Do I have high po4?

[Reefpro]

loaded question here. So everyday I clean my glass at about 6 am by noon or 1 I have a good film of brown and green algae covering the glass again I gave small patches of dark green algae on some rocks and various ares of sand bed. Some of my snails are coated in green algae. I test my po4 twice a week. It reads .03-.05 with Hannah ULR. Test kit (new reagents) my no3 reads anywhere from 2-5 ppm I have been dosing nitrates(stump remover) as I cannot get any detectable smount of nitrates in tsnk until I started dosing it. A few of my acros have lost color. Some losing tissue and lack PE. Others are good is it possible my po4 is actually high and my test kit just reading what’s avail in the water column? I can start some GFO but would appreciate feedback here first. bTW the em tank is about 7-8 months old

 

[NY_Caveman]

Yes, that is only what is left in the water column after the algae has used it. Curious, did you get more algae after starting to dose Nitrate? I find I always do which is why I usually do not add it. I added more fish instead. More natural waste.

 

[NY_Caveman]

BTW, I never used GFO. It scares me. I would rather have a little too much and some algae than strip the nutrients out.

 

[Reefpro]

Not really. I just think something up with way my sps looking even though number reads correctly I think it’s still high I have 12 fish in a 159 total volume tank

 

[Reefpro]

BTW, I never used GFO. It scares me. I would rather have a little too much and some algae than strip the nutrients out.

When I use gfo. I only use 1/3 of recc amount

 

[NY_Caveman]

When I use gfo. I only use 1/3 of recc amount

Smart.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It’s the nitrate dosing.

I kinda don’t agree with the alge is using the Po4 so you can’t detect it thing. If Po4 is bound to the rock is goes into equalibrium with the water. Then it’s used , by bacteria, coral and also algae.
So if it’s low because of alge it’ll be low cuz of coral and bacteria and the rest of the tank that uses it.

Also algae coral and bacteria use more no3 that’s po4 , so it's the nitrate greenlg the glass. IMO.

 

[Reefpro]

It’s the nitrate dosing.

I kinda don’t agree with the alge is using the Po4 so you can’t detect it thing. If Po4 is bound to the rock is goes into equalibrium with the water. Then it’s used , by bacteria, coral and also algae.
So if it’s low because of alge it’ll be low cuz of coral and bacteria and the rest of the tank that uses it.

Also algae coral and bacteria use more no3 that’s po4 , so it's the nitrate greenlg the glass. IMO.

This was happening before dosing no3. I had no detectable no3 and could see my sps starving but now looks like excess po4

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This was happening before dosing no3. I had no detectable no3 and could see my sps starving but now looks like excess po4

But your Po4 test it low and belived to be accurate.

The only other thing (long shot) it’s a similar nutrient deficiency that causes dionos and such. In this case it’s nitrate defiemcy and the bacteria have stopped processing Ammoina well. Algae will go nuts with an ammonia spike.
Do you have a Refugium, and change in growth there?

 

[Reefpro]

But your Po4 test it low and belived to be accurate.

The only other thing (long shot) it’s a similar nutrient deficiency that causes dionos and such. In this case it’s nitrate defiemcy and the bacteria have stopped processing Ammoina well. Algae will go nuts with an ammonia spike.
Do you have a Refugium, and change in growth there?

No Refugium. My nitrates are tested everyday and come in at between 2-5 ppm I’m thinking with dark green algae that blankets rocks like turf and easily blown off and brownish tiny onnthe glass that has to be cleaned twice a day and plugs filter socks that it’s coming from high Po4. I also noticed Stan from base up on a couple acros

 

[madweazl]

I get more algae on the glass when NO3 is >2ppm. Below that it seems to be normal. Additionally, I havent seen any benefit to keeping nitrates above that level.

 

[Reefpro]

I get more algae on the glass when NO3 is >2ppm. Below that it seems to be normal. Additionally, I havent seen any benefit to keeping nitrates above that level.

I’ve ready (only read) that people have experienced better color and growth of sps keeping no3 higher

 

[madweazl]

I've done quite a bit of monkeying around with NO3 levels and have found anything above that to be useless.

 

[Reefpro]

Any thoughts as to whether po4 is actually high vs the number my ULR reads since it is reading what’s only in water column? Why some sos is struggling some STN. From bases

 

[madweazl]

I've run PO4 to .2ppm without anything really notable in overall health .

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I’ve had mine at .50.
No bad alge glass. I have a small fuge though.

At .05 it’s not high.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Any thoughts as to whether po4 is actually high vs the number my ULR reads since it is reading what’s only in water column? Why some sos is struggling some STN. From bases

All tests use the water column.
Po4 binds to rock and comes into equalibrium with the water.

 

[Reefpro]

All tests use the water column.
Po4 binds to rock and comes into equalibrium with the water.

Ok here’s one that might stump you guys but I’m really hoping not!!! I have about 40-50 small frags to small mini colonies (sps) some look good some don’t. Specifically reds. Pinks purples very dull. And the ticker is My tsnk is varelyvusing any Alk. Im dosing 10 mls per day and sometimes have to shut doser off They are not growing much, done have based out well but most are just surviving? Thoughts. It seems to me that there is a limiting factor here
Alk 8.05
Ca 425
Mag 1450
Po4 .03-.05
No3 2-5
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.8
Two mp 40
Aquatic life fix with all b+ and 3 g4 radion xr30 pros at 40% over all int A+B program

 

[madweazl]

When you want to see reds, you typically need to have reds in the fixtures and from what you've stated, you have very little. By comparison, I have two Blue+, an AquaBlue Special, a Purple+ and the Kessils running at 50% color which would be somewhere around 12-14k look vs 18k-18.5k on the AB+ program for the Radions.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok here’s one that might stump you guys but I’m really hoping not!!! I have about 40-50 small frags to small mini colonies (sps) some look good some don’t. Specifically reds. Pinks purples very dull. And the ticker is My tsnk is varelyvusing any Alk. Im dosing 10 mls per day and sometimes have to shut doser off They are not growing much, done have based out well but most are just surviving? Thoughts. It seems to me that there is a limiting factor here
Alk 8.05
Ca 425
Mag 1450
Po4 .03-.05
No3 2-5
Salinity 1.025
Temp 77.8
Two mp 40
Aquatic life fix with all b+ and 3 g4 radion xr30 pros at 40% over all int A+B program

How old is the tank.
Did you use dry or live rock.
What’s the average par around the acros.