SPS is dying what should I do

[Dburr1014]

Are you running GAC.?
With softies, I would.
Po4 @ 0.05 I would consider the low range.
.2 is high. I try to stay around 0.1 +/-0.03 in my system.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Fuge won't do anything noticeable for phosphate.

Yes it will! I've been running a chaeto refeugium, been feeding coral nightly and it's kept my po4 zero consistently, probably the best phosphate removal method

 

[Reefer AJ]

Are you running GAC.?
With softies, I would.
Po4 @ 0.05 I would consider the low range.
.2 is high. I try to stay around 0.1 +/-0.03 in my system.

Yeah I do have carbon in my 2nd chamber of my sump that I change out every 3-4 weeks or so

 

[Reefer AJ]

Fuge won't do anything noticeable for phosphate.

I thought that was the whole point of a fuge. From what I read the chaeto absorbs the phosphates, more of a natural way then using gfo. Am I misunderstanding this concept?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I thought that was the whole point of a fuge. From what I read the chaeto absorbs the phosphates, more of a natural way then using gfo. Am I misunderstanding this concept?

Not at all! Refeugiums are the best way to remove phosphate in a reef aquarium, I highly reccomend!

 

[Dburr1014]

I thought that was the whole point of a fuge. From what I read the chaeto absorbs the phosphates, more of a natural way then using gfo. Am I misunderstanding this concept?

They will definatly suck up more nitrates than phosphates.
There needs to be both present but don't expect it to be a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Lavey29]

I thought that was the whole point of a fuge. From what I read the chaeto absorbs the phosphates, more of a natural way then using gfo. Am I misunderstanding this concept?

Well each tank is different but I've run a fuge which thrives with huge chaeto growth and my phosphates still run high even with additional media like phosguard so I don't think you will see anything dramatic in results.

 

[Lavey29]

Not at all! Refeugiums are the best way to remove phosphate in a reef aquarium, I highly reccomend!

Phosphate binds to rock and sand and then constantly leaks like a dripping faucet. Fuge is not going to stop this nor produce anything substantial in reduction. Perhaps better nitrates reduction but that only comes if chaeto is growing well and cut back weekly.

I suppose though if you have an exceptionally large fuge you may see better results but standard size is minimal results. I do like Natura approach though for sure.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Phosphate binds to rock and sand and then constantly leaks like a dripping faucet. Fuge is not going to stop this nor produce anything substantial in reduction. Perhaps better nitrates reduction but that only comes if chaeto is growing well and cut back weekly.

I suppose though if you have an exceptionally large fuge you may see better results but standard size is minimal results. I do like Natura approach though for sure.

Gonna have to disagree with you there. All I have Is a softball sized chaeto ball in a 120 gallon setup, fishless for now, but every day I drop in 6-8 small cubes or coral food, my phosphates are zero, as of the hanna checker, I have no other biological/chemical filtration other than filter socks/floss, which is mechanical. It barely has done anything about nitrate, they've been around 2-4 since I started this tank

 

[Lavey29]

Gonna have to disagree with you there. All I have Is a softball sized chaeto ball in a 120 gallon setup, fishless for now, but every day I drop in 6-8 small cubes or coral food, my phosphates are zero, as of the hanna checker, I have no other biological/chemical filtration other than filter socks/floss, which is mechanical. It barely has done anything about nitrate, they've been around 2-4 since I started this tank

How old is the tank? Frozen cubes are low phosphate. Pellet and flake high phosphate. When my tank was under a year old I had no phosphate issues at all even had to dose neophos for many months to get measurable numbers. I thought my fuge was working great but what was actually happening is my rock and sand was binding the phosphate. Then you reach an over saturation point and the leaching starts. Then my phosphate slowly started to rise getting as high as .5. I had to drip dose phosphate rx at that point for multiple months to get it back down and use up all the phosphate bound in rock and sand.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

How old is the tank? Frozen cubes are low phosphate. Pellet and flake high phosphate. When my tank was under a year old I had no phosphate issues at all even had to dose neophos for many months to get measurable numbers. I thought my fuge was working great but what was actually happening is my rock and sand was binding the phosphate. Then you reach an over saturation point and the leaching starts. Then my phosphate slowly started to rise getting as high as .5. I had to drip dose phosphate rx at that point for multiple months to get it back down and use up all the phosphate bound in rock and sand.

Fair point, though my refeugium has dome a great job for me, not planning on feeding pellets anytime soon

 

[Dburr1014]

Macro algae need no3 and po4. Without one or the other, they don't work so well.
So with zero po4, algae will have a tough time with no3 uptake.
You probably aren't zero po4. Just the test kit +/- error.