Sps help!

[fishman1234]

Ok ive been having trouble keeping sps. I ran a bio pellet reactor to help with phosphates and it stopped circulating on me the other day. Which is not good. Phosphates went up to .13 when it stopped and I did a water change after that and today its @ .04. Should I try and run the reactor again or should I carbon dose another way? The sps I have now, have good polyp extension but colors are fading. They are under 20k halides. Calcium is 513ppm and magnesium is 1430ppm. Alkalinity is 7 dkh. Help anyone?*

 

[Nace]

If the tank is the 125 in your profile I have a question about the Phosphates. You were at .13 and it dropped to .04 after a water change? How large of a water change did you do?

Also how consistent are your readings?

 

[fishman1234]

It is a 125 w/ 55 sump and a 40gal frag tank plumbed in to that system. Did a 30 gal water change. When you run a bio pellet reactor(I got told) if it stops circulation it starts leaching PO4 like crazy. Thats why I did the water change. Also ive been skimming like crazy with a 8" Reef Octopus NWB 200 Classic Protein Skimmer.

 

[hedgedrew]

Need a nitrate level.? Phosphate is not issue and can be take care of with gfo a bit. You may be able to jkust dose some vinegar vodka or do nothing other than gfo and get away with it and ditch those pellets.

 

[fishman1234]

Nitrates at the moment are 0

 

[hedgedrew]

Ditch the pellets. Add some vodka slowly and get chart. And get a gfo reactor. Use small. Your colors will pop back.

 

[fishman1234]

Just small amounts of gfo?

 

[hedgedrew]

Yes. Maybe a cup or so. Or first bring up vodka dosing first. Phosphates are not bad at all. Nitrates prob could use to come up. But you may need some vodka vinegar to supplement the pellets so not cold turkey stop.

 

[fishman1234]

Ok gotcha

 

[xtlosx]

If you dont have a nitrate issue don't dose vodka or carbon. Stick with GFO and water changes. Carbon won't fix a phosphate issue, trust me I have first hand experience.

 

[ajcanale]

Several things here:

First off, if/when you have a reactor running you need to be aware of nitrate levels as opposed to phosphates. Nitrates are consumed much faster than PO4 with BP reactors, often to the point where they are stipped from the system. 0 is not a good thing. Nitrates are an essential nutrient to corals.

When you run a bio pellet reactor(I got told) if it stops circulation it starts leaching PO4 like crazy.

I guess this is possible, but oversimplified. The most important thing is how long it stops for. If circulation and flow through the reactor stops, eventually all the bacteria will die off. I'd imagine it would be more of an amonia/nitrite/nitrate spike in that circumstance. Either way, it would take a while for it all to die off. If it quit running for a few hours, even a day or two there shouldn't be an issue.

Also, your calcium is high given alk level. SPS do best when calcium and alk are in ionic balance. look it up. the levels scale with each other. @ 7dkh I think calcium should be around 410ppm.

So if you take the above advice and do end up using GFO, keep in mind it can lower your alkalinity levels.

 

[fishman1234]

Ok thanks guys im gonna start work in at this tomorrow. I do thank you all.

 

[hedgedrew]

What salt are you using with those numbers

 

[fishman1234]

Oceanic.

 

[hedgedrew]

Ya. Thay salt is known to be pretty unbalanced with big ca.

 

[hedgedrew]

Fishman. Just looked up that salt. That needs to be ditched. Very unbalanced. High ca. And high magnesium

 

[fishman1234]

I heard its not good to switch salts though