High phosphate's

[Thor2j]

The Red Sea 525 is a five foot tank that holds 139 gallons.....so no sump? Or skimmer?....and 9...that is nine...Tangs!!!! Tangs are crap machines. I'll say it: You have too much fish in too small a tank.....and it looks like not the filtration system to handle it all.

I'd up water changes to 25-30 gallons a week until you could get phosphates under control. Oh, and yes, high phosphates will impact coral growth.

Red sea 525XL IS 59X22X22 and is 108 gallons. With sump 139. I believe they calculate tank volume to overflow and what it actually holds

 

[mcarroll]

Can you post a full tank shot and one or two close ups of "problem" corals?

It would help with recommendations.

I have a feeling the numbers paint a worse picture than how things actually are.

 

[andys]

Can you post a full tank shot and one or two close ups of "problem" corals?

It would help with recommendations.

I have a feeling the numbers paint a worse picture than how things actually are.

Hey no problem. I will have to do it tomorrow afternoon as the lights are on the downside.

 

[Sabellafella]

Hi All

Just like the title Says. 1.17 ppm via the hanna checker
All my other #'s are great. 35 salinity' Alk 8.4 ca 450 and nitrate 6 and phosphate's are 1.17
I have a extremely heavy load I would think. 6 large tangs 3 small ones, 20 longspine cardinals, 12 firefish, couple of wrasse and a few blue chromis, bunch of sps coral, soft corals and such


All been good but I'm seeing little growth and some of my sps's are loosing tissue on there tips

Is phosphate's causing my slow growth and Burnt tips

Over 40 fish? I have 2 tangs and like 6 fish in the same tank as yours with an appropriate oversized skimmer and i can just barely keep my phosphate under control. Phosphate at that level certainly could cause burnt tips, deffinitly try gfo, start with a cup and go from there. You can also go the lanthinum chloride route

 

[saltyhog]

I had 15 fish in a 72x24x21 and had to run GFO constantly to keep PO4 under control. Heck of a job if you can grow SPS with that bioload!

 

[morpheas]

Just a thought but your number suggests that gfo might be a little economically unfeasible to bring your number down. You definitely don't want to shock the system but some low dripping of lanthanum chloride over your filter socks for a little every day might be desirable to bring the numbers down and then some gfo to just hold them there. Just throwing the thought out there for experts to comment

 

[Elementalj]

Upgrade LoL. I suggested a 500 were our flat screen hangs and I was looked at like I was a criminal

I'd have gotten the same look [emoji102], then I would have pointed to the dining room and the literal wall of turtle tanks while I was sticking my tongue [emoji104] out!

 

[andys]

Ok here are a couple of pic's

 

[Diesel]

Just a thought but your number suggests that gfo might be a little economically unfeasible to bring your number down. You definitely don't want to shock the system but some low dripping of lanthanum chloride over your filter socks for a little every day might be desirable to bring the numbers down and then some gfo to just hold them there. Just throwing the thought out there for experts to comment

Your right but a whole lot of ppl don't know what dripping means and the phrase more is better will come u before you know it.
I have seen many tanks crash that way.......... but what do I know!

 

[andys]

Ya I'm not sure I wanna drip it anyway. I try and only put the things I need in there. I hope the GFO works

 

[mcarroll]

I see a little cyano, but I don't gripe too much if it's not taking over.

Other than that everything seems to look pretty nice.

If slow growth is the biggest problem, then consider whether you're farming these corals or growing for fun? They look great, I'd just enjoy them.

I'd be certain to make any changes you decide to make gradual.

I think the high light levels have something to do with the nutrients not being a problem. And vis versa...high light can be a problem with out higher levels of nutrients like this.

Make sure neither N nor P falls to zero during your adjustments.

Have you measured yours lights with a lux or PAR meter by any chance?

P.S. I honestly would skip GFO and the rest of the filtration answers and start off-loading fish, slowly but immediately. PO4 levels will fall with the fish population (and your existing cleanup efforts). In my opinion you don't have any problem except too many fish. Especially too many biggies.

 

[bif24701]

Well I'm sure it's that high. It was the first time I checked it in a year. I also feed very heavy. Have not done 30% I do 15 gal every week. Total system volume is around 130 gal. Red Sea 525xl

That's a lot of fish and very large fish for your system. I think you know what the problem is.

 

[andys]

I see a little cyano, but I don't gripe too much if it's not taking over.

Other than that everything seems to look pretty nice.

If slow growth is the biggest problem, then consider whether you're farming these corals or growing for fun? They look great, I'd just enjoy them.

I'd be certain to make any changes you decide to make gradual.

I think the high light levels have something to do with the nutrients not being a problem. And vis versa...high light can be a problem with out higher levels of nutrients like this.

Make sure neither N nor P falls to zero during your adjustments.

Have you measured yours lights with a lux or PAR meter by any chance?

P.S. I honestly would skip GFO and the rest of the filtration answers and start off-loading fish, slowly but immediately. PO4 levels will fall with the fish population (and your existing cleanup efforts). In my opinion you don't have any problem except too many fish. Especially too many biggies.

That looks like Cyano but its the color of the rock. the only algae I get is that dam green film on the front and sides of the glass and bubble algae. YEP also have par measurements thought the entire reef

 

[mcarroll]

YEP also have par measurements thought the entire reef

Well...? And...?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ya I'm not sure I wanna drip it anyway. I try and only put the things I need in there. I hope the GFO works

Some tanks with very high nutrient levels (even higher than yours) can seemingly do fine, and algae may be prevented from growing in those systems by a lack of a trace element such as iron.

If you use GFO to reduce phosphate, that may release some iron, and you may see an uptick in algae when starting the GFO.

 

[andys]

Some tanks with very high nutrient levels (even higher than yours) can seemingly do fine, and algae may be prevented from growing in those systems by a lack of a trace element such as iron.

If you use GFO to reduce phosphate, that may release some iron, and you may see an uptick in algae when starting the GFO.

If I do get a uptick in algae growth will it slowly go away as I bring the phosphate down ?

 

[mcarroll]

If you are successful in your effort, it will be a while before PO4 is low enough to be limiting....plus lots of algae seems to be good at using phosphates from sources other than the water column, so trying to limit by phosphate is problematic.

Double true if you're growing corals....they also need phosphate and don't compete as well for it as some algae.

 

[mcarroll]

I still say that reducing inputs (by reducing livestock) is the correct answer for you.

Your tank does not have "a problem" with nutrients, so don't start treating it like a problem.

All you want to do is remove the possibility of a problem by reducing levels back to "normal".

Gently, and slowly....so your corals can adapt and stay happy.

 

[andys]

If you are successful in your effort, it will be a while before PO4 is low enough to be limiting....plus lots of algae seems to be good at using phosphates from sources other than the water column, so trying to limit by phosphate is problematic.

Double true if you're growing corals....they also need phosphate and don't compete as well for it as some algae.

Well I am going to post up a couple of my very large fish for sale this evening. It's time for them to get a bigger living area anyway. I will tell you its tough since i have had them since they were just 1 inch little guys

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If I do get a uptick in algae growth will it slowly go away as I bring the phosphate down ?

It won't go down at all until phosphate is very low. At any value above about 0.05 ppm it will likely just be "plenty" of phosphate, and other factors will limit the growth.