Really confused on nitrate and phosphate levels for SPS

[mhucasey]

Honestly it seems that SPS keeping is the most difficult of all corals. I've been reading these posts on here for days now and see that many beautiful tanks have crashed unexpectedly. That is a shame, and a little scary. I have one SPS so the adventure begins...

Does anyone on here keep SPS dominant reefs in nanos? I'm most concerned about the small volume and increased potential for parameters to go nuts. Most of the threads I'm reading are about tanks that are 120g or larger. I'm beefing up my measurement capability for sure.

Keeping SPS is very difficult and becomes moreso the smaller the tank. Preferably get comfortable with keeping LPS corals before diving too deep into the SPS pool, and be prepared for a big uptick in costs and time commitment, at least until you are more experienced. Once you're in the world of SPS, it's pretty darn addictive!

 

[JammyBirch]

I have hanna 713 which always reads 0, in my system the 736 is much more useful. It gives me a more accruate reading. The way I use the 736 is: I let the reagent in the vial for at least 10 mins before testing. You most likely do not have 0 phosphates if you feed your tank. After feeding phos can jump from .01 to .06. In my tank I try to keep phos 10ppb or less with hanna 736 tested in the am prior to feeding.

I think it is easier to keep colorful acros with really low phos and some nitrate.

Is the 736 an entirely different checker or is it just the reagent powder that is different?

 

[JammyBirch]

Keeping SPS is very difficult and becomes moreso the smaller the tank. Preferably get comfortable with keeping LPS corals before diving too deep into the SPS pool, and be prepared for a big uptick in costs and time commitment, at least until you are more experienced. Once you're in the world of SPS, it's pretty darn addictive!

Ya I have some LPS corals they seem to be really hardy. I'm going into the SPS collecting slowly...looking for swap meets and people local so I can get some frags, and off load some frags when I have them...

SPS is the reason I got into the hobby, I'm fascinated with them and how they can change the look of the tank and aquascape.

 

[Wally.B]

Toothman. Did you mean you let the regent solution sit for 10 mins to get a reading on 713 Hanna in ppm?

There are two Hanna Meters for reef Phosphate/Phosphorus:


http://shop.hannainst.com/hi713-phosphate-lr.html?id=038018&ProdCode=HI%2520713 Hanna 713 Phosphate (0-2.5 ppm)

and

http://shop.hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html?id=038018&ProdCode=HI%2520736 Hanna 736 Phosphuros (0-200 pbb).

Did I waste my money on the 713, since I'll never get a reading with the way my tanks are running.

 

[Wally.B]

Thought I'd also mention this.

Even though my measurable Nitrate and Phosphate is ZERO.

My turn around point with my SPS frags (going from minimal Polyping (for 8 months), to really nice Polyping all day), is when I started feeding the SPS's about a month ago. (Yes I tried the classic way of no feeding, and just water changes, but no progress was unbearable).

Feeding Nothing other than:
15 ml of AcroPower a week in 3x 5ml a week. (Bottle recommended)
15 drops of ZeoVit Phol's Xtra daily (aprox 1ml). Which is way under the 3 ml recommended daily dose.

The Phol's Xtra to me appears to be the difference, since the AcroPower I was using for a while earlier. I'm considering some of the other ZeoVit additatives for coloration. NOT Interested in the whole system at all, since appears to be way too much work.

Anyone have any feedback is the ZeoVit additives?

This is my SPS ONLY frag tank now. (I'm a SPS newbie, and have struggled. Just now feel I've gotten out of the downward trend, last month or so.). Still much to learn on these sensitive guys.

Also another factor for turn around was recent change on regimen. (I did get really on top of stable temp, Alk,Calc, Salinity, and still slowing raising MH lighting time, since I burned a few getting too hasty a while ago)
.......Oh and one more thing. (Bare Hands stay out of the SPS tank system. Shoulder gloves to go in TANK/SUMP. Tweezers and brine shrimp net for feeding). Separate tools, or cleaned tools to quarantine from my other mixed/LPS tank.

My SPS learning journey is not quite over (if ever). Why? Since some frags have started growing (finally) and spreading on rock, I see them getting close to one another. They will meet, and that will be new unknown territory for me.

 

[JammyBirch]

i feed all of my corals, i just use Kent Phytoplankton. So far everything is really happy, especially the LPS corals and Zoas. I'm looking into the Phols XTRA but can't find anything under the 500ml bottle which would last me for over a year with my sized tank. 50ml would be better.

 

[mhucasey]

Unfortunately, SPS corals do not eat phytoplankton. They eat zooplankton. Try oyster feast or roti-feast.

 

[JammyBirch]

how about reef roids? i have heard that is very good as well...?

 

[mhucasey]

how about reef roids? i have heard that is very good as well...?

I haven't used them personally, but have heard good things about that coral food.

 

[JammyBirch]

I haven't used them personally, but have heard good things about that coral food.

By the way, thanks for the good info on SPS topics. I appreciate it, i looked up the oyster feast and Roti feast, i'll be getting those eventually i ordered the reef roids because i could get it on amazon by wednesday.

I also ordered a Mag test kit and should get my Hanna Alk kit today...going to do some monitoring and some feeding with the new food and see how that goes for a few weeks.

Anyway just wanted to say thanks.

 

[mhucasey]

You are very welcome, I want everyone to succeed in reefkeeping, it's an awesome hobby!

 

[mos90]

I used to chase phosphate #'s. Looking for optimal parameters. I have had much better results not even worrying about it. I have a 350 gallon system and I use about 1 cup of brs high cap gfo and replace about once a month. I don't even test any more.

I tried to keep phos undetectable. All I accomplished was starving corals and killing them.

My nitrate is undetectable. No matter how much I feed I cannot raise it. Seems to work.

 

[mos90]

i feed all of my corals, i just use Kent Phytoplankton. So far everything is really happy, especially the LPS corals and Zoas. I'm looking into the Phols XTRA but can't find anything under the 500ml bottle which would last me for over a year with my sized tank. 50ml would be better.

I have almost a full bottle. I will ship it to you cheap. I did zeo for a bit. It has been in the fridge. It should be fine.

 

[mos90]

Just tested phos for the heck of it. With a salifert kit. Read .01.

 

[toothman]

Mos90 do not know if you are trying to keep your nitrates at zero, if it works for you great. If you want to raise it a bit sodium nitrate works great. My tank runs better if there is some color with salifert nitrate.

 

[ReefBum]

I always liked to keep my tanks slightly "dirty" with barely detectable nitrates and phosphates. I believe in a high import/export system in which you feed the fish heavily, skim heavily and do sizable and regular water changes (about 15% a week).

 

[JammyBirch]

I used to chase phosphate #'s. Looking for optimal parameters. I have had much better results not even worrying about it. I have a 350 gallon system and I use about 1 cup of brs high cap gfo and replace about once a month. I don't even test any more.

I tried to keep phos undetectable. All I accomplished was starving corals and killing them.

My nitrate is undetectable. No matter how much I feed I cannot raise it. Seems to work.

I pretty much do the same thing, i have never had much Nitrate on my Red Sea kit, 0 is clear, 2ppm is pink i'm always between that favoring the more clear side. I used to be very strict about feeding my fish and how much they get, but they were literally jumping out of the tank when i would dip my feed cup in to get water for the food...so i started adding a little more food. Algae production has increased but not enough to bother me, nitrate is still way low.

I'm getting into the phosphate game just to track it, i have such a small system that if it would spike i may need to react to it quickly. Every Phos reading has been zero so far. i run 1/2 cup of GFO and usually change it out when i have to clean the glass more that 3 times a week.

I'm trying to be informed but also a bit lazy as a reef keeper it seems the more i read the more i find cases where people have trouble when they react to every little thing. Trying to stay patient and learn...

What do you want for the ZeoVit Xtra?

 

[toothman]

736 is a different checker with different reagent. I have the origional hanna large blue meter for years and it works similar to the 713. The 736 is much or sensitive and more appropriate in a carbon dosing tank. The last time I shared my method of 736 use most were skeptical, but this is how I use it. I get 2 vials and fill one with tank water and the other with water and reagent. I let the reagent sit for at least 10 mins, usually 45 mins. Buff the glass very carefully and check. I have compared the results with fauna marin reference water and seems to be the only way to come up with the posted amount on reagent bottle. Either way it tests well for my tank and acros look healthy.

One big point, do not chase numbers to low levels at the expense of reduced feeding. Low levels are great but good quantiy feeding is more important. As a example I have a net 400 gallon reef and feed about a pound of food a month.
Older picture but my example of my well fed tank.

 

[Avenger]

736 is a different checker with different reagent. I have the origional hanna large blue meter for years and it works similar to the 713. The 736 is much or sensitive and more appropriate in a carbon dosing tank. The last time I shared my method of 736 use most were skeptical, but this is how I use it. I get 2 vials and fill one with tank water and the other with water and reagent. I let the reagent sit for at least 10 mins, usually 45 mins. Buff the glass very carefully and check. I have compared the results with fauna marin reference water and seems to be the only way to come up with the posted amount on reagent bottle. Either way it tests well for my tank and acros look healthy.

One big point, do not chase numbers to low levels at the expense of reduced feeding. Low levels are great but good quantiy feeding is more important. As a example I have a net 400 gallon reef and feed about a pound of food a month.
Older picture but my example of my well fed tank.

a pound of food!! wow your tank is awesome

 

[Agioniko]

Thought I'd also mention this.



Even though my measurable Nitrate and Phosphate is ZERO.



My turn around point with my SPS frags (going from minimal Polyping (for 8 months), to really nice Polyping all day), is when I started feeding the SPS's about a month ago. (Yes I tried the classic way of no feeding, and just water changes, but no progress was unbearable).



Feeding Nothing other than:

15 ml of AcroPower a week in 3x 5ml a week. (Bottle recommended)

15 drops of ZeoVit Phol's Xtra daily (aprox 1ml). Which is way under the 3 ml recommended daily dose.



The Phol's Xtra to me appears to be the difference, since the AcroPower I was using for a while earlier. I'm considering some of the other ZeoVit additatives for coloration. NOT Interested in the whole system at all, since appears to be way too much work.



Anyone have any feedback is the ZeoVit additives?



This is my SPS ONLY frag tank now. (I'm a SPS newbie, and have struggled. Just now feel I've gotten out of the downward trend, last month or so.). Still much to learn on these sensitive guys.

Also another factor for turn around was recent change on regimen. (I did get really on top of stable temp, Alk,Calc, Salinity, and still slowing raising MH lighting time, since I burned a few getting too hasty a while ago)

.......Oh and one more thing. (Bare Hands stay out of the SPS tank system. Shoulder gloves to go in TANK/SUMP. Tweezers and brine shrimp net for feeding). Separate tools, or cleaned tools to quarantine from my other mixed/LPS tank.



My SPS learning journey is not quite over (if ever). Why? Since some frags have started growing (finally) and spreading on rock, I see them getting close to one another. They will meet, and that will be new unknown territory for me.

What's the rational for no hands in the tank? I do that as well, but that's more to protect me. If you don't put any lotion, or touch any weird stuff shouldn't it be fine to put your hands in the tank?