SPS And N&P Levels
- Thread starter Nanook
- Start date
Horace
New member
Sounds so familiar. Old tanks grow sps like weeds, new tank i have had nothing but issues. ICP showed nothing was wrong, but Iodine was 0 (which they didnt even suggest to correct). I just added some iodide for the first time ever.... hoping to see a turn around. If this doesnt work then im about to say F it and let the corals that arent doing well die and add more softies....which seem to be OK.
My po4 was like .03, nitrate is hard to keep above zero without dosing. Odd thing is i still have Hair Algae....so frustrating
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My po4 was like .03, nitrate is hard to keep above zero without dosing. Odd thing is i still have Hair Algae....so frustrating
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awais98
SPS
Hey Nanook!
Good to see your back into sps!
I love your big tanks!!!
My 2c is, it's the high phosphates.... if the frags came from systems that ran low phosphates and now they are in higher phos... that is number one cause of stunt growth and possibly stn.
It could be metals but I'd go after them after the obvious high phos.
I know you stopped carbon dosing.... How about dosing it but a lower dose?
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Good to see your back into sps!
I love your big tanks!!!
My 2c is, it's the high phosphates.... if the frags came from systems that ran low phosphates and now they are in higher phos... that is number one cause of stunt growth and possibly stn.
It could be metals but I'd go after them after the obvious high phos.
I know you stopped carbon dosing.... How about dosing it but a lower dose?
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reefmutt
Active member
I’m not sure it’s the ‘high’ po4.
I think it’s more probably all the transitioning your tank is doing.
First very low nutrients with vinegar, then stopping that..the use of gfo and then the rise in nutrients.
I think maybe just lack of stability.
Heavy gfo use in a reactor may cause po4 levels to swing up and down as the gfo is replaced and then gets exhausted..
Can’t rule out metals if you found something rusting, however.
Do you use a fuge? They can be pretty good at controlling nutrients.. and at some metal export..
Or even the vinegar isn’t so bad is used in moderation. Instead of using it to drop n to below, what about using enough to get n to around 5ppm. Po4 is more tricky. I’ve been using gfo in a more passive way lately. I let it sit in my sump that contains my skimmer. There are actually 3 bags of gfo in rotation. The oldest bag gets to sit next to the highest flow from my skimmer. The second oldest bag is in lower flow and the newest bag is in the lowest flow. Each week I rotate the bags - toss the oldest gfo and replace with new gfo..
I know rather labor intensive but quite stable with decent control,
The use itself of gfo shouldn’t stress the corals , it’s how aggressively it’s used.
currently, my n is low at around 1 ppm and my p is finally steady at around .06. I’d like to bring my n up a bit.. I’ll try to do this by reducing the photoperiod of my fuge by a couple hours.
The problem with shocked or stressed acros is that they can take weeks or months to finally die from stress. So when an acro dies, it may be due to something that happened so long ago that it’s difficu to connect the cause and effect.
I think it’s more probably all the transitioning your tank is doing.
First very low nutrients with vinegar, then stopping that..the use of gfo and then the rise in nutrients.
I think maybe just lack of stability.
Heavy gfo use in a reactor may cause po4 levels to swing up and down as the gfo is replaced and then gets exhausted..
Can’t rule out metals if you found something rusting, however.
Do you use a fuge? They can be pretty good at controlling nutrients.. and at some metal export..
Or even the vinegar isn’t so bad is used in moderation. Instead of using it to drop n to below, what about using enough to get n to around 5ppm. Po4 is more tricky. I’ve been using gfo in a more passive way lately. I let it sit in my sump that contains my skimmer. There are actually 3 bags of gfo in rotation. The oldest bag gets to sit next to the highest flow from my skimmer. The second oldest bag is in lower flow and the newest bag is in the lowest flow. Each week I rotate the bags - toss the oldest gfo and replace with new gfo..
I know rather labor intensive but quite stable with decent control,
The use itself of gfo shouldn’t stress the corals , it’s how aggressively it’s used.
currently, my n is low at around 1 ppm and my p is finally steady at around .06. I’d like to bring my n up a bit.. I’ll try to do this by reducing the photoperiod of my fuge by a couple hours.
The problem with shocked or stressed acros is that they can take weeks or months to finally die from stress. So when an acro dies, it may be due to something that happened so long ago that it’s difficu to connect the cause and effect.
tripdad
Frustrated Stick Gardener
"The problem with shocked or stressed acros is that they can take weeks or months to finally die from stress. So when an acro dies, it may be due to something that happened so long ago that it’s difficu to connect the cause and effect."
This is the thing that is so hard to learn and keep in mind when having SPS. Well said
This is the thing that is so hard to learn and keep in mind when having SPS. Well said
Bpb
New member
I think I'd say the nitrates are rounded a hair low for the conversions. The redfield ratio isn't so much a "œuse these parameters to grow sps better" concept as it is, "œthese are the ratios organisms take in and use these elements for metabolic processes" I've had very positive results staying at least in the same ballpark as the ratios would indicate
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Is that something you supplement daily or monthly? What test kit do you use?
Big E
Premium Member
Mine stays at 400..........I do do weekly 10% water changes with IO which is always 390-400.
I use a Salifert kit and its reliable.
This may be a one time depletion as it doesn't normally get low.
Some causes--
Salt Mix brand may be low
Algae Filter depleting it
Commercial Carbon dosing systems can deplete it(Zeo or others)
Regular vinegar/vodka won't do this if your wondering.
I use a Salifert kit and its reliable.
This may be a one time depletion as it doesn't normally get low.
Some causes--
Salt Mix brand may be low
Algae Filter depleting it
Commercial Carbon dosing systems can deplete it(Zeo or others)
Regular vinegar/vodka won't do this if your wondering.
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