy but it caught my eye and thought it had potential. Of course I placed it all the way at the bottom of the tank, so not really giving it a fair shot to see what it can do, but I still think it might do something.

Aussie 1 - Feb15.jpg



Originally thought this was the Jason Fox Beach Bum, but have since been told it's actually the WWC Kung Pao Monti. This is also sitting on the bottom of the tank and and seems to be really happy. Scroll back to the photos in Nov and look how much this beauty has grown in the past few months.

Beach Bum Top Down - Feb15.jpg



This is the left side of the island.
Coral 1 - Feb15.jpg



Here is another show of the first colony with some of the stags behind it that are starting to grow over the top
Coral 2 - Feb15.jpg



Picked this one up awhile ago, also sitting on the bottom of the tank.
Deep 1 - Feb15.jpg



The Grafted Cap is getting big
Graft - Feb15.jpg



Here is the Purple Pink Milli that Jake Adams collected last year. Its grown a nice sold encrusted base and the colony is atop a long single stalk of coral. The colony head is really starting to grow. As pretty as this piece is I gave a piece to Chefzilla. His piece has outgrown mine and his has much better color.
Jake - Feb15.jpg



There are some photos of these millies from a few months back. The bigger one doesn't look like much from the front view, but top down it's kicking. The little one is sprouting more and more branches and the orange color is showing up more and more
Milli 1 - Feb15.jpg
 
How crazy has this millie turned out... This isn't shot under blue leds either, this is with Radions set to almost 14k at 100% (just for shooting the photos)
Milli 2b - Feb15.jpg



Another nice milli
Milli 3 - Feb15.jpg



This is another milli, Oregon tort at the top of the photo. Take a peak at the acro to the right of the milli in the center.That 'colony' was a 1.5" 2 branch frag about 5.5 months ago. Since I started dosing the Triton Base elements some of my corals have just started growing like weeds. And this piece in particular. I don't think I have had a monti digi grow as fast as this acro has. It's really amazing 5.5 months
Millie 4 - Feb15.jpg



These are some Orange Rhodactis. And they just love the back bottom of the tank.... This is what gets thrown to the back of the tank lol....
Orange Rhod - Feb15.jpg



Pink Lemonade Colony - This has been growing well, but strangely all the new growth on this colony is growing from the underside forward. It's actually growing from the shade under the colony out. Silly corals don't always make sense
Pink Lemon - Feb15.jpg



So this is my Red Planet colony. This has grown from small 2 branch frag to this colony in about 18 months. The way it grew out, it grew out from the rock and upward at an angle. So the front dark edge of the coral was blocking the view of the pretty part of the coral and the colony was actually hidden from view by itself. Well it kept growing and growing and grew right up to the acrylic. So last weekend I go in with my clippers to trim it back an inch. Of course as soon as I go to cut my first piece the entire colony pops off the rock it was mounted to. So I pull the colony and trim in back an inch and a half. You can see how dense the growth is. So as I trim the coral it is coming apart in such small frags that I would be embarrassed to give them to a friend because they are so fricking tiny. But being a coral addict of course I took the time to mount these stupid little nubs and put them in the outdoor frag tank. Then I go to put the colony back in the tank, and it won't go back and mount the way it was originally. So to get it to epoxy to the rockwork, I have to turn the coral 90 degrees. So the good part is I now have a nice pretty view of my Red Planet colony. The bad news is, there was no reason to trim the darn thing back.
Red Planet - Feb15.jpg



My strawberry shortcake. Got this piece from a Wild Aussie shipment. Started out with some color, immediately lost all color, and now months later is finally starting to color up.
Shortcake - Feb15.jpg



And a tort
Tort - Feb15.jpg




Well that's it for the photos for the time being. I promise to try to get some front photos soon.

For those of you struggling to lower your phosphates, so your corals will be pretty.....

On February 8th the phosphates in the tank were .32...... not a typo.... not .03 not .02 but .32

My Hanna colorimeter read .34 and my Triton ICP came back with the ,32


I got news my new Calcium Reactor finished being built and was tested and shipped this week. So next week I should have some new equipment pics to share.


My tank is happy.... I hope yours is too!

Dave B
 
Yeah yeah... showoff!!! Looking good bud. Btw, this is the same millie that jake brought back. I was one of the lucky ones to be trusted with a piece :-)
 
Dave, it looks terrible. I think we should move some of those colonies into my tank so that I can help you color them up! :bum:
 
Bart, I think the point that Dave is pointing out is that .34 isn't too high. Coral look great.
Dave, how much p04 would be a problem? Coral loose color, recede or die?
 
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DANG. Well I'm now not too worried I just tested .36 PO4

Looks good Dave - time for a party at your place! MASLAC meeting?
 
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