So having what I think is rusty ??dinoish/filament algae growth on the sand. Which isn't a big issue for me. I am more or less interested in keeping nitrates up at 5 ppm and reducing phosphates 0.05 ppm for what is coined as "balanced". Things will probably resolve on their own. I just want the proper ratios.
At this point I am doing restrictive feeding of my fish. I cannot increase my NO3 beyond , but phosphates are still presenting at 0.1 ppm (Hanna ULR and LR). Even when I do feed heavier, my levels don't budge, and I get more algae and need to clean the glass more.
Should I dose nitrate? Will my phosphates balance if I drive up NO3?
System details --
At this point I am doing restrictive feeding of my fish. I cannot increase my NO3 beyond , but phosphates are still presenting at 0.1 ppm (Hanna ULR and LR). Even when I do feed heavier, my levels don't budge, and I get more algae and need to clean the glass more.
Should I dose nitrate? Will my phosphates balance if I drive up NO3?
System details --
- JBJ 28 Gal, no hood
- A Rapid LED Corona Light (lol I know) about equivalent to an Ecotech 4
- running a modified AB+ light schedule on 10 hours per day
- 1 inch of sand
- no skimmer
- no weekly water changes
- 5 months old
- BrightWell Export Cubes in back chambers
- High Flow from Jebao Puck Style Pump
- Supplements
- Dosing Tropic Marin All For Reef -- 3.0~4.0 mL per day
- Dosing BrightWell Coral Amino -- 2 mL per day
- Feeding fish every 2 days
- Chemistry
- Alk 8dkh Calcium 480 ppm
- alk drops 0.3 dKH per day
- Nitrates 0.0 to 0.2 ppm
- Phosphates consistent at 0.1
- 35 ppt
- Alk 8dkh Calcium 480 ppm
- Observations
- Good coral growth and color - mostly SPS.
- Polyp expansion is good
- Water clarity is good.
- Cleaning the glass daily
- Filament algae is growing on glass
- Rusty on the sand