Sps high nutrients myth?

[Robthorn]

Haha, very good thing reefers aren't smart *****. :rolleyes:

My point of reading undetectable inshore was that I should have gotten higher than normal from all the gorilla and people poop. ;)

If you swim straight out from the big concrete cut for the power plants cooling pipes there are some nicely colored pink and green cat paw looking corals. Its a fun and adventurous swim through there.

 

[6272862829]

your lighting seems low ish 200 350 range? where does your alk sit?

Oh the par is definitely not low. I'm running an ATi 10x54watt with a reef brite xho
4 Aqua blue special
4 blue plus
2 actinics
Par on the mid level of the acros is around 500

Alkalinity is at 7dkh

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh the par is definitely not low. I'm running an ATi 10x54watt with a reef brite xho
4 Aqua blue special
4 blue plus
2 actinics
Par on the mid level of the acros is around 500

Alkalinity is at 7dkh

thank you.

 

[DaveRaz]

I love this thread. Been tweaking my nutrient levels the last few months and have seen some of the best colors yet with No3 ~ 12ppm and po4 ~.03. Never have to dose, just feed more or less.

Here is a recent picture of a coral that has seen both ends of the nutrient spectrum. Too high it starts browning, too low and it pales. But once I found it's happy place I really saw it's true potential. A decent camera would show you exactly what I'm talking about, but this iphone7 pic will have to do for now. The coral I'm referring to is on the right.

 

[Paul B]

Robthorn, do you recognize that place where I am standing in the water with my hydrometer? That is off Key Largo. :D

 

[Sabellafella]

I love this thread. Been tweaking my nutrient levels the last few months and have seen some of the best colors yet with No3 ~ 12ppm and po4 ~.03. Never have to dose, just feed more or less.

Here is a recent picture of a coral that has seen both ends of the nutrient spectrum. Too high it starts browning, too low and it pales. But once I found it's happy place I really saw it's true potential. A decent camera would show you exactly what I'm talking about, but this iphone7 pic will have to do for now. The coral I'm referring to is on the right.

Beautiful! Sweet spot for me also, never ben happier

 

[FarmerTy]

I might have to try 12 ppm of nitrates then! That looks great!

 

[fragit]

Are you guys with nitrates >5ppm using filter socks, running refugiums, using and over sized skimmer, dosing NO3?

 

[FarmerTy]

Mine hovers, 3-12 ppm depending on how good I am at judging color scales.

No socks, no refugium, double size rated skimmer, and not dosing nitrate (just have a large fish population and feed a ton). Oh yeah, and no water changes, ever!

 

[Centerline]

your lighting seems low ish 200 350 range? where does your alk sit?

Are you considering the relationship between low light and Hi alk with this question?

 

[DaveRaz]

I might have to try 12 ppm of nitrates then! That looks great!

I wouldn't touch a single thing! Stellar reef!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Are you considering the relationship between low light and Hi alk with this question?

No light alone. several, actually many many observations of others tanks with NSW+ level alk and mag levels, report loss of coralline with higher pars. I would have questioned those parameters and dosing method but would have been off topic. If you google many Par charts and look at higher Par tanks, you'll see a correlation. The common Purple seems to die off unless in shadows, powerheads, sumps back walls etc while reds and others remain.
This seems to happen above the 350 400 par mark.
Mainly an ongoing question I have.

 

[FarmerTy]

I wouldn't touch a single thing! Stellar reef!

You know us reefers! Can't leave well enough alone! [emoji12]

 

[FarmerTy]

No light alone. several, actually many many observations of others tanks with NSW+ level alk and mag levels, report loss of coralline with higher pars. I would have questioned those parameters and dosing method but would have been off topic. If you google many Par charts and look at higher Par tanks, you'll see a correlation. The common Purple seems to die off unless in shadows, powerheads, sumps back walls etc while reds and others remain.
This seems to happen above the 350 400 par mark.
Mainly an ongoing question I have.

Ahhh, I would have questioned that myself as well if I noticed. There's hardly any coralline on my rocks themselves which gets cooked under high par but plenty on my overflows and top of the glass.

I wonder if he just bought rocks with tons of coralline to start with and they haven't all died off yet from the higher par?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Guess the phosphate and nitrate levels -

No one?

I'd like to know. Also what is your alk at, and the average high PAR at the top of the tank.

 

[FarmerTy]

No one?

I'd like to know. Also what is your alk at, and the average high PAR at the top of the tank.

I don't think anybody is guessing because most of us have heard of his tank and the crazy nutrient levels in it. I always considered his an exception to the rule, as there usually is going to be a few in any scenario.

I always accounted for his tank with a theory about acclimation over time. Its like when I was able to keep my ORA Hawkins at 600 par. For being a lower light coral, I slowly acclimated to 600 par over the 6 years I've had it and it was happy there. To me though, its ideal placement is still 350 par where it is now in my tank but I was able to keep it at 600 par. Tell someone with his new frag to put it at 600 par and it'll be the coolest, whitest acro in his collection after it RTNs overnight. Just my thoughts though.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ahhh, I would have questioned that myself as well if I noticed. There's hardly any coralline on my rocks themselves which gets cooked under high par but plenty on my overflows and top of the glass.

I wonder if he just bought rocks with tons of coralline to start with and they haven't all died off yet from the higher par?

IME. No. I had the typical amazing corraine everywhere until I upgraded my lights.

 

[DaveRaz]

I'll take a stab. no3 - 25, po4 - 1 ( in reference to the "take a guess" pic

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

whitest acro in his collection after it RTNs overnight. Just my thoughts though.

unless he acclimates it, and has enough nutrints in the tank with enough flow, as far as I can tell.

 

[FarmerTy]

IME. No. I had the typical amazing corraine everywhere until I upgraded my lights.

I've actually learned to dispise coralline over the years, mainly once I started to keep SPS. It would consume my Ca, alk, and lots of Mg and steal it away from my SPS. That and scraping it all the time drove me nuts!