refugium

[jose hernandez]

noticed some of my corals are not looking great tested my nitrate its 0.10 my phosphates are high was running them at 0.06 now they are 0.18 being the refugium is so packed with cheato do i need to remove some to help with the phosphates

 

[176327]

It eats more when growing, if it can’t grow, for sure trim it. Just don’t over do it.

mine had some nasties in it last time I went to trim and ended up tossing more than I normally trim. Had a sizable spike afterword in terms of nutrients / polluted water.

 

[jose hernandez]

how much should i take out?

 

[176327]

Shrug, how should I know? I don’t know anything about your system, or what your cheato does for you.

assuming you have a schedule, and you know how much it consumes you could just trim it a little (maybe 10 or 20 percent?) then test again and see what it does to your water.

that time I was telling you about, my nitrates went from a stable .05 with heavy feeding to almost 7ppm. My phos went from .02 to .22

normally I take off maybe an inch of it weekly and those to parameters are stuck at whatever they’re at if I don’t change my feeding or photo periods.

you’re going to have to experiment a little.

the only thing I can really tell you is it will consume more while growing. Or as we say in the horticulture world “vege”.

someone more helpful might respond you were clearly doing it right before, so there’s something to be happy about.

Edit: also, those numbers aren’t really high imo. Not like dangerously anyway, just make sure they aren’t steadily rising.

 

[jose hernandez]

i know others that run phosphates that high but for me my corals look and do better at 0.06 i was concerned but gonna take your advice and trim it its like they say your tank tells you when something is wrong thats when we go to the test kits thnks for the help

 

[176327]

i know others that run phosphates that high but for me my corals look and do better at 0.06 i was concerned but gonna take your advice and trim it its like they say your tank tells you when something is wrong thats when we go to the test kits thnks for the help

considering the accuracy of our test kits too, knowing when your corals “look happy” is invaluable. It’s unfortunate that so much experience has to be gained by observing and then thinking “are you dying?’l

I have a weird situation, with an easy fix, but I’m determined to do it my silly way for aesthetics... everyday I have two super expressive (they just react to things really quickly an dramatically) hammers that are my live monitor. If I even put my hands in the tank these guys close up. Water level 1200 ml to low from evaporation so salinity swung by 0.02? Closed. No need to check the water level. Incoming Algae bloom (not even growing yet) closed. Forgot to turn off fuge light? Closed. Kid is thinking about tossing one of his toys in there? Closed.

I’m clearly exaggerating. And my problem is too many lights. Having a hard time keeping everyone happy. A par meter would help, but with my luck something would happen to the a unit I rented and I’m not about to spend that much on something I use maybe twice a year.

 

[jose hernandez]

i thought the same wanted a par meter but cant justify the upfront cost

 

[176327]

i thought the same wanted a par meter but cant justify the upfront cost

I’ll do it eventually, or breakdown and buy something from Neptune... but not for the nano I have now. Another tank or two, or even just the next one if it’s large enough. Unless I go with a reefer system. I feel like their systems matched to their lights are pretty well mapped out publicly.

we all want them, they’ll eventually become cheaper as demand rises or specific manufacturer decides they want to nearly invent a market based on a theoretical need. I’d call it a need if you really want to scape a reef the way you might a garden, but not at the current price per use.

 

[jose hernandez]

I don’t see myself doing it but everyone is different Thnks for the help well appreciated