72 hour blackout

[czoolander]

So i have tried a few things but still have some issues in the tank

Last peramiters Sept 18
1.026
77f
0.00 PO4 ( turned off phosban reactor and ordered NEOPHOS to dose and get detectable PO4 but havent dosed yet )
20.5 nitrates ( dosing NOPOX hoping this number slowly decreases )
Calcium 420
Magnesium 1380
Alkalinity 8.3 ( have been slowly increasing this from 7.5 to where it is now which i want to maintain at 8.5 , dosed 15ml on sunday i should have 8.5 tonight when i test )

Tank issues

-demon spawn algea that has been in the tank for 7 months pulling it out is the only way it gets removed it stopped spreading when i got my phosban reactor running
- new issue 4 weeks ago my two largest zoanthid colonies closed up and havent opened since
- 4 days ago my leather coral shriveled up and doesnt look its usual puffy self

Things that have me confused

- i have 6 other frags of zoanthids that are open and been in the tank for months that look happy. encrusting and open every day
- I have a devils hand leather that is open and happy every day yet my oldest leather is shriveled up
- I put in 3 sps frags 3 weeks ago and they are looking happy and healthy and a LPS frag also happy healthy

I was considering doing a 72 hour blackout as its about the only thing i havent tried yet to get all the corals back happy and healthy

Thouhgts on this or anything else appreciated thanks !

 

[czoolander]

Bump.......... Crickets

Anyone?

 

[sixty_reefer]

What’s holding you back to dose phosphates?

 

[czoolander]

What’s holding you back to dose phosphates?

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY i got a response ............ hold on a second let me go get my net haha

Ok now seriously..

Dosing phosphates has me concerned because i do have the remnants still of this past demon algea that has never fully gone away . And if i dose phosphates I am concerned it will come back with avengence or some relative of the demon algea i already have in my tank

I do think i will try neophos and start slow and probably go with half recommended doses . test 1-3 days and monitor the tank visually as well

But yeah i am hesitant to dosing phosphate. Its also something i have no experience doing before

 

[sixty_reefer]

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY i got a response ............ hold on a second let me go get my net haha

Ok now seriously..

Dosing phosphates has me concerned because i do have the remnants still of this past demon algea that has never fully gone away . And if i dose phosphates I am concerned it will come back with avengence or some relative of the demon algea i already have in my tank

I do think i will try neophos and start slow and probably go with half recommended doses . test 1-3 days and monitor the tank visually as well

But yeah i am hesitant to dosing phosphate. Its also something i have no experience doing before

I understand your concern, do you realise that every organism in your system also needs phosphates? Phosphates is a important nutrient for tissue building and you may be limiting the growth of organisms that can outcompete the algae that took over that way.
you may find that you need to double dose to get phosphates detectable again, you may have lost a lot of the micro biome due to phosphates and it will require a large amount to regain it.

 

[CoralClasher]

I’ve done a few three day blackouts, phosphate and No3 has always gone up by day three.

 

[czoolander]

I understand your concern, do you realise that every organism in your system also needs phosphates? Phosphates is a important nutrient for tissue building and you may be limiting the growth of organisms that can outcompete the algae that took over that way.
you may find that you need to double dose to get phosphates detectable again, you may have lost a lot of the micro biome due to phosphates and it will require a large amount to regain it.

Ok I will start with full dose to start as recommended and go from there thank you !