How much PO4 is high level?

[Tripod1404]

But if we speak about LPS?

Which LPS specifically? Most fleshy types of LPS won’t get better color by reducing nutrients (granted they are not browned out). At best they will get more translucent.

 

[MiZuboov]

Phosphate over 0.9
Nitrates 52



Edit: I feel like I should provide some insight.

It's clear that corals don't mind the elevated nutrients, it seems that the reason for people shouting N and P need to be low, is to keep algae at bay. But I tend to look at a tank with overgrown algae and say, "you don't have an algae problem, you have a herbivore problem" meaning you don't have enough herbivores to keep algae down.

Should you strive for lower nutrients? Depends, if your tank is still new, then you want to monitor and maybe control, but as it matures and you have adequate herbivore population, then why fight it?

It's better to allow your tank to find its natural balance than having to constantly add some chemical to lower/raise a parameter.

I reread your message and I don't understand... Why aren't my corals growing?
I also have high N and P, but the rest of the parameters are normal (ICP test). I only dose All for reef and all parameters are normal. Except N and P. I sinned into the light, but then I put on the Radion XE 30 Pro G5 and nothing got better at all.
Yes, some corals grow, but, for example, the Montipora, which reefers are growing quickly in very large plates, has not grown at all in six months! I decided to add more white light, let's see what happens...
At the same time, the heads of some Euphyllias periodically die off, they do not always open completely.
Cyphastrea, gonioporas, leptastreas, zoanthus are doing well and even growing.
But, for example, favites does not grow at all. The micromussa does not grow at all. Blastomussa Wellsii is not growing. The fungia is not growing. The only thing that grows well is a green plate with yellow mouths. But at the same time, other chalices - purple with yellow mouths and echinopora - doesn't grow at all. I don't understand what they lack for growth. Maybe I'm dosing low on trace elements? But the ICP test says that everything is fine...
Last test is so (ocean in the brackets):
dKh I'm keeping 10,2-10,5..
Na 10,1 (10,5)
Cl 18,6 (19,5)
Salinity 33,5 (30-40)
Mg 1260 (1300)
Ca 400 (410)
K 405 (380)
Br 66 (66)
Sr 7,8 (8)
B 4 (4,6)
SiO2 364 (2900)
PO4 0,7 (0,09)
Li 160 (180)
Al 33 (1) - GFO??
Ba 110 (21)
Fe <20 (3,4)
Mn 0,34 (0,4)
I 82 (60)
Cu <5 (0,9)
Zn 17 (2)
Co 0,16 (0,37)
Ni 0,5 (6,6)
Rb 92 (120)
As 6,7 (2,6)
Cd 0,16 (0,11)
Hg <0,5 (0,15)
Pb <0,5 (0,03)

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Why aren't my corals growing?

That's the billion dollar question most hobbyists wrestle with.

There's a lot more to it than sending in water samples and gaging the results.

I can tell you that the eye opening moment for me was when I turned my attention to pH. My tanks average was well below 8.00. And although I could keep corals alive, I couldn't see much growth.

Now that I maintain ~8.30 24/7, everything turned around.

I'm not saying that's the sole reason for my personal success. There's so much more to it that can't be learned by reading posts, believing marketing and listening to influencers. You have to learn through experience.

Even my oversimplification of "it's pH" can get you in trouble. If someone tells you this is easy, you should squint and tilt your head at everything else they say.

 

[MiZuboov]

That's the billion dollar question most hobbyists wrestle with.

There's a lot more to it than sending in water samples and gaging the results.

I can tell you that the eye opening moment for me was when I turned my attention to pH. My tanks average was well below 8.00. And although I could keep corals alive, I couldn't see much growth.

Now that I maintain ~8.30 24/7, everything turned around.

I'm not saying that's the sole reason for my personal success. There's so much more to it that can't be learned by reading posts, believing marketing and listening to influencers. You have to learn through experience.

Even my oversimplification of "it's pH" can get you in trouble. If someone tells you this is easy, you should squint and tilt your head at everything else they say.

Okay! I will do pH test more precisely.
How to increase the pH? More effective skimmer, oxydator, algae filter?)
How do you increase your pH?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Okay! I will do pH test more precisely.

Get yourself a pH monitor that way you can watch it continuously.

How to increase the pH?

There are numerous ways to do this. A quick search will provide a more accurate list.

But for starters you can do the easy steps like open windows, plumb your skimmer air intake outside.

You can also throw money at it with CO2 scrubber.

How do you increase your pH?
Thanks a lot!

I dose calcium hydroxide to the tank based on pH. If the pH drops, calcium hydroxide is dosed.

This is not a traditional way to do it and if done incorrectly can have negative effects.

 

[Eastside reefer]

Mine at .5 no problems

 

[Beachbilly]

Phosphate over 0.9
Nitrates 52



Edit: I feel like I should provide some insight.

It's clear that corals don't mind the elevated nutrients, it seems that the reason for people shouting N and P need to be low, is to keep algae at bay. But I tend to look at a tank with overgrown algae and say, "you don't have an algae problem, you have a herbivore problem" meaning you don't have enough herbivores to keep algae down.

Should you strive for lower nutrients? Depends, if your tank is still new, then you want to monitor and maybe control, but as it matures and you have adequate herbivore population, then why fight it?

It's better to allow your tank to find its natural balance than having to constantly add some chemical to lower/raise a parameter.

How old is your system?

 

[DarthRaiderBob]

Gonna jump in here and see what folks think, I'm working on getting these down right now but just got hanna testers so tested this evening, waiting on nitrate reagent for one of them.
Ph 8.5
Alk 12.7
Po4 .87
Nitrate last I tested was between 20 and 25 ( I'm not great with colors so somewhere between the 2) with salifert
Should I primarily be watching my po4?

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

How old is your system?

Started June 2018

 

[bubbgee]

Having run mixed reef tanks, softie dominated tanks and LPS are fine in high PO4 environments. It's only SPS that will struggle (growth and color). The examples I've seen with large SPS tanks with high PO4 are huge colonies at that point that will benefit from slower growth so that does not appear to be an issue. If you are growing from frags (like an LFS), you'll need the PO4 to be low as you can possibly get without causing other problems.

 

[Beachbilly]

Do you skim? If I do in my 18mo system 12hr cycles on/off I have to use phyto daily aminos 2×wkly besides feeding. My skimmer is rated for a larger tank. If you have a sump I'd skim to lower nutrient before using gfo but monitor time it's running.

 

[Beachbilly]

Today was .14 p04 I try for below .10 but I have no acros so I don't worry