Phils 125g DT test results

[Duke4Life]

I thought I'd make a thread and post here weekly of my readings and what if anything I've done to correct. I will not be posting ammonia or nitrite as this system has been up since May 2015. If you have any opinions/guidance don't be hesitant to share, I'm doing this to learn more. I've started to notice hair algae these past few weeks and thought I better do something before I loose control here.

Currently run a very basic sump setup, no skimmer, with a 20g water change monthly (I need to do weekly I'm starting to think). Lights are on full for 12-13 hours a day, caulerpa prolifera in my DT because I think it looks good (if it's causing a problem I can move to sump). 120 lbs of rock, 1-1.5 inches of sand in DT.

Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.2
Calcium: 400
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: 5-10
Dk: 12
Using api drops test kit, I need some other test kits but haven't gotten yet.

Would prefer an all natural way in fixing some of these issues. I'm not a big fan of adding chemicals unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Duke4Life]

With some of these up high could that be helping the aiptasia grow I've got?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Phosphate 5-10 means what exactly? ppb phosphorus?

I've not used that species of Caulerpa (I've used a couple of variants of caulerpa racemosa). The big concern with caulerpa is that it may become so prevalent in the display tank that it takes over and cannot be removed.

I had that problem and even after taking the whole tank down and scrubbing everything, it came back from some tiny bits that must have survived.

Finally, a one spot rabbit fish was the answer, and it kept the Caulerpa invisible int he main tank even though I kept it in the refugia and frequently brought it up to the display to feed fish.

So while I cannot say that will happen with this species, you might think about that issue. If I had it to do over again, Caulerpa would remain entirely out of my system.

 

[Brewman1987]

I would say the nitrate and phosphate are causing you to experience the Gha. I would recommend a skimmer to help remove the organic waste and help to decrease any potential food for the algae. Have you introduced any recent frags or new rock from any place? It could be the cause for the aiptasia. Also how heavily stocked is this tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

With some of these up high could that be helping the aiptasia grow I've got?

I'm not sure how well aiptasia is promoted by inorganic nutrients since it can get a lot of nutrition by catching food particles.

 

[Duke4Life]

I would say the nitrate and phosphate are causing you to experience the Gha. I would recommend a skimmer to help remove the organic waste and help to decrease any potential food for the algae. Have you introduced any recent frags or new rock from any place? It could be the cause for the aiptasia. Also how heavily stocked is this tank?

Nothing new, 1 chainlink eel, 3 wrasses, 2 firefish, a filefish, and 2 blue gudgeons introduced last week (haven't seen since). A skimmer is tops on my list of equipment to get (was trying to avoid but seems unavoidable the more I dive back in), never had a skimmer before with my fowlr. Guess I need to cut back my feeding. I think I got the aiptasia due to frags a few months ago (on the fence on how to tackle as I've tried a few things, will more and likely removing rocks 1 by 1 and super gluing).

 

[Duke4Life]

Phosphate 5-10 means what exactly? ppb phosphorus?

I've not used that species of Caulerpa (I've used a couple of variants of caulerpa racemosa). The big concern with caulerpa is that it may become so prevalent in the display tank that it takes over and cannot be removed.

I had that problem and even after taking the whole tank down and scrubbing everything, it came back from some tiny bits that must have survived.

Finally, a one spot rabbit fish was the answer, and it kept the Caulerpa invisible int he main tank even though I kept it in the refugia and frequently brought it up to the display to feed fish.

So while I cannot say that will happen with this species, you might think about that issue. If I had it to do over again, Caulerpa would remain entirely out of my system.

Phosphate or po4 is what my api test kit has and why I tested.

 

[Brewman1987]

For aptasia removal I have had luck with a 1ml syringe filled with white vinegar, stab and blast the bugger. It needs to be done quick because they retract quickly.

 

[Duke4Life]

For aptasia removal I have had luck with a 1ml syringe filled with white vinegar, stab and blast the bugger. It needs to be done quick because they retract quickly.

I'm beyond that, peppermints and a filefish have done nada, aiptasia X and vinegar seemed to multiply them, this war I have a feeling has just begun. Fowlr there wasn't as much you had to worry about and now I'm going more reef it's time to fix and correct bad habits. I thought phosphates should be 0?

 

[Brewman1987]

I have around .003 phosphate and 7ppm of nitrate and all my coral are growing like crazy. The only thing I need to add is a algae scrubber. I run go and carbon in a dual reactor.

 

[Duke4Life]

I have around .003 phosphate and 7ppm of nitrate and all my coral are growing like crazy. The only thing I need to add is a algae scrubber. I run go and carbon in a dual reactor.

So that's why a lot of people run reactors. Several people in the local club are into those algae scrubbers.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Phosphate or po4 is what my api test kit has and why I tested.

I'm skeptical that it is real, if the kit is telling you 5-10 ppm phosphate. The kit does read to 10 ppm, but I've never heard of a reef tank that high.

Try the kit on some new salt water, assuming it is made with purified fresh water.

 

[Duke4Life]

I'm skeptical that it is real, if the kit is telling you 5-10 ppm phosphate. The kit does read to 10 ppm, but I've never heard of a reef tank that high.

Try the kit on some new salt water, assuming it is made with purified fresh water.

Just did a test on new salt water and got a reading of 0. Tap water was used back in May when I setup, went ro/di water in July, just making sure I have everything out there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, if the phosphate really is that high (I'm still very skeptical), it will take a big effort to reduce it and water changes will not suffice, even using 100% changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Carefully review the kit to be sure the level is not 0.05 -0.1 ppm.

 

[Duke4Life]

Carefully review the kit to be sure the level is not 0.05 -0.1 ppm.

I just did 3 different, fresh salt, dt, and qt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I mean review the directions and interpretation to be sure you are not missing one or two decimal points in the final answer.

 

[Duke4Life]

Not that I see, fresh shows 0 parts per million, dt and qt somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 parts per million plus.

 

[Sabellafella]

I just did 3 different, fresh salt, dt, and qt.

Oh wow.i mean i never used the api test kit but thats either a bad reagent pr your phosphates are incredibly high. Grab some gfo and toss it in a mesh bag frequently if you dont have a reactor, also if you use filter socks you could grab some lanthinum chloride

 

[Duke4Life]

I know everyone must think I'm doing something wrong, have a bad test kit, etc. That's why after running the test on fresh salt and getting a reading of 0, that I ran all 3 test in the picture above at the same time, to see if I got the reading in my 1st post.