Problem after problems
- Thread starter Juliano
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Yea bud. Check back in.
And fwiw. I prefer a little fat on food than thin. it's just easier IMO. lot less worry too. And so ya know, I started with healthy cheapo Acros from the bargain rack. About a year or two later I'm getting the hang of it.
From my own tank experience: The cause of the Browning could be your phosphate level. At 0.08 with zero nitrates, the corals may be producing excess zooxanthelea which is responsible for pigment. Nitrates at 5 is good if your phosphate is 0.08.
If the nitrates don't stay up but phosphates do, your system may be carbon limited which means dose a carbon source. It isn't strictly a number that we are chasing here, so much as a balance betweens all numbers.
If the nitrates don't stay up but phosphates do, your system may be carbon limited which means dose a carbon source. It isn't strictly a number that we are chasing here, so much as a balance betweens all numbers.
BluewaterLa
Active Member
I've had and also seen many tanks with zero algae issues with elevated phosphate and nitrate levels.
Every system is different / unique, this is the one thing all reefers can agree upon.
When it comes to nutrients Po3 / Po4 they are both utilized by all corals and critters in the tank.
Having some low level in your tank will benefit the systems health as a whole.
How much of either nutrient highly depends on the amount and type of corals you have versus your filtration and water changes. All this must balance out to a level that your ecosystem is happy with.
Nitrates at or around 3-5 ppm is good IMO
Phosphate is good around 0.02 - 0.05 IMO this is also been my expedite with several systems.
Having some of these nutrients that we can test for is a good base line for available nutrition for the symbiotic zooxanthelle and the coral which is absorbed through tissue.
This also in ways ensures that there are other nutrients present in small amounts that the critters can utilize.
With ULNS and others close to it, most people don't realize or stop to think that these tanks are being supplemented with additional elements and amino acids for coral health
A tank can be very healthy with low to zero nutrients showing on test kits if they are balanced by the amount of fish in the system and the systems filtration along with water changes. It's still a balance as the amount of fish food and coral foods added are broken down then utilized by the corals and critters while the left overs are being removed via filtration and husbandry.
Moving a tank, transferring a tank or the like does and will cause stress among many issues like you have experienced.
Basically when the system is new or disturbed to a great degree then other variables play upon keeping the balance of chemistry, water quality and light much harder or without challenge.
Time and patience is always needed with keeping a reef.
Don't give up and start over, this will put you one year behind maturity and stability for your tank.
Keep things simple and stable.
Sps will stress with any rapid changes or can brown out and even loose tissue from a system that isn't balanced between available nutrients, light intensity and chemistry
Good luck and happy reefing
BluewaterLa / Mike
Every system is different / unique, this is the one thing all reefers can agree upon.
When it comes to nutrients Po3 / Po4 they are both utilized by all corals and critters in the tank.
Having some low level in your tank will benefit the systems health as a whole.
How much of either nutrient highly depends on the amount and type of corals you have versus your filtration and water changes. All this must balance out to a level that your ecosystem is happy with.
Nitrates at or around 3-5 ppm is good IMO
Phosphate is good around 0.02 - 0.05 IMO this is also been my expedite with several systems.
Having some of these nutrients that we can test for is a good base line for available nutrition for the symbiotic zooxanthelle and the coral which is absorbed through tissue.
This also in ways ensures that there are other nutrients present in small amounts that the critters can utilize.
With ULNS and others close to it, most people don't realize or stop to think that these tanks are being supplemented with additional elements and amino acids for coral health
A tank can be very healthy with low to zero nutrients showing on test kits if they are balanced by the amount of fish in the system and the systems filtration along with water changes. It's still a balance as the amount of fish food and coral foods added are broken down then utilized by the corals and critters while the left overs are being removed via filtration and husbandry.
Moving a tank, transferring a tank or the like does and will cause stress among many issues like you have experienced.
Basically when the system is new or disturbed to a great degree then other variables play upon keeping the balance of chemistry, water quality and light much harder or without challenge.
Time and patience is always needed with keeping a reef.
Don't give up and start over, this will put you one year behind maturity and stability for your tank.
Keep things simple and stable.
Sps will stress with any rapid changes or can brown out and even loose tissue from a system that isn't balanced between available nutrients, light intensity and chemistry
Good luck and happy reefing
BluewaterLa / Mike
