Time to dose Nitrates!

[SteelerMike]

Nitrates are now reading .5 and phosphates are .04 but phosphate was up to .16 at one point. I use BRS large particle carbon and rinse thoroughly. It's definitely not just at the tips and even the ones close to the tips have flesh at the end of the tips. I have been dosing the spectracide stump remover but have been having a hard time keeping the nitrates above zero. It would get used up quickly and I wasn't sure if the swings from zero to .5 or 1 back to zero could cause issues

 

[Chrisss]

Nitrates are now reading .5 and phosphates are .04 but phosphate was up to .16 at one point. I use BRS large particle carbon and rinse thoroughly. It's definitely not just at the tips and even the ones close to the tips have flesh at the end of the tips. I have been dosing the spectracide stump remover but have been having a hard time keeping the nitrates above zero. It would get used up quickly and I wasn't sure if the swings from zero to .5 or 1 back to zero could cause issues

Hmm change anything with lighting? I havn't had to dose any more nitrates and my nitrates stay around 5ppm now. I just turned on my skimmer to not be so dry. Maybe lower your skimmer input so it doesn't pull as much nutrients out? Could be the swings are a little crazy, causing the corals to bleach but I doubt it. I didn't want to use the Stump remover because it seem a little weird to be dosing into a reef tank. Which is why I went with seachem. I know @twillard had a forum on how to dose it did you read that?

 

[Chrisss]

Here's a little update.
Finally got flow the way I like it. Corals seem to be opened up more also.
Colors on my Acro Colony is doing awesome, with the previous lighting.

Today just got my new 6x54 ATI so if corals are going to grow they will grow.
Right now I'm running my skimmer on full power no more half a day.
Nitrates were around 3ppm last time I checked (now I only checked once or twice a week)
Also got a new Carpenters Wrasse today also! Went into the store looking for some different fish food and boom saw this little dude and had to get him. Also picked up 2 packages of Cyclo-peeze. So corals will love that too

Ill try and post pics of corals when I can. Only issue I'm having is these small patches of algae and a lot of film algae, mostly because my urchin can't eat it because they are too small to get too or it on the glass. But other than that everything looks amazing. Going to try and post picture updates soon as I try and tone these lights in.
Lights are around 28 inches off the water line and putting more par than my previous 4x54w DIY >.> a little bit more powerful