Corals dying..

Mussin · Mar 11, 2016

Finally tested for phosphates. It's an api kit but it's all I could get in a pinch. Looks to be the culprit....

Where could this be coming from? The rock/sand bed? Rodi water? The tds meter says 0 but the filters are a year old.

Mussin · Mar 11, 2016

Just tested my Rodi water for phosphate it read 0.. It must be coming from the live rock?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 11, 2016

Mussin said:
Finally tested for phosphates. It's an api kit but it's all I could get in a pinch. Looks to be the culprit....

Where could this be coming from? The rock/sand bed? Rodi water? The tds meter says 0 but the filters are a year old.

At that level there will be a lot being driven onto the rock, but foods are likely the primary source. Rarely does any other source need to be investigated.

Mussin · Mar 11, 2016

So what do you suggest my next step of action be

Mussin · Mar 11, 2016

Tested these...

nitrate-0

nitrite-0

Ammonia - 0

ph -8.0-8.2

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 11, 2016

If that phosphate reading is real (which is perhaps a bit odd given zero nitrate), but assuming so, I'd use a binder like GFO or aluminum oxide, or if cost is a big issue, lanthanum. In any approach, it will take quite a bit at 2+ ppm phosphate.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 11, 2016

Try some new salt water with the kit to see how it is working.

sc50964 · Mar 11, 2016

IME, you also don't want to lower phosphate too fast either. Depends on the amount of phosphate that's absorbed by the sand and rocks, you may not see the expected drop in phosphate. I was in the same situation nearly one year ago and had to basically start over with new rocks and sand, and of course losing pretty much all my corals.

Mussin · Mar 11, 2016

Uggg dont tell me that.

sc50964 · Mar 11, 2016

Mussin said:
Uggg dont tell me that.

Try the normal dosage of GFO first and make frequent measurements throughout the first week, if you don't see the expected drop in phosphate then you can try to increase the dosages, again based on the manufacture's recommended dosage, and do the same check again. If your phosphate still hasn't dropped much, then that just tells me that your rocks and sand are releasing the absorbed phosphate and that's why you don't see the expected drop. At this point you will need to decide to 1) wait it out by the continuation of GFO usage, or 2) find another mean of phosphate decrease (I.e. Chemical drops but I don't recommend this), or 3) consider swapping out rocks since it's easier to do that than sand.

Mussin · Mar 15, 2016

I did my 100% water change Sunday evening. Did a water test today. Here are the results...

Temp - 79
Salinity - 1.025
Nitrate - 5 ppm
Phosphate - 1.0 to 2.0
Ph - 8.0
Mag - 1380
Alk - 10.5
Cal - 500

Everything looks the same, my maze brain is still hanging In There but I don't have much hope for him. Zoos seem happier as do my toadstools and bubble coral looks good.

Jeremy

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 15, 2016

FWIW, I do not know if your kit is working (did you try it on some new salt water?), but since a great deal of the phosphate in a reef tank can be bound to rock and sand, a water change often does not drop phosphate as much as one might assume.