Trey
Active Member
I am struggling to keep my phosphates elevated to a range that I have read is acceptable. Some of my tester acros and recent additions seem to be doing fine. I haven’t lost any since adding on February 1st ( minus a rainbow monti, who isn’t dead, but looks like crap). Several acros have grown/ encrusted, or even gained some color. While the red planet I added has almost completely browned out. To be fair, it was pretty gross looking when I got it, but all the green has turned to brown-red. My phosphates have been reading between 0 and 0.02. So far I have measured 4 times in 4 weeks. 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0. My goal is to get to 0.03 and above.
Some things I have done is stopped changing the mesh filter sock and filter cup pads (downstream of sock) every three days and at the same time. I extended to alternating the change out every five days. I have also increased feeding pellet food ( TDO chroma boost) in addition to the the normal large chunk of LRS I feed throughout the “day”. I feed a chunk of LRS about the size of a 50 cent piece over the course of 6 hours. I only have four small fish in my Waterbox 180.5. This I assure is not by design... I have been having a ton of trouble procuring fish with the quarantining retailer I have selected. I should be fully stocked by now with about 14 fish, but alas I am not.
I am feeding a lot more than my four fish need to be fed, and have considered a couple of things. Should I start dosing something like acro power, or Red Sea AB+? Aminos in general?
So my ultimate questions to you you are, 1. Can low phosphate lead to browning of acropora? And 2. What is the best way I can elevate my phosphates to an acceptable level.
Some things I have done is stopped changing the mesh filter sock and filter cup pads (downstream of sock) every three days and at the same time. I extended to alternating the change out every five days. I have also increased feeding pellet food ( TDO chroma boost) in addition to the the normal large chunk of LRS I feed throughout the “day”. I feed a chunk of LRS about the size of a 50 cent piece over the course of 6 hours. I only have four small fish in my Waterbox 180.5. This I assure is not by design... I have been having a ton of trouble procuring fish with the quarantining retailer I have selected. I should be fully stocked by now with about 14 fish, but alas I am not.
I am feeding a lot more than my four fish need to be fed, and have considered a couple of things. Should I start dosing something like acro power, or Red Sea AB+? Aminos in general?
So my ultimate questions to you you are, 1. Can low phosphate lead to browning of acropora? And 2. What is the best way I can elevate my phosphates to an acceptable level.
