What should I do??

Charlie’s Frags

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I just tested the parameters on one of my sps qt/scrap tank for the first time in 3 months.
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stephj03

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Are you wanting to experiment or are you just cautious about letting it remain this high?

I would be curious to see if any positive effect would be observed on a tank running that rich if higher alk or par were supplied.

I feel like I see a lot of posts (some are prob even mine) about high alk, high nutrients and high par being a recipe for explosive growth without sacrificing color.

But I'll admit, it's now been several yrs since I ran like that and so my data is old.

I'm actually trying to get a bit closer to your levels now. I've seen nothing but benefit from the extra throughput now that my tank is in a growth phase.
 
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stephj03

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I suppose the other thing to consider is if PO4 will become growth limiting on you.

I've heard there's theories about this not being as big of a deal on LED driven tanks but I'm not well versed on the theory for this.

To be honest with you, I can't make heads or tails out of nutrients anymore.

Seems like we fight them bc the corals hate them when the tank is too new

Then

We bottom out as the tank gets to maturity and have to dose or feed more bc the corals hate that too

Then

We end up in your position when we start feeding while optimizing growth.

I get it that the throughput requirements scale as the corals become a greater consumer of them, but the residuals still tie brain into knots.
 
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Are you wanting to experiment or are you just cautious about letting it remain this high?

I would be curious to see if any positive effect would be observed on a tank running that rich if higher alk or par were supplied.

I feel like I see a lot of posts (some are prob even mine) about high alk, high nutrients and high par being a recipe for explosive growth without sacrificing color.

But I'll admit, it's now been several yrs since I ran like that and so my data is old.

I'm actually trying to get a bit closer to your levels now. I've seen nothing but benefit from the extra throughput now that my tank is in a growth phase.
I left out my alk is 5.0-5.5
I do zero dosing and almost zero testing in this scrap tank. Once every 4-8 weeks I do a 50% wc with Red Sea pro. Which I just did.
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Charlie’s Frags

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I suppose the other thing to consider is if PO4 will become growth limiting on you.

I've heard there's theories about this not being as big of a deal on LED driven tanks but I'm not well versed on the theory for this.
I can say with absolute certainty, corals in this tank are darker. Not brown, just darker. And they do grow slower, but.....they don’t die.
 

stephj03

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And then you throw in all the new talk that Tenuis and Speciosa come from the dirtiest water on the reef (didn't Danreefman post this recently)......
 
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Charlie’s Frags

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And then you throw in all the new talk that Tenuis and Speciosa come from the dirtiest water on the reef (didn't Danreefman post this recently)......
Yes he did, right before he stepped away from the hobby.


This is not my DT. This is mainly for zoas, montis, and over grown less valuable acros that I trade with a local fish store. My DT Tenuis garden is tested with a trident and I test no3/po4 3 times per week. My no3 has dropped to 2.5 and po4 is down to 0.15 as of today.
 

Greg P

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Wow ... just WOW
Whatever you do, do it VERY SLOW. Your corals have become accustomed to it.
Personally, I'd test Ca and Mag first before even considering touching Alk.
Adjust Mag if needed, then 24hrs later re-test Alk and Ca.
From there, if Mag is good (1280-1350) raise Alk by no more than 1.0/week - 0.5 would be way better - what's the hurry? All the while keep Ca balanced. https://www.ultimatereef.net/pages/calcium_alkalinity/

Once you get your Alk, Ca and Mag to your happy levels, then and only then consider touching your N&P levels.
I personally wouldn't even risk a WC at this point with your Alk so low.
 

Greg P

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I personally wouldn't even risk a WC at this point with your Alk so low.
I just read your post where you did a 50% WC and your N&P are now lower than your initial info.
Obviously you have some very resilient corals.
Still, consider taking raising your Alk slow
 
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Wow ... just WOW
Whatever you do, do it VERY SLOW. Your corals have become accustomed to it.
Personally, I'd test Ca and Mag first before even considering touching Alk.
Adjust Mag if needed, then 24hrs later re-test Alk and Ca.
From there, if Mag is good (1280-1350) raise Alk by no more than 1.0/week - 0.5 would be way better - what's the hurry? All the while keep Ca balanced. https://www.ultimatereef.net/pages/calcium_alkalinity/

Once you get your Alk, Ca and Mag to your happy levels, then and only then consider touching your N&P levels.
I personally wouldn't even risk a WC at this point with your Alk so low.
Too late
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I just read your post where you did a 50% WC and your N&P are now lower than your initial info.
Obviously you have some very resilient corals.
Still, consider taking raising your Alk slow
No no no
The lower no3/po4 is for my main DT
Not this tank
 
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Charlie’s Frags

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I just read your post where you did a 50% WC and your N&P are now lower than your initial info.
Obviously you have some very resilient corals.
Still, consider taking raising your Alk slow
This is my money making tank
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Perry

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Lol,
I love your humor!!!!
Defying sps principles of perfect water and consistent minerals ;)
BTW, I haven't tested NO3 or PO4 in my DT for a couple of months now, lol, I am confused on what products I should use to fix my unknown results :) I also haven't dosed a ml. of buffer for alk or ca in 6 months, albeit I have tested, just no budge, despite crazy growth :) More than one way to run a sps tank, lol :)
 
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Charlie’s Frags

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Lol,
I love your humor!!!!
Defying sps principles of perfect water and consistent minerals ;)
BTW, I haven't tested NO3 or PO4 in my DT for a couple of months now, lol, I am confused on what products I should use to fix my unknown results :) I also haven't dosed a ml. of buffer for alk or ca in 6 months, albeit I have tested, just no budge, despite crazy growth :) More than one way to run a sps tank, lol :)

Please help me @Perry. I’m doing everything wrong and the corals still won’t die. Should I check salinity next? I haven’t done that since I set it up
 

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Are you running Kalk in your DT to keep that kind of pH?

Are you running a CaRx on the DT? Even with a scrubber and outside line, I barely top 8.2.

While I get plenty of growth and color, my tenuis are not nearly so shaggy.
 
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Charlie’s Frags

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Are you running Kalk in your DT to keep that kind of pH?

Are you running a CaRx on the DT? Even with a scrubber and outside line, I barely top 8.2.

While I get plenty of growth and color, my tenuis are not nearly so shaggy.
I run kalk and tropic marin all for reef on my Tenuis tank

Plus a co2 scrubber
 

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