Water too clean???

[Thor2j]

My tank is 140 gallons with sump, about 115 gallons water. Set up for 2 months with 140lbs live rock fully cured, never cyled. All is well. My phosphates have been kind of high for a while and have been trying to keep it in check to control algae. Just normal diatoms on rock, sand, and glass. A little bid of red here and there but brushes right off. Put a gfo reactor in with rowa phos. Was running around 10-12ppm still. Switched a week ago to brs high capacity GFO because it wouldn't lower anymore. Now I got zero. 2nd test showed 4 on Hanna ULR so thats .01 first test showed 0.

My question is now I have 2 Nitrate and zeroish phosphates. In my tank I have 3 zoas, 2 mushrooms, and 3 different torches. Is my water too clean?? If so should I just feed more reef roids, fish food maybe. I have 2 small clowns, 6 lines wrasse, and medium naso tang.

Everything seems ok but wondering since it recently cleaned up will it head down hill.

Temp 77-78
Calcium 410
DkH 8.9
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.1
Ammonia and nitrites 0

 

[twilliard]

Looking good there my friend!
I would feed like you normally would do.

 

[CodyRVA]

I think your corals will be your best indication. I had ULN for a while and my toadstool turned pale yellow vs the yellow/green it normally is. I slowly fed more and more, out of fear of over doing it, and my colors really came out in my coral. So, if you notice a lack in color or recession of color, feed heavier; find the happy spot.

 

[GainesvilleReef]

if you are still getting cyano it's not too clean. Just leave it alone for a while and monitor it. Don't let you phosphates go to 0.0. Your cyano should clear up on it's own. I would vacuum it out to speed it on it's way. One of the hardest things to learn in this hobby is not to do too much. Make changes one at a time and give your tank several weeks to see if the adjustment works. Mike Palleta said it best, "Nothing good in a reef tank happens fast".

 

[Thor2j]

if you are still getting cyano it's not too clean. Just leave it alone for a while and monitor it. Don't let you phosphates go to 0.0. Your cyano should clear up on it's own. I would vacuum it out to speed it on it's way. One of the hardest things to learn in this hobby is not to do too much. Make changes one at a time and give your tank several weeks to see if the adjustment works. Mike Palleta said it best, "Nothing good in a reef tank happens fast".

My cyano is literally about 6 spots 2mmX2mm nothing I could vacuum. Brushes right off though

 

[CodyRVA]

My cyano is literally about 6 spots 2mmX2mm nothing I could vacuum. Brushes right off though

If you clean it today and it comes back at all, then it's likely you don't have a low nutrient issue.

 

[Thor2j]

If you clean it today and it comes back at all, then it's likely you don't have a low nutrient issue.

Yes, I cleaned it yesterday and they came back already

 

[Thor2j]

Do u think silica is feeding the algae or do u think since it's recently "clean" it just takes a while?

 

[fab]

I had ULN for a while and

What is ULN?

 

[bubbaque]

Ultra low nutrients

 

[fab]

Thank you. Where did that acronym come from?

 

[donnievaz]

Thank you. Where did that acronym come from?

Probably the first person that didn't feel like typing out "ultra low nutrients"...

 

[donnievaz]

Yes, I cleaned it yesterday and they came back already

It could be the rock it's on. I had a rock a few years ago that just grew hair algae. The rest of the tank could be pristine but this one piece of rock would always have it growing on it. I finally got frustrated and dipped in a peroxide bath (I don't remember the ratio of water to peroxide). That killed it off for awhile but it eventually came back and I got rid of the rock.

 

[mcarroll]

@Thor2j I like the advice you got in this thread.

Did you ever increase your feeding and how did that work out?

If you already feel that you are at your maximum for feeding, the alternative is to dose something in liquid form such is potassium nitrate and or amino acids.

How is the polyp looking today?

 

[mcarroll]

And what are your current phosphate and nitrate members if you know them offhand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do u think silica is feeding the algae or do u think since it's recently "clean" it just takes a while?

Silicate doesn't "feed" algae. Diatoms consume it, but diatoms have the same need for N and P, and they happen to also need silicate.

 

[Thor2j]

And what are your current phosphate and nitrate members if you know them offhand?

Phosphate has been 0 for a while. Pulled gfo 6 days ago. Sitting at 0.01.

I'm same person with diatom thread.

 

[mcarroll]

Any nitrates?

And what's your feeding situation currently?

 

[Thor2j]

Any nitrates?

And what's your feeding situation currently?

Feed 1/2 cube mysis and about 1/4"x1x4" piece of herbivore frenzy. Also clip 2x2 Nori. Then pm 1/3 cube mysis. All food is gone in 30 seconds.

7 fish. Med naso, med foxface, 2 clown, 2 anthias, 6 line. Lots of cuc

 

[mcarroll]

Nitrate Test
I'm going to assume you're getting zero ppm's on a nitrates test.

Based on what you described, it seems like you could feed more. Do you agree?

Additional Feeding
If you have more room to feed, do so. My feeling is to just try adding one more serving per day of any one of those food options you mentioned.

You may even have quite a bit more room to feed, but just a moderate change being the idea for now.

See if the additional fish byproducts (ammonium and urea being just a couple of them) are enough to make that coral happier.

If you haven't considered adding live food to your repertoire, now would be a fine time to start feeding blackworms or newly hatched brine shrimp, just to name two possibilities.

Liquid Nutrients
If you don't feel you have more room to feed, then consider KNO3 dosing or amino acids. I think KNO3 would be preferred.

I also wouldn't feel bad about letting PO4 get up as high as 0.50 ppm or so. There are liquid additives you can use as-needed here too if feeding more isn't an option.

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