High phos low trates, STN?

GK3

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
1,852
Reaction score
1,339
Location
Cincinnati
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
I never really did SPS before but decided to try on this build and make it a mixed reef. My tank was doing well with high growth in the SPS. Then one day everything turned. My SPS all died in a matter of weeks. My softies on the other hand we’re going nuts, crazy growth. I found that my nitrates were 0.1 and my phosphates were crazy high. Realized I think my roaphos was passed its usable life.

So does high phos lead to STN and and/or RTN? I assume this was it as I swapped the media and got the phos down but the deterioration continued.
 

tundraguy1106

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
656
Reaction score
206
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I never really did SPS before but decided to try on this build and make it a mixed reef. My tank was doing well with high growth in the SPS. Then one day everything turned. My SPS all died in a matter of weeks. My softies on the other hand we’re going nuts, crazy growth. I found that my nitrates were 0.1 and my phosphates were crazy high. Realized I think my roaphos was passed its usable life.

So does high phos lead to STN and and/or RTN? I assume this was it as I swapped the media and got the phos down but the deterioration continued.
Need more information. What are all your tank parameters... cal, alk, mag, salinity... I have a low nutrient system and had a spike in alk that caused some SPS to start dying. Low nutrient systems like lower alkalinity.
 
OP
OP
GK3

GK3

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
1,852
Reaction score
1,339
Location
Cincinnati
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Need more information. What are all your tank parameters... cal, alk, mag, salinity... I have a low nutrient system and had a spike in alk that caused some SPS to start dying. Low nutrient systems like lower alkalinity.
Cal always at 430ish
Alk 8-8.3
Salinity 1.026
Mag 1350
Temp 78.5

only thing that ever changed was when the deteriorating started calcium started to climb (which is expected since the corals weren’t using it as much). Currently dosing less than half the amount I used to in order to keep these levels.
 

tyryfin

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
47
Reaction score
59
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Another parameter you might want to check is iodine. I had a similar issue and sent my water to be tested and everything was good but iodine was .02 and it needs to be .06. I got the level increased and SPS and LPS that made it turned around almost immediately. I was changing 7 gallons a day using Fritz salt.
 
Back
Top