Shrinking polyps on my octospawn, please help!

[Shirak]

You said par was at 135? That's not enough to cause issues you describe. I think this is absolutely a water chemistry issue with swings in some things and the phosphate bottoming out. Keep target feeding and let the phosphates come up to about .08-.1
I would also bump the Mg up faster. Just get some epsom salt from the drug store for this. You can go up by 100ppm a day without any issue.

https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[Spare time]

Amazon just brought my phosphate test, and I have zero. I just built a refugium a couple weeks ago. I was doing 2g water changes every day until last week when the nitrates started to reduce without any water change. I'm testing daily. Tank cycled in August. I dose alk, calcium, shrimp nutrients, and magnesium as of 2 days ago. Lighting is popbloom rl90 turned way down to ~70 PAR. I had it at 135 PAR but noticed polyp recession about 7 or 8 days ago. I have carbon, gfo and filter floss. I'll do a 20% in the morning and see what happens. Thank you so very much!

P.S. I also dose chaeto-gro

What phosphate test? The link doesn't work.

 

[CrashTestBennie]

You said par was at 135? That's not enough to cause issues you describe. I think this is absolutely a water chemistry issue with swings in some things and the phosphate bottoming out. Keep target feeding and let the phosphates come up to about .08-.1
I would also bump the Mg up faster. Just get some epsom salt from the drug store for this. You can go up by 100ppm a day without any issue.

https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Thank you, I'll get some now!

 

[CrashTestBennie]

What phosphate test? The link doesn't work.

I didn't post a link. It just highlighted Amazon for some reason. Salifert

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

IMO 70 par is way too low for any euphyllia....

3 month old tank and dosing so many things, I counted 5 different things!!?? There is no need in such a new tank with low load of corals.

You mention your phosphate is zero but you are using gfo? It doesn't make sense.

Something is wrong with your filtration or habits to have nitrate so high like that. I'm surprised your not more concerned about this.

I think you are tying to do too much, in a tank that's too new. You have to let the tank settle down and find balance.

^^^THIS^^^

 

[CrashTestBennie]

You said par was at 135? That's not enough to cause issues you describe. I think this is absolutely a water chemistry issue with swings in some things and the phosphate bottoming out. Keep target feeding and let the phosphates come up to about .08-.1
I would also bump the Mg up faster. Just get some epsom salt from the drug store for this. You can go up by 100ppm a day without any issue.

https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Thank you so very much for that link! The individual who created that is a hero. I can't thank you enough...

 

[CrashTestBennie]

IMO 70 par is way too low for any euphyllia....

3 month old tank and dosing so many things, I counted 5 different things!!?? There is no need in such a new tank with low load of corals.

You mention your phosphate is zero but you are using gfo? It doesn't make sense.

Something is wrong with your filtration or habits to have nitrate so high like that. I'm surprised your not more concerned about this.

I think you are tying to do too much, in a tank that's too new. You have to let the tank settle down and find balance.

It was most definitely the GFO, thank you! I'm sure bumping up the lights didn't hurt either. I really appreciate it.

 

[CrashTestBennie]

IMO 70 par is way too low for any euphyllia....

3 month old tank and dosing so many things, I counted 5 different things!!?? There is no need in such a new tank with low load of corals.

You mention your phosphate is zero but you are using gfo? It doesn't make sense.

Something is wrong with your filtration or habits to have nitrate so high like that. I'm surprised your not more concerned about this.

I think you are tying to do too much, in a tank that's too new. You have to let the tank settle down and find balance.

Hey man, things have really turned around in my tank. Not only is my octospawn on the mend, slowly, but all my corals are looking amazing. Even my mushrooms and acans are puffing up more than they ever have before. I have the feeling things will look even better in a week. I am very new to this hobby, which is becoming an obsession, and had no idea lack phosphates was a bad thing. They need to put a warning on gfo. I think I'd be in bad shape without your insight, and I apologize for getting upset over your first message. Thank you very much!