Water Quality Issues

saturn20

New member
I've had a 20 gallon long set-up for about 12months - just to be a in between until I decided on what kind of set-up I wanted to do. Initially it started out ok but my corals not really growing at all. All my levels seem ok. Recently back from vacation and I have a good amount of green hair alage. Checked my levels again - most ok but phosphate up a little - I was testing at zero but this was ay 0.04.
I have an RO unit under the sink from lowes - made more for drinking so this does not have the DI resin - so as I understand the reef hobby more this seem to be highly recomended and also a cause to why my corals are not grown, I mean I have some chalices that have been in there for months and nothing really - everything is alive and opens daily but other than that not much growth except for some zoos and star polyps.
Can someone tell me this is pretty much right and the RO unit from lowes is not enough for the reef system.

Thanks
 
Don't know about the lowes ro unit - I have been using ro water for years.

chalices are slow growing corals.

A few things to consider.

Lighting
waterflow
PO4 removal - GFO
NO3 - waterchanges and carbon dosing
Skimmer?
 
It would help if you listed all your water parameters and a run down on your equipment. Yes water quality could be the problem, but there are a host of other important factors.
 
You didn't list your calcium, alkalinity or magnesium levels. Keeping them at the right levels and stable is the other factor in coral hsallth and growth.
 
Ok so here it is, the tank is a 20 gallon long with 2 hang on back filters, one simply filled with live rock rubble and surface skimmer from Foster's & Smith. The other is a aquaclear 50 running sponge, chemin-pure elite and poly pad (just added due to alage).2 powerheads -one on each side of tank. I have a Diy light 3 bulbs 2 Wave point 21" 24w super blue Actinic 460nm and 1 coral wave 24w coral growth accelerator.
NO skimmer. I have just recieved a phos ban reactor and GFO - but before I do anything I figured I see what everone has to say. I try to stay on top of water changes - at least every week and a half.

Nitrate - 0ppm
Phosphate - 0.08 ppm, getting this from my tank test and off the R/O test
magnesium between 1520/1560 ppm
Calcium between 480/490
Akalinity 8.4 DKH
salinity 1.024
temp 79
 
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