Hey Friends!
I have a couple acropora frags in my reef tank and they never seem to be happy (constantly browned/faded colors, but still encrusting/growing slowly). They've been in there about a year.
All other corals (especially Montiporas) are doing well. I keep my parameters around this at most times:
Alk: 9
Calc: 430
Phos: 0.1 (sometimes less, after a Phos-X dose)
Magnesium: ~1300
Nitrate: 0 (measured by Red Sea Kits - I haven't seen it detectable in a year or two, using multiple brands of kits)
120g Display - 250g total system
Rare water changes
Feed a cube of Mysis Shrimp, twice daily (increased on purpose to drive up Nitrates)
I've played with lighting and other factors and now believe Nitrate is the issue.... which I think my Chaeto situation may be at play.
With my Chaeto, I essentially let it grow up to the point where it'd almost fill up a 5 gallon bucket (I have a 120g refugium), rip off 3/4 of it and throw it away... and then let that remaining 1/4 grow back up over the course of a month or two until it's a big amount again. Am I right in assuming the Chaeto may be sucking up most of the nitrate availability and what is the considered 'best practice' in regards to managing chaeto growth to keep nitrates consistently low, and available for Corals.
I have a couple acropora frags in my reef tank and they never seem to be happy (constantly browned/faded colors, but still encrusting/growing slowly). They've been in there about a year.
All other corals (especially Montiporas) are doing well. I keep my parameters around this at most times:
Alk: 9
Calc: 430
Phos: 0.1 (sometimes less, after a Phos-X dose)
Magnesium: ~1300
Nitrate: 0 (measured by Red Sea Kits - I haven't seen it detectable in a year or two, using multiple brands of kits)
120g Display - 250g total system
Rare water changes
Feed a cube of Mysis Shrimp, twice daily (increased on purpose to drive up Nitrates)
I've played with lighting and other factors and now believe Nitrate is the issue.... which I think my Chaeto situation may be at play.
With my Chaeto, I essentially let it grow up to the point where it'd almost fill up a 5 gallon bucket (I have a 120g refugium), rip off 3/4 of it and throw it away... and then let that remaining 1/4 grow back up over the course of a month or two until it's a big amount again. Am I right in assuming the Chaeto may be sucking up most of the nitrate availability and what is the considered 'best practice' in regards to managing chaeto growth to keep nitrates consistently low, and available for Corals.