My 30 mixed reef is two years old. I started with "life" rock and it seemed to take a year before I achieved real stability and progress. I perform water changes with NSW, skim, have some macro growing in my display, run a small amount of rowaphos and carbon in a tiny AIO uv sterilizer, and dose AFR. Have 3 fish, CUC and I am fairly packed with Ricordia, LPS and SPS. When I added my 3rd fish, a Sunburst Anthias I started feeding mysis. Phosphates run from .03 to .1 Nitrates now from my sweet spot of 20 to 35... to 40ppm. I do want to lower them a bit. The anthias is eating more flake now so less mysis.
So I added Brightwell cubes to a chamber in my sump and have seen no Nitrate lowering this last month. My Alkalinity has dropped from very stable between 8.1 and 8.7, to 7 and my Calcium is 465 on my Hanna. I have seen a big increase in coralline algae that may be responsible for this. I added a bit of TR Balling Part B. And I am planning to add some Brightwell Reef Biofuel bc I think I may be carbon limited. The question is...Is my plan solid???? Let phosphate rise a bit by decreasing my rowaphos amount and schedule, aid bio cubes by providing carbon, allow them to consume NO3 and increase Alkalinity while bolstering the AFR with a small amount of TM Balling Part B?!? How does the plan sound???
So I added Brightwell cubes to a chamber in my sump and have seen no Nitrate lowering this last month. My Alkalinity has dropped from very stable between 8.1 and 8.7, to 7 and my Calcium is 465 on my Hanna. I have seen a big increase in coralline algae that may be responsible for this. I added a bit of TR Balling Part B. And I am planning to add some Brightwell Reef Biofuel bc I think I may be carbon limited. The question is...Is my plan solid???? Let phosphate rise a bit by decreasing my rowaphos amount and schedule, aid bio cubes by providing carbon, allow them to consume NO3 and increase Alkalinity while bolstering the AFR with a small amount of TM Balling Part B?!? How does the plan sound???
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