Need Help - Corals Look Pale

[Reefltx]

I use to use Red Sea to test nitrates and switched to salifert. Best thing I ever did. Easier to use and a more accurate reading.

I did the exact opposite, salifert is just too hard to read.

 

[KirstenB]

I used phosguard in my 65 gallon tank a few months back and like 4 days later a few of my lps corals started dying off all of a sudden. I thought... just drop in the bag it came in in the tank... and great... phosphate problem solved. Well after researching my coral issue I found that GFO was definitely the issue as well as how much GFO that was in the phosguard pouch was waaay too much for my system. Weekly WCs later and a few months and corals are bouncing back.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

I would suspect the 0 nitrate as the problem. Also be careful, when my nitrate hit zero on the checker I had dino issues.

 

[JCOLE]

I would suspect the 0 nitrate as the problem. Also be careful, when my nitrate hit zero on the checker I had dino issues.

How can I get my Nitrates up? I have dosed and tried feeding more and still at 0. I have mangroves and Chaeto so I dont know if that is helping keep it at 0.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

How can I get my Nitrates up? I have dosed and tried feeding more and still at 0. I have mangroves and Chaeto so I dont know if that is helping keep it at 0.

Most recommend to either get rid of the macro or cut the light period. I only have five small fish in a 200 gallon system and feeding would not do anything to raise the nitrates. I ended up dosing nitrate. What did you use to dose nitrate?

 

[JCOLE]

Most recommend to either get rid of the macro or cut the light period. I only have five small fish in a 200 gallon system and feeding would not do anything to raise the nitrates. I ended up dosing nitrate. What did you use to dose nitrate?

Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate I have premixed in a gallon jug of RODI.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate I have premixed in a gallon jug of RODI.

That’s the same one I use. I mixed mine up to make my volume go up by 5ppm for every 50ml

 

[DivingTheWorld]

You have a new tank with a bunch of dry rock and essentially no fish. I don't see how you will get any Nitrate reading unless you start dumping in tons of Nitrate. IMO, get rid of the chaeto. You can re-add it if you have a problem in the future. Start adding fish. With a tank your size I'd add some tangs. Those will really help. But slowly add fish, feed those fish, and as your tank matures the sps will do better. SPS need fish, or a LOT of dosing.

 

[JCOLE]

You have a new tank with a bunch of dry rock and essentially no fish. I don't see how you will get any Nitrate reading unless you start dumping in tons of Nitrate. IMO, get rid of the chaeto. You can re-add it if you have a problem in the future. Start adding fish. With a tank your size I'd add some tangs. Those will really help. But slowly add fish, feed those fish, and as your tank matures the sps will do better. SPS need fish, or a LOT of dosing.

I have been thinking of pulling the Chaeto. I dosed 5ppm of Nitrate at night then took a reading the next morning and nothing. My Chaeto grows like a weed and my fuge is busting through with Chaeto.

What about the Mangroves? They are starting to take off and really grow now.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I have been thinking of pulling the Chaeto. I dosed 5ppm of Nitrate at night then took a reading the next morning and nothing. My Chaeto grows like a weed and my fuge is busting through with Chaeto.

What about the Mangroves? They are starting to take off and really grow now.

I’m afraid I don’t know about mangroves and how much nutrients they might pull from the water. I’ll defer that question to someone with mangroves.

 

[JCOLE]

I read that Mangroves will pull Nitrates and Phosphates from the water to the point where the skimmer is almost not needed anymore. Whether it depends on quantity and duration I dont know.

I am going to pull the Chaeto today and keep the Mangroves to see if it helps to establish a reading.

 

[TX_Punisher]

How many mangroves are you growing out?

 

[Ike]

The only time I have seen Xenia family animals turn pale was related to too much lighting in range with the parameters you have listed.

It is the dandelion of the reef tank IMO

It's a fairly common response for xeniids to turn pale when aluminum based phosphate remover is used.

 

[Ike]

I read that Mangroves will pull Nitrates and Phosphates from the water to the point where the skimmer is almost not needed anymore. Whether it depends on quantity and duration I dont know.

I am going to pull the Chaeto today and keep the Mangroves to see if it helps to establish a reading.

Where did you read this? Most indications are that mangroves are pretty ineffective at pulling phosphorus and nitrogen from the water.

 

[JCOLE]

Where did you read this? Most indications are that mangroves are pretty ineffective at pulling phosphorus and nitrogen from the water.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/using-mangroves-for-nitrate-reduction-2921269

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/aafeature

These are the first two among many on a goodle search.

 

[Ike]

https://www.thesprucepets.com/using-mangroves-for-nitrate-reduction-2921269

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/aafeature

These are the first two among many on a goodle search.

There's nothing quantitative there. I also would suggest not putting too much faith in anything written by the Hauter's. I don't have time to search around right now, but somewhere out there there's some compelling information that shows how much more effective chaetomorpha is vs. mangroves at nutrient reduction as a result of growth rates.

Considering your issues I'd ditch the chaetomorpha and keep the mangroves if you like them.

 

[ckalupa]

I am unsure how many mangroves are needed to help but I have had a few at any time and not noticed any difference due to their presence. Lots of debate over their real benefit. If they were helpful I suspect we would see more of them available to us (pretty sporadic on their availability) but instead we see a movement more towards algae reactors over people building “mangrove reactors.”

 

[JCOLE]

How many mangroves are you growing out?

I have 5. I put them in about 3 months ago. I started dosing Sodium Nitrate and they started really taking off after dosing.

 

[JCOLE]

There's nothing quantitative there. I also would suggest not putting too much faith in anything written by the Hauter's. I don't have time to search around right now, but somewhere out there there's some compelling information that shows how much more effective chaetomorpha is vs. mangroves at nutrient reduction as a result of growth rates.

Considering your issues I'd ditch the chaetomorpha and keep the mangroves if you like them.

I am going to pull the Chaeto today and keep the Mangroves. My phosphates haven't really went down but the Mangroves have really started taken off once I started dosing Nitrates.

I will try it out and see.

 

[JCOLE]

I am unsure how many mangroves are needed to help but I have had a few at any time and not noticed any difference due to their presence. Lots of debate over their real benefit. If they were helpful I suspect we would see more of them available to us (pretty sporadic on their availability) but instead we see a movement more towards algae reactors over people building “mangrove reactors.”

Also, could be due to cultivating and ease of use of the Chaeto that's in favor. A lot easier to grab a chunk of Algae and throw it under some lights and let it do its thing than growing some trees.

Something is working that wont allow me to get my Nitrates to rise. The mangroves sat dormant without really any change for a couple months. Over the last month the mangroves have taken off right after I started dosing Sodium Nitrate. Maybe something there?