I’ve discovered how to identify stressed or sensitive SPS

[plankton]

So, I’ve determined through thoughtful negligence of not testing phosphates regularly that if you up your carbon dosing scheme you can identity which corals are already stressed or just sensitive because they will RTN like crazy!

cool ... not

After noticing that first montipora polyps would retract at when I dosed carbon chain I backed off dosing but not before losing two torts.

I measured phosphates and sure enough they were 0.01 on Hanna ULR. Phosphate reading 2 weeks ago was 0.06

If you to want to find your sensitive corals or just want to stress them out then just quickly drop phosphates to near zero. Works great!

On the plus side I now know the tough, super resilient SPS like slimer that’s still branching, fluorescent green and happy.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Thanks for the advice! I guess

 

[plankton]

Any recommendations other than backing of carbon dosing and feeding my tank how to safely get phosphates back to normal and allow corals to adjust?

 

[ATAquariums]

Why were you carbon dosing?

 

[plankton]

Why were you carbon dosing?

Great question. I was dosing 1ml of RedSea NO3O4-X in my 25G lagoon with total water volume of 35G three months ago because phosphates were 0.08 and was getting hair algae. Mechanically removing hair algae plus dropping phosphates helped tremendously.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I hate nopox with sps
I use lanthium chloride to drop phosphates but only if they get above 0.35

 

[plankton]

Great polyp extension Charles. I’ve stopped dosing carbon, turned off skimmer and fed tank and will watch tank for a couple days to let phosphates come back a littl

‘I hate nopox with SPS’

Any particular reason why?

I’ve always had measurable phosphates because I also like fish and normally fish + SPS = good color. I brought phosphates down to control algae but was probably bad decision. I’d rather have a little algae and healthy corals.

 

[ATAquariums]

Great question. I was dosing 1ml of RedSea NO3O4-X in my 25G lagoon with total water volume of 35G three months ago because phosphates were 0.08 and was getting hair algae. Mechanically removing hair algae plus dropping phosphates helped tremendously.

I’ve carbon dosed and used nopox with no issues. You are welcome to check out my corals on my site as a reference. So you were trying to remove hair algae? That’s why you carbon Dosed this system?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Great polyp extension Charles. I’ve stopped dosing carbon, turned off skimmer and fed tank and will watch tank for a couple days to let phosphates come back a littl

‘I hate nopox with SPS’

Any particular reason why?

I’ve always had measurable phosphates because I also like fish and normally fish + SPS = good color. I brought phosphates down to control algae but was probably bad decision. I’d rather have a little algae and healthy corals.

I hate it bc it caused Stn on all my Tenuis
I stopped nopox/carbon dosing and the Stn stopped.

 

[plankton]

I hate it bc it caused Stn on all my Tenuis
I stopped nopox/carbon dosing and the Stn stopped.

Thx lesson learned. I’ve stopped dosing and I’ll just live with the little bit of algae that’s growing on a couple rocks.

 

[Greg P]

So, I’ve determined through thoughtful negligence of not testing phosphates regularly that if you up your carbon dosing scheme you can identity which corals are already stressed or just sensitive because they will RTN like crazy!

cool ... not

After noticing that first montipora polyps would retract at when I dosed carbon chain I backed off dosing but not before losing two torts.

I measured phosphates and sure enough they were 0.01 on Hanna ULR. Phosphate reading 2 weeks ago was 0.06

If you to want to find your sensitive corals or just want to stress them out then just quickly drop phosphates to near zero. Works great!

On the plus side I now know the tough, super resilient SPS like slimer that’s still branching, fluorescent green and happy.

Not any scale for judging SPS health.