Need some advice with sps

[ryboy707]

So I've had my coralife biocube 29 up since new years, did the light upgrade with a nanobox large retrofit , and have been able to keep my parameters pretty constant. Phosphates are my nemesis though, all I can seem to get them down to is somewhere between .04 and .08. I have the red sea test kits so that's as accurate as I can get. I have some chaeto in the back, as well as a good size media bag with red sea carbon and high capacity gfo. I'm also dosing nopox, which has killed nitrates off but hasn't helped much with phosphates. I did a 4.5 gallon water change yesterday and another one today of the same size. I have 3 SPS frags one superman monti, one unknown monti cap that's a light green with pink polyps, and one purple stylophora. I didn't have enough flow at first, with just a sicce nano voyager powerhead and stock pump, but I just received my vortech mp10 in the mail a few days ago. Everythings fine except the monti cap turned white around the edges. Could that just be from lack of flow, or is the excess phosphates causing the problem? Does anyone know any tricks to get my phosphates down to the desired .01-.02 with these biocubes?

 

[Sabellafella]

So I've had my coralife biocube 29 up since new years, did the light upgrade with a nanobox large retrofit , and have been able to keep my parameters pretty constant. Phosphates are my nemesis though, all I can seem to get them down to is somewhere between .04 and .08. I have the red sea test kits so that's as accurate as I can get. I have some chaeto in the back, as well as a good size media bag with red sea carbon and high capacity gfo. I'm also dosing nopox, which has killed nitrates off but hasn't helped much with phosphates. I did a 4.5 gallon water change yesterday and another one today of the same size. I have 3 SPS frags one superman monti, one unknown monti cap that's a light green with pink polyps, and one purple stylophora. I didn't have enough flow at first, with just a sicce nano voyager powerhead and stock pump, but I just received my vortech mp10 in the mail a few days ago. Everythings fine except the monti cap turned white around the edges. Could that just be from lack of flow, or is the excess phosphates causing the problem? Does anyone know any tricks to get my phosphates down to the desired .01-.02 with these biocubes?

I just do 10 gallon waterchanges a week is sufficient enuff for my biocube. Whats your nitrate level at? Try dipping the monti, fragg the dead part or remount it. Your acros look fine

 

[ryboy707]

I guess I was hoping to just knock down my phosphates with the consecutive water changes, but I just tested water today after second water change.
alk;9.5
cal;430
mag;1660 always high for some reason
phosphates; between .04-.08
nitrates;0
I wish i had acros, lol. I hear they are very demanding

 

[BoneXriffic]

I may be speaking stupig here but isnt .25 the toxic level for phos. That being said, and the fact that sps need some nitrate and phos to photo synthisize i believe.
The phosphate seems like a useless struggle. Just keep em where your at.

The mag level makes me thing that calc alk and mag have seemed not entirley stabilized yet because they tend to move with one another

Dont quote me, i reccomend bringing this to randy in the water chemistry section

 

[Sabellafella]

I guess I was hoping to just knock down my phosphates with the consecutive water changes, but I just tested water today after second water change.
alk;9.5
cal;430
mag;1660 always high for some reason
phosphates; between .04-.08
nitrates;0
I wish i had acros, lol. I hear they are very demanding

With good practices and husbandry you can keep anything. Personally i would up your nitrate a little, when p04 is higher then your nitrate usually will result in some problems. While carbon dosing, you may need nitrate for some organisms to take in p04 witch could be the reason your not seeing reduction in phosphate

 

[ryboy707]

So should I stop the no pox dosing?

 

[Sabellafella]

So should I stop the no pox dosing?

No just lower your dose, let your nitrates rise a bit

 

[ryboy707]

Ok, I'll give that a try. I only dose 2 mils a day, maybe I'll try 1 for a while and see how that works. But isn't .06 high for phosphates for sps?

 

[ryboy707]

I'm a little worried because I ordered a few Jason fox frags that are on the way next week. I thought the water changes would work. Would it be better to try another 4.5 gallon water change again tomorrow or Monday? I'm not sure on how many water changes is too much?

 

[cowboy]

Ok, I'll give that a try. I only dose 2 mils a day, maybe I'll try 1 for a while and see how that works. But isn't .06 high for phosphates for sps?

.04-.08 is actually a great place for your phosphate you would like your nitrates up around 2 and your sps should start to color up for you and show some good coloration.

 

[cowboy]

http://reef2reef.com/threads/help-my-sps-are-paling-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/

Here is a great wright up by @Russ265

 

[Sabellafella]

lol ive ran my nitrates around 10 and po4 from .03 to .1 for aslong as ive ben reefing. As long as you have mature liverock/bacteria plus a couple fish, i dont think large waterchanges would ever be a problem unless your alk is way off. Its easy with a 30 gallon, because 40% (10-15gallons) changes weekly can basically keep nutrients incheck alone without any sort of filtration depending on your bioload

 

[Sabellafella]

When you carbon dose, bacteria will eat nitrate and phosphate, without nitrate some organisms cannot process p04 correctly. Its acually a very common issue in general, usually one who has lower nitrate then phosphate, no matter what they do, can never seem to get their p04 down past a certain point.

 

[ryboy707]

Ahhhh, I see. So basically I'm chasing numbers to much? These numbers have been steady for months now, so maybe I'm okay after all? Right on for all the responses and feedback.

 

[Sabellafella]

Ahhhh, I see. So basically I'm chasing numbers to much? These numbers have been steady for months now, so maybe I'm okay after all? Right on for all the responses and feedback.

Yea just keep up with what your doing, nothing to break your neck over. Just try to hault the dieoff on the monti, it should grow back in notime

 

[cowboy]

Your doing fine one thing I learned along time ago was don't stress it, if you stress about it your chasing it down the rabbit hole and usually do more harm than good. I honestly don't dose anything, except the necessary items like CA, Alk, and Mg. I have new bottle of all kinds of stuff, and just don't want the headache my coral grow my fish are happy. All I do to my tanks are biweekly WC. Here's a Monti I took a picture of the other day it's only about 6-7month old started from a 1 inch frag.

 

[BoneXriffic]

My phosphate is around .15, nearly double your and my acros montis and birdnest look happy... heck my montis survived my phosphate spike to .45 lol quickly got that back down

 

[Russ265]

My phosphate is around .15, nearly double your and my acros montis and birdnest look happy... heck my montis survived my phosphate spike to .45 lol quickly got that back down

.15 is about the max ive ever dosed to. sps did great. unfortunately, .02 seems to be where my tank stays these days.

great info guys and good work @Sabellafella and @cowboy not leading another aquarist to absolute 0 land.

 

[Birddog]

Each set up is slightly different, but I agree. My SPS go pale and I lose all polyp extension at what appears to me at levels below .06 phos and 3 ppm N03

 

[ryboy707]

Okay, maybe I'm going astray here and please correct me if I'm wrong , but technically since corals absorb phosphates and nitrates, if I add more corals the more my phosphates and nitrates will be depleted? If so that is exactly the excuse I need to tell my fiancé so I can go grab some frags today, lol.