High Phosphate

[Jimmyneptune]

Hi all, I have a mixed reef of LPS and some SPS. The LPS in the tank is doing fine but my SPS struggles to the point where some of the montis seems like it will die off and then later will start to regrow. I have had some others like bali green slimer grow really great and then croak. I haven't tried any new sps for a year because of my challenges with them. I recently started checking for nitrate and its always the same and have tried to lower with not much luck. And just today my phosphate. The nitrate is 50. I have not checked my phosphates for a lonng time I checked today and it is 1.14. I don't have an algae problem in my display and my chaeto in my sump, where at one time grew like crazy, only holds on and does not grow. I just got some chaetogro and I am going to start dosing. any tips or insights or any bad effects from using chaetogro? Any other suggestions appreciated.

 

[Spare time]

I would get a better refugium light if you don't have a proper algae light. I would also do some water changes or nopox if you have a skimmer.

 

[saltyhog]

What tests are you using to check your nitrate and phosphate?

Carbon dosing is certainly one way to lower nitrates but it won't do much for your phosphate. GFO is very effective at lowering phosphate. Just be careful, go slowly and don't over do it. I would not try to get the nitrate below 5-10 and not let the phosphate lower than 0.06. Doing so is inviting big problems with that much organic fuel in the tank.

Other ways to lower nitrates would be an algae turf scubber, water changes.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Hi all, I have a mixed reef of LPS and some SPS. The LPS in the tank is doing fine but my SPS struggles to the point where some of the montis seems like it will die off and then later will start to regrow. I have had some others like bali green slimer grow really great and then croak. I haven't tried any new sps for a year because of my challenges with them. I recently started checking for nitrate and its always the same and have tried to lower with not much luck. And just today my phosphate. The nitrate is 50. I have not checked my phosphates for a lonng time I checked today and it is 1.14. I don't have an algae problem in my display and my chaeto in my sump, where at one time grew like crazy, only holds on and does not grow. I just got some chaetogro and I am going to start dosing. any tips or insights or any bad effects from using chaetogro? Any other suggestions appreciated.

What do your corals look like?

 

[Jimmyneptune]

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Looks like your corals are happy. I would just do a series of larger water changes

 

[BeejReef]

Great looking tank!

I would want to get to the bottom of the chaeto's lack of growth. It has plenty of nitrate and phosphate and your light used to grow it. I should still grow... like crazy really. I'd consider an ICP test. I was concered w my chaeto and my test came back with huge amounts of iron. Without the feedback, it would have been the first thing I dosed. If you're not testing for the components, you're shooting in the dark with any supplement.

Again, not advise, just an anecdote.. I just shop vac'd out my sump... just sucked the crud off the bottom without fully draining, and nitrate dropped from 20sh to 2 and I only did 2/3 chambers.

 

[bar|none]

Brightwell Chaeto Grow is very effective at giving chaeto what it needs. Even though I do Full Triton, my chaeto was not getting all the trace stuff it needs and was basically disintegrating. So I add 1-2 capfuls a week in a Reefer 170 and it grows like crazy. Has not been negatively effecting my ICP tests.