Perplexed

[karimwassef]

If you're perplexed, you should question what you hold true or has worked in the past. Something isn't working any more - or this thread wouldn't exist.

You don't have to spot feed, but if your scrubber is working too well, your corals may not be getting enough.

 

[reefgeezer]

... I see that new colors group from red sea tells you to dose nitrate and phosphate. I would imagine that being the best route for introducing nitrate and phosphate, but that is a tricky proposition. Trying to balance those two, specifically phosphate which rises pretty diagonally on the chart without any means of export. I am not concerned with nitrate so much as phosphate. The question being, do I swap off bi-weekly gfo to keep the levels in check or would the constant up and down swings be harmful?

Regular, accurate testing is the best way to determine what to do. If you can't identify the current status and trend in your system, you can't decide what course of action to take. Test... record... analyze... decide... do... repeat.

 

[karimwassef]

Duplicate entry

 

[reddtiger88]

I bought some reef roids yesterday and took out the gfo. I'll see what these two do in a week and see. I'll get back to you after some more data.

 

[karimwassef]

Also. I don't trust Alk test kits if they're more than 6 months old regardless of expiration date.

 

[reddtiger88]

So, as a scientist, I suck. I did too many things and now I don't know which worked. As I said, I used Roids and took out the gfo. This is what frustrates me. Now I see that the corals are doing slightly better. The pe on the most of the sps is better and the color has slightly come back. Still, not grea on the lps. At least they are not getting worse, right? I starved them of phosphate apparently. Now I have the opposite problem. The hanna checker as of the weekend still says 0, but I can tell the levels have been rising a bit. I havent added anything in months, but yet Bryopsis is rearing its ugly head. Maybe. still small and I can't verify. The Chaeto has started growing as well. So, while I solved one problem, now I have another? Suggestions???

 

[reddtiger88]

As for the alk, I have two and they both read the same.

 

[karimwassef]

You want a solid scrubber (Flow, Area, PAR) and keep your core minerals up (Ca, Mg, Alk). Herbivores will take care of the test.

 

[reefgeezer]

Still, not grea on the lps. At least they are not getting worse, right? I starved them of phosphate apparently. Now I have the opposite problem.

Are you target feeding the LPS corals? If not, give it a try.

The hanna checker as of the weekend still says 0, but I can tell the levels have been rising a bit. I havent added anything in months, but yet Bryopsis is rearing its ugly head. Maybe. still small and I can't verify. The Chaeto has started growing as well. So, while I solved one problem, now I have another? Suggestions???

Do you have the Hanna 736 ULR that reads in ppb? If you have any free phosphate in the system it should show it. Most likely the algae are still binding it all as they grow. BUT... The phosphate had to be free and available to the corals for some period before it was bound in the algae. So the coral probably is getting phosphate if the algae is growing.

The checker can't measure phosphate that is bound in the algae or part of other organic compounds.

Putting more light and getting more flow on your Cheato may help it compete the Byprosis. Raising magnesium to like 500 ppm also tends to slow Byprosis and won't hurt anything. No many things eat Byprosis algae. If that's what you have, rather than just regular old hair algae, be careful not to let it get out of hand in your quest to raise phosphates.

 

[karimwassef]

I think you mean Mg at 1500ppm.

I keep mine at 1600

 

[reddtiger88]

I think he meant to raise it BY 500. I just started to target feed Reef Roids. I also just bought a Yellow Eye Kole. I thought that might help considering the low density of fish. It hasn't been long, but I feel there has been some improvement already.

 

[reefgeezer]

I think he meant to raise it BY 500. I just started to target feed Reef Roids. I also just bought a Yellow Eye Kole. I thought that might help considering the low density of fish. It hasn't been long, but I feel there has been some improvement already.

Sorry. 1500. The Kole Tang should be a good addition.

 

[reefgeezer]

It hasn't been long, but I feel there has been some improvement already.

Remember, nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

 

[reddtiger88]

Yes, but it can break in a second.

 

[reddtiger88]

Here is a little update for those that have been helping. The test still read 0 for phosphate and nitrate. I tested them on my city water and had valid readings, so I know they work. However, I feel that there are some phosphate and nitrate available below the readings. My acropora has exploded in growth and the color has also been coming back. I have a birds nest that has doubled. The tips grew back on another. The hammer has been slowly coming back. The frogspawn has grown new branches. All of the zoanthids are doing well. The ricordea is doing nicely. All I have done is remove the gfo, add two fish, and dose strontium and iron. Now, my only problem is that I have three montiporas and only one has responded. The other two are not growing. One looks great but hasn't grown a centimeter. The other looks pale and may be bleaching. The one that is bleaching used to maintain, but not grow. now it is going poorly. I have read in the past that gac cleans up chemical warfare from the acroporas. At this time I do not use carbon. If this was the case, wouldn't the third monti be doing poorly?

 

[reefgeezer]

Here is a little update for those that have been helping. The test still read 0 for phosphate and nitrate. I tested them on my city water and had valid readings, so I know they work. However, I feel that there are some phosphate and nitrate available below the readings. My acropora has exploded in growth and the color has also been coming back. I have a birds nest that has doubled. The tips grew back on another. The hammer has been slowly coming back. The frogspawn has grown new branches. All of the zoanthids are doing well. The ricordea is doing nicely. All I have done is remove the gfo, add two fish, and dose strontium and iron. Now, my only problem is that I have three montiporas and only one has responded. The other two are not growing. One looks great but hasn't grown a centimeter. The other looks pale and may be bleaching. The one that is bleaching used to maintain, but not grow. now it is going poorly. I have read in the past that gac cleans up chemical warfare from the acroporas. At this time I do not use carbon. If this was the case, wouldn't the third monti be doing poorly?

Good to hear things are improving. You probably have some phosphate that is below the range of your Checker. That's great as long as algae stays under control. I would give the montipora more time and be careful not to change anything else.

 

[reddtiger88]

I love reefing. I learn something new everyday. I just purchased a new open top 30 gallon used drum for saltwater. I cleaned it thoroughly and have been testing it for phosphate as I went. I tested the city water. It contained .1 ppm phosphate. So, then I tested the drum and received a reading of .5. I cleaned it many times more. I noticed a reading of .1 so I cleaned it more. This time I thought I would put ro water in it see if it was just the city water. I filled it and let it sit for a couple of days. It read .05 I thought ok maybe it still has phosphate. I checked my ro drum one that I had cleaned with vinegar and water many times also read .05. I checked the ro and it reads 0. So, I have apparently been adding .05 ppm phosphate with my topoff water all along. and yet every time I test my tank it reads 0. Hmmm. Anyone know how to get phosphate out of a 55 gallon hdpe drum for good?

 

[reefgeezer]

...So, I have apparently been adding .05 ppm phosphate with my topoff water all along. and yet every time I test my tank it reads 0. Hmmm. Anyone know how to get phosphate out of a 55 gallon hdpe drum for good?

Be careful to consider the resolution & accuracy of the Checker. If you are using a ULR Checker (Hanna 736), you might have an issue. If you are using a higher range Checker like a Hanna 713, the accuracy in something like +/- .04 ppm. A reading of .05 might be closer to 0. I could be off on the model numbers and their absolute accuracy. Maybe someone with more knowledge can help out.

 

[reddtiger88]

I am fine with the introduction of phosphate right now. Apparently, my system strips phosphate and nitrate too swiftly. However, I would in the future, be able to control from which sources that phosphate comes from. I believe I went from a system that was ultra low in nitrate and phosphate. It was so low it was detrimental to the health of the corals. Now, even though I still have readings of zero, I can see the signs of available phosphate and nitrate. The Chaeto has been growing like it should and so have most of the corals. I do see signs of algae growth, but the Tang and Lawnmower Blenny I bought have reduced that so much, I have had to give them sheets of algae. I feel the system is well balanced now, except for the Montiporas. One of those I moved to the floor of the tank and it looks like it is coming back. I really should invest in a par meter, but its not in the budget yet.