20 Gallon high phosphates and coral help!

Bzelaznog · May 1, 2023

Hello,

I am wanting to hear from some experienced reefers and get some advice on how I should approach this situation.

I have noticed in the last 2-3 weeks small changes to my zoanthids, chalice, and overall look of my tank. Specifically, zoas seem to have a few heads close or barely open, used to look open and full, they are weak (I basted one of them and a polyp flew off without much force) and just not as full. My chalice is not growing very much and is lacking its color. Almost looks like it’s starting to shrivel. LFS told me phosphates were high a few weeks back, my phosphates were at 0.3 Ppm at that time, I added chemipure blue to the back of my AIO on Sunday, yesterday and today phosphates are 0.18. Nitrates remained the same. Should I leave chemipure blue nano or remove?

Recently added some corals and they look great but I want to make sure I’m doing things right for my first tank almost a year in.

Parameters

salinity: 1.025
Temp: 78-80
Phosphates: 0.18 ppm
Nitrates: 15-25 ppm
Alk: 8.3
Calc: 408
Magnesium: 1400
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0

Stephen8169301 · May 1, 2023

#reefsqad

ilikefish69 · May 1, 2023

What are you using to test your levels? Might be time to send off for an ICP test! Corals look pretty happy in your pictures. Chemi pure blue is a great product, will remove lots of things you don’t want in the water.

Bzelaznog · May 1, 2023

ilikefish69 said:
What are you using to test your levels? Might be time to send off for an ICP test! Corals look pretty happy in your pictures. Chemi pure blue is a great product, will remove lots of things you don’t want in the water.

I have a few free sample ICP tests from Reefapalooza, have been trying to decipher how to ship it out to them as the instructions are pretty poor lol I’ll get that done though.

I use Hannah checker for phos and Alk, NYOS test for nitrates, Red Sea for pretty much everything else. Also forgot to mention, the one picture with heavy blue is prior to all of this when they were looking great. You can see the pink zippers look huge and full.