Help with SPS in my tank

[arking_mark]

So PO4 is getting consumed in my tank very quickly. I'll be monitoring daily for awhile to ensure enough feeding is happening. I think I need more fish!

 

[arking_mark]

Interesting I'm now seeing some "threads" on one of my oldest corals:

Kinda looks like shedding maybe?

Should I post as a separate thread?

 

[Dana Riddle]

The 150+ minimum suggestion is what my SPS were receiving. Could the lower lighting explain lack of PE in your opinion?

No, I don't think lighting is the issue. In low light, many corals greatly expand polyps to capture light, and contract them for self-shading when light is too high. There was a study done years ago (not by me) that examined water flow (velocity) and polyp expansion. This study found that, when flow was low and rates of particle capture was also low, that *some* corals would not expend the energy in keeping polyps open. In general, many modern reef aquaria do not have enough water flow. For example, I bought a beautiful green Seriatopora and placed in high flow. It is so fuzzy now that the green fluorescence is hidden. There are areas on the tank's bottom where sand is blown around and the bare bottom shows. But there is no, or very little, detritus in the sand bed. I can stir it and only the fine sand particles are suspended.

 

[arking_mark]

No, I don't think lighting is the issue. In low light, many corals greatly expand polyps to capture light, and contract them for self-shading when light is too high. There was a study done years ago (not by me) that examined water flow (velocity) and polyp expansion. This study found that, when flow was low and rates of particle capture was also low, that *some* corals would not expend the energy in keeping polyps open. In general, many modern reef aquaria do not have enough water flow. For example, I bought a beautiful green Seriatopora and placed in high flow. It is so fuzzy now that the green fluorescence is hidden. There are areas on the tank's bottom where sand is blown around and the bare bottom shows. But there is no, or very little, detritus in the sand bed. I can stir it and only the fine sand particles are suspended.

Focusing in on "...when flow was low and rates of particle capture was also low, that *some* corals would not expend the energy in keeping polyps open." My no PE could be a low flow issue or possibly that particulate capture is not a viable energy source indicating that my tank's nutrients aren't there yet. This could be because the tanks biodiversity isn't mature enough yet or because my tank seems to want to run ULN.

 

[arking_mark]

Just a quick follow-up. I've gotten my NO3/PO4 up through heavy feeding and have added more fish. NO3 is now between 3-5 and PO4 is now 0.3ish.

Unfortunately for the coral, I added my favorite fish...an Orange Spotted Filefish. So the coral now has a reason for no PE.

 

[Stain]

Interesting I'm now seeing some "threads" on one of my oldest corals:
Kinda looks like shedding maybe?

Looks like the mesenterial filaments. There seems to be something very 'funky' going on with your water.

 

[arking_mark]

Looks like the mesenterial filaments. There seems to be something very 'funky' going on with your water.

What are mesenterial filaments? They seem to be showing up in the late afternoons and then disappear.

 

[Stain]

string like extensions of the mesenteries. Opinions vary on what it means, im on the boat of 'stress' though. You have any bite marks on the acro's with no pe/me's out?

 

[arking_mark]

string like extensions of the mesenteries. Opinions vary on what it means, im on the boat of 'stress' though. You have any bite marks on the acro's with no pe/me's out?

Not that I can tell.

 

[ovicez2004]

Ah okay good, that is how it works but it seems to suck out phosphate and nitrate hilariously fast, I'm not sure how - I think the biopolymers stimulate anerobic bacteria already present or something? I found unless I kept an eye on nutrients that using reef actif was more detrimental at the time I was using it with low phosphate, but one can also see corals like stylophora and to a degree some of the larger polyp acropora catching it.

Yeah you likely are fine for trace, I found issues with AFR for trace elements but my coral load is very, very high given the water volume, so it's likely that

I used (at the time) easylife Fosfo, I use brightwell neophos now, it seems to be a better mix of salts and they are able to uptake easier.

The mix as a vector I got as a recommendation from Thomas Pohl directly, he advised it for dosing potassium when the corals show high potassium deficency, as the solution of FWS can be taken up through the coral skin easily, adding another element to this allows that element to also be taken up - I have tested this a lot, and with elements like bromine dosing without any water flow will cause the areas that are direct-dosed to bleach over the course of a few hours, it's very effective. Coral booster reacts with FWS and seems to be more reactive in this sense vs just using FWS, but in my experimentation mixing with FWS was the important part

Hello. I want to ask you something: is Easylife Fosfo safe for reef tank? In Romania is the only Phosphate additive there is... and on the label it say for freshwater aquariums. If you use it withno problems in reef tank will be a great news for me. Thank you for your answer.