Zero po4 all the time

[becon776]

Hi guys, long time reefer here (2001). Latest build is reefer 450 and in this tank I've decided to go heavy on sps.

This has been a LONG road with Marco Rock. (A whole other talk show) when I have always used real fiji. Tank is 3 yrs. Up until Christmas was dealing with a long war with GHA And sanded algae. Doubled down and poof.. tank seems finally stable and mature.
Of course I started with the easy stuff and some have grown into decent colonies (stylos, monti) ready to move to some higher end pieces.
My question is this tank has almost NEVER registered a po4 value. No matter what or how often I feed. Zero on the Hanna. I scrape the algae from the glass daily other wise algae problems gone. I get skimmate, chato grows slowly. The only time I registered reading was when I was dosing PO4 (blasphemy for an old schooler lol). Should I be concerned? Nervous to add higher end frags.
Rsr 450
ReefLED 90 X'S 3
trigger platinum sump with rollermat
Alk ~8 Ca~420 mg 1279 (currently slowly raising) dosing brs 3 part. 30 ml per day alk.
PO4 - 0.00 (HANNA)
N03 -3ppm Nyos
PH - 8.1 night -8.3 day
Neptune Gro over fuge
Will add some tank shots tomorrow. Light are out now

 

[Lavey29]

Hi guys, long time reefer here (2001). Latest build is reefer 450 and in this tank I've decided to go heavy on sps.

This has been a LONG road with Marco Rock. (A whole other talk show) when I have always used real fiji. Tank is 3 yrs. Up until Christmas was dealing with a long war with GHA And sanded algae. Doubled down and poof.. tank seems finally stable and mature.
Of course I started with the easy stuff and some have grown into decent colonies (stylos, monti) ready to move to some higher end pieces.
My question is this tank has almost NEVER registered a po4 value. No matter what or how often I feed. Zero on the Hanna. I scrape the algae from the glass daily other wise algae problems gone. I get skimmate, chato grows slowly. The only time I registered reading was when I was dosing PO4 (blasphemy for an old schooler lol). Should I be concerned? Nervous to add higher end frags.
Rsr 450
ReefLED 90 X'S 3
trigger platinum sump with rollermat
Alk ~8 Ca~420 mg 1279 (currently slowly raising) dosing brs 3 part. 30 ml per day alk.
PO4 - 0.00 (HANNA)
N03 -3ppm Nyos
PH - 8.1 night -8.3 day
Neptune Gro over fuge
Will add some tank shots tomorrow. Light are out now

Seems like you are running an ULN system. Your Hanna has a plus or minus error too. Maybe get an ICP to confirm. If your existing corals are thriving then why change it up? I typically have 20 ppm nitrate and .14 phosphate in mostly LPS and 7 SPS.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi,

If you are getting algae you have PO4. No way around it. It may not be showing, the algae may be using it up before you can measure it in the water column, but it is there. Maybe an ICP, but I’d things are working a small frag test would be ok 8n my opinion

 

[becon776]

After the battle I had with gha I am traumatized lol. However, if I am ginna intri homewrecker and little red Ferrari I jist want to make sure things are kosher. I feel like I am at a place where easier sps I put in base out, then color up. Some are getting annoying (reverse super monti which I think wants to take over the tank). But those are the easy ones.

 

[jmichaelh7]

How do you not get Dino’s ?

 

[ScottB]

After the battle I had with gha I am traumatized lol. However, if I am ginna intri homewrecker and little red Ferrari I jist want to make sure things are kosher. I feel like I am at a place where easier sps I put in base out, then color up. Some are getting annoying (reverse super monti which I think wants to take over the tank). But those are the easy ones.

Maybe start with a few small no-name staghorn pieces before going straight to homewrecker.

Or even some middling stuff like pink caddy, tricolor valida, etc.

 

[becon776]

Pics

 

[becon776]

How do you not get Dino’s ?

Oh when I started I tried ti go full triton method and I got them.... twice. Once bioti got established they were all done. Had to dose po4 and no3 for a while coupled with blackout.

 

[Garf]

How do you not get Dino’s ?

Dino’s are not a given at low phos levels.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Personally id turn down the skimmer and reduce the lighting intensity and/or time on for the fuge. But that's just me, i dont like seeing 0 nutrients. Others have had success with similar readings with uln tanks so if everything's looking good and growing well you can just keep doing what you're doing. I would however for sure feed corals heavily at those levels.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Dino’s are not a given at low phos levels.

I just checked I’m at 0 nutrients per Hanna checker. I am concerned now this never happens

 

[becon776]

I really think the consensus of the reef gods is lack of biodiversity. Why? One reason.... dry rock. Nobody even heard of dino's back in the 5$/lb fiji days. I only say this because many have gotten them that have higher nutrients.

I read zero but am feeding pellet on auto feeder 2xs per day and frozen at night. Cleaned glass twice today.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I really think the consensus of the reef gods is lack of biodiversity. Why? One reason.... dry rock. Nobody even heard of dino's back in the 5$/lb fiji days. I only say this because many have gotten them that have higher nutrients.

I read zero but am feeding pellet on auto feeder 2xs per day and frozen at night. Cleaned glass twice today.

I’m cleaning my glass daily too. So that means there is nutrients right ?

frozen x3 a day, flakes x1 .

 

[Garf]

I really think the consensus of the reef gods is lack of biodiversity. Why? One reason.... dry rock. Nobody even heard of dino's back in the 5$/lb fiji days. I only say this because many have gotten them that have higher nutrients.

I read zero but am feeding pellet on auto feeder 2xs per day and frozen at night. Cleaned glass twice today.

News flash, there were Dino’s 20years ago. It was when nobody acknowledged it due to shame.

 

[Lavey29]

News flash, there were Dino’s 20years ago. It was when nobody acknowledged it due to shame.

Lol but you couldn't tell 10000 of your reefing buddies either with the swipe of a finger.

 

[becon776]

News flash, there were Dino’s 20years ago. It was when nobody acknowledged it due to shame.

Sure they existed but seldom got off the runway. They are really ****** competitors. Newer research is showing that lack of a robust and diverse bacterial and micrifauna population. Dino's are opportunistic by their nature.
Anecdotally, I have been reefing since 2001. Many builds. Never a single Dino reared it's head. Until the newest... with dry rock. Can say that it's bc the live rock system was moderate nutrient from. The beginning but I had a 55 gallon refugium with halides lighting it and fast growing caulerpa cineexted to a 125. My nutrients were lower than low. Again no Dino.
Just interesting that's all. Its was rarer than rare ti have a Dino outbreak prior to the collection ban.

 

[Greg P]

I'd start with daily NO3 and PO4 additions/testing before and after

 

[Garf]

Lol but you couldn't tell 10000 of your reefing buddies either with the swipe of a finger.

It’s a different world now, not all good

Sure they existed but seldom got off the runway. They are really ****** competitors. Newer research is showing that lack of a robust and diverse bacterial and micrifauna population. Dino's are opportunistic by their nature.
Anecdotally, I have been reefing since 2001. Many builds. Never a single Dino reared it's head. Until the newest... with dry rock. Can say that it's bc the live rock system was moderate nutrient from. The beginning but I had a 55 gallon refugium with halides lighting it and fast growing caulerpa cineexted to a 125. My nutrients were lower than low. Again no Dino.
Just interesting that's all. Its was rarer than rare ti have a Dino outbreak prior to the collection ban.

i would add that the dry rock only adds surface area. It has nowt to do with lack of biodiversity, that lies elsewhere.

 

[Lavey29]

It’s a different world now, not all good

i would add that the dry rock only adds surface area. It has nowt to do with lack of biodiversity, that lies elsewhere.

Agree, not all good at all

 

[becon776]

I remember sitting on reef central for HOURS though. It seemed a lot less serious and more fun. Now it seems that every other person has 3 frag tanks and trying to make it a side hustle.
Our local club used to be a bunch of buddies we have meets and beer a pizza at a host members pad. Check out his tank talk about plans and challenges. People would prearrange trades and buys. All low key.
Now it seems like a swap meet. Kinda sad Our local club is just an online business now.