Do I need more lighting?

Dave3112 · Mar 11, 2013

dwilliams87 said:
Understandable. Working early myself. The reason I ask about your params is its not uncommon to either not be checking everything needed to make a good diagnosis, or the testing method may not be giving you very accurate readings. For instance, phosphates..... If you're using the API card the lowest it goes is .25. That's still too high for a reef tank. That's why I have the Hannah meter.

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That's exactly what I was referring to. PO4 kills growth. Also if the salinity is off it can stunt the growth too.

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JasonM38401 · Mar 11, 2013

Ok nitrate 0, ph 8.2, phosphate .5, calcium 520, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, KH 196.9

JasonM38401 · Mar 11, 2013

Salinity is 1.025 temp 78

gmoney243 · Mar 12, 2013

JasonM38401 said:
Ok nitrate 0, ph 8.2, phosphate .5, calcium 520, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, KH 196.9

Phosphates are to high at .5 corals and especially sps dont grow or color well. And need a correct number for alk cause 196 kh isnt right haha maybe 9.9 or 6.9?

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gmoney243 · Mar 12, 2013

Dbl post

bknapp · Mar 12, 2013

If he's using a Hanna Check for Alk it comes out in PPM, not dKH so:

196.6*.056= 11

But I agree with Mike, if your phosphates are at .5 they are too high to see good growth and color from SPS especially. You may consider adding some GFO, pellets or, a algae scrubber to help bring your phosphates down if you're not using anything.

JasonM38401 · Mar 12, 2013

With that being said, what do I need to be looking at as the cause if them being high and best way to try and correct it?

bknapp · Mar 12, 2013

JasonM38401 said:
With that being said, what do I need to be looking at as the cause if them being high and best way to try and correct it?

Couple of questions about your set up/husbandry:

-Dry rock or live to start tank?
-Foods used and amount and times per day?
-Any phosphate reducing media being used?
-Water change schedule?
-Using RO/DI water?
-If so last time filters and resin were changed out?
-Salt mix?

JasonM38401 · Mar 12, 2013

My weather has been the same for mths. AC has tested it also and said it was fine :-( I need to get this fixed.

JasonM38401 · Mar 12, 2013

Water* not weather. Lol

JasonM38401 · Mar 12, 2013

Live rock, I had a biocube. Found this tank on CL went and drained and packed everything and moved it to my place and set it back up. I took all the live stock sand and all. I added sand took a little of the old sand out. I put all live stock from my biocube in with this tank. Did a 25% water change. I have an RO/DI system, new filters. I'm topping off with about 3 gal a day. The tank when I got it hardly had any coral in it at all. I have added almost everything. Haven't really had any problems but a LTA died on me. 10% water change ever two weeks.

bknapp · Mar 12, 2013

How long ago was this done? Did you use the previous owners sand and not rinse it? The sand moving that much could be releasing bound up phosphates that was in the sand.

Sorry for so many questions just trying to help find the issue.

JasonM38401 · Mar 12, 2013

It's been about 6 mths or so ago, I cleaned the sand and added some new sand also. In the top of my sump there is a filter type material. With all the live rock I have should I just remove that? Could that be part of the problem?

dwilliams87 · Mar 12, 2013

2 things I have noticed.

1) your phosphates are definitely too high. You need to decide how you are going to deal with that problem. Ex. GFO, phosban, phosguard, whatever you want. I used dead lace rock which leaches phosphates. I know that now, so I had too options..Change all my rock, wasn't gonna do that or control the phosphate. So I run GFO, I brought my Phosphate from .45 to .02. Colors and growth did a lot better. Phosphates will kelp corals from growing!

2) This is nit picky, but wanted to bring it up. Are your nitrates really 0? If they are, that could be your problem. Theres a big difference between a low nutrient System and No nutrient system. I'm willing to bet your nitrates are somewhere between 0-5 or 0-10 depending on how your testing.

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