A little background:
- 7 years old 34gal mixed reef with mostly softies
- About 6 months ago started to switch to ULM in preparation for my next tank
- ATO, AWC, alk controlled dosing, and auto feeder
- Tank was fallow until mid Oct due to a Ick cross contamination
- Switched salts to accommodate Triton
- Other then Triton Core 7, I dose Reef Energy AB, and Vibrant occasionally to keep my very small amount of GHA in check (really just one small spot in the tank)
- Added a Candy Basslet over a month ago
- Added a Bella Gobi and Whitetail Bristletooth Tang two weeks ago
- Just moved my lone surviving clown to the tank
Since incremental AWC, tank has never looked better, was doing about 3% a day
As I'm preparing to be away from the tank for about 2 weeks, I'm reducing AWC by half so my small storage tank will stretch for that time...and using my new Hanna checkers to ensure everything is looking good.
Alk is a little high 9ish, my target is 8 (I've been fighting this unsuccessfully); calcium was in the 400s; salinity 1.025; PH 7.9-8.06 ( a little low due to high CO2 in home); could not get the Hanna Nitrate Checker to work (user error probably)....
And then I check Phosphate and double check it....and its .85ppm
I check my fresh Neomarine saltwater and find .06ppm (much higher than expected...but probably acceptable to go into a mature tank)
At .85ppm, I'd expect my Walt Disney, kung pow, and Jack-o-lantern frags to be complaining. They look great.
My only issues have been my Yuma and Ricordea mushrooms not doing so well. I assumed this was from having too low nutrients...and my newer zoas are not thriving. My older Palys are doing great. My 6 plus inch clam is happy as a clam, my bounce mushrooms are bouncing...
But .85ppm seems like way too high when most people target .1ppm as high.
Am I missing something? Should I work to reduce the Phosphate? Do I maybe have a Nitrate problem too?
I am sending water samples for ICP testing just to really see what's going on...but am quite surprised and perplexed by this unexpected reading.
- 7 years old 34gal mixed reef with mostly softies
- About 6 months ago started to switch to ULM in preparation for my next tank
- ATO, AWC, alk controlled dosing, and auto feeder
- Tank was fallow until mid Oct due to a Ick cross contamination
- Switched salts to accommodate Triton
- Other then Triton Core 7, I dose Reef Energy AB, and Vibrant occasionally to keep my very small amount of GHA in check (really just one small spot in the tank)
- Added a Candy Basslet over a month ago
- Added a Bella Gobi and Whitetail Bristletooth Tang two weeks ago
- Just moved my lone surviving clown to the tank
Since incremental AWC, tank has never looked better, was doing about 3% a day
As I'm preparing to be away from the tank for about 2 weeks, I'm reducing AWC by half so my small storage tank will stretch for that time...and using my new Hanna checkers to ensure everything is looking good.
Alk is a little high 9ish, my target is 8 (I've been fighting this unsuccessfully); calcium was in the 400s; salinity 1.025; PH 7.9-8.06 ( a little low due to high CO2 in home); could not get the Hanna Nitrate Checker to work (user error probably)....
And then I check Phosphate and double check it....and its .85ppm
I check my fresh Neomarine saltwater and find .06ppm (much higher than expected...but probably acceptable to go into a mature tank)
At .85ppm, I'd expect my Walt Disney, kung pow, and Jack-o-lantern frags to be complaining. They look great.
My only issues have been my Yuma and Ricordea mushrooms not doing so well. I assumed this was from having too low nutrients...and my newer zoas are not thriving. My older Palys are doing great. My 6 plus inch clam is happy as a clam, my bounce mushrooms are bouncing...
But .85ppm seems like way too high when most people target .1ppm as high.
Am I missing something? Should I work to reduce the Phosphate? Do I maybe have a Nitrate problem too?
I am sending water samples for ICP testing just to really see what's going on...but am quite surprised and perplexed by this unexpected reading.