Why is my Phosphate zero, Nitrite 1, and Hammers bleaching at what appears to be lessening of the ugly stage that started about 3 weeks ago?

[BostonReefer300]

OK based on everything that's been said to date, I think the lighting schedule you've been running since November is the #1 likely suspect. With a small tank, you can easily blast too much light down to the bottom of the tank. I'd probably lower your overall intensity even more. I run the radion on my daughter's 20G cube at 50% of the overall intensity that the radions on my DT are at. After a couple weeks at lower intensity, see how things look. If things are going south fast, you can borrow my PAR meter. I'd just ask that you pay for shipping both ways.
PS Really good looking tank. I like your aquascaping and coral placement

 

[BWV]

OK based on everything that's been said to date, I think the lighting schedule you've been running since November is the #1 likely suspect. With a small tank, you can easily blast too much light down to the bottom of the tank. I'd probably lower your overall intensity even more. I run the radion on my daughter's 20G cube at 50% of the overall intensity that the radions on my DT are at. After a couple weeks at lower intensity, see how things look. If things are going south fast, you can borrow my PAR meter. I'd just ask that you pay for shipping both ways.
PS Really good looking tank. I like your aquascaping and coral placement

Thank you so much for the time you are spending to try and help, sharing your knowledge, and the very kind offer!

 

[Hooz]

Hammers, torches and frogs bleaching tend to be one of two main things... Low nutrients or too much light. Both of those have been touched on previously, so I think you're on the right track. I just wanted to chime in and say that.

You can get away with a little more light (for LPS in general) if your nutrients are higher. I fought to keep mine detectable by dosing NeoNitro and NeoPhos until I figured out a water change schedule based on my needs. I didn't read all of every post in here, but did you try skipping a water change or two to help get the numbers up?

I had to add some extra CuC to my tank to help my manual removal of algae. After a while, I hit a "perfect balance" where the CuC controlled what little algae I did have, then I could better control nutrients with water changes. IMO, this is the tank "maturing" cycle that everyone always talks about. Keeping the "Big 3" things stable helps out a ton while you work everything else out, but some patience goes a LONG way.

 

[BWV]

...did you try skipping a water change or two to help get the numbers up?

Thanks
I sure did. Didn't change what I measured.

I also did this (skip changes) to help get rid of the Dinos and it was helpful.
(I dread having those come back ..)

 

[Lavey29]

Just thought I'd add...the pics I posted of today, I did turn on (and way up) the white LEDs... This pixel can't ever white balance the blue lights.

The YouTube vid is more representative of day to day and it's at those levels for maybe 2 hours with long ramps

Take a look at some big coral vendors like WWC and check out their light spectrum profiles.

 

[BostonReefer300]

Take a look at some big coral vendors like WWC and check out their light spectrum profiles.

I agree. I use their mixed reef profile with intensity varied to suit my tanks. Works great

 

[Aqua Man]

I dropped the white by 10% and the blue and deeper blue by 5 each.
Without a PAR reference it's tough to guess...
I'll drop the white more in a week

Flow looks good. That Hammer is gorgeous! Nice find! I’ll echo the others, too much light.

Also as Bostonreefer mentioned, Hanna for PO4 is a great tool. I like the ULR Phosphorus.

 

[BWV]

Thank you for the advice everyone!

I'll work the lighting end of this. (and will feed as I normally would and hope the chemistry stabilizes as the ugly dies down)

I'll try to keep up with this til things improve(optimism intended...) in case it works and can be used to help others.

Wondering if this thread should be moved if its not 100% guaranteed to be a "Chemistry" thing...
(I dont want to clutter up the chem forum if its lighting... )

I'm back from my week away, and dropped the peaks of the blues and whites by 5% before I left... I'll do 5% more now, and make changes in intensity and schedule a week apart.

I'm going to look at WWC lighting schedules for the LPS reef they have and slowly work towards a similar time schedule, while reducing the brightness. (I think only a couple are in a format I can translate to time/value as I don't have their light nor app.)

This is my current schedule(with the 5% pulled down):

The light: Aquatic Life EDGE WiFi LED Marine Aquarium Light Fixture, 24-Inch
(yup, inexpensive, and many may or will say a bad decision... but I don't want an open top tank with a light hanging over it on a stick, and none of the better bar style lights I found had the adjustability this does)

Aquatic Life EDGE WiFi LED Marine Aquarium Light Fixture, 24-Inch

Description The EDGE WiFi Marine Fixtures incorporate five colors of LED's to ensure a full spectrum of light for all aquariums. The revolutionary, feature-rich EDGE WiFi LED fixtures are the next generation game changer in the realm of outdated, overcomplicated LED lighting systems presently...

aquaticlife.com

These are the LEDs in the fixture. There are no optics in use with these LEDs, just a glass cover.

Laid out like this:

Below are the manufacturer provided PAR figures for 12" depth (they don't share shallower figures, only depths of 18 and 24, which don't apply to my Evo 13.5 at all)
I'd assume this is all colors at 100%, as they don't share that info.

 

[BWV]

I think I'll go with this... lower intensity longer ramps and time on.

 

[Tony the Fish]

How are you measuring pH? I see results of 6.4 and 7.3. Thats very low if accurate

 

[BWV]

Using a Salifert kit...but I don't think I've seen below 8 ever

 

[BWV]

OMG... The info I shared is wrong.
I flipped the alkalinity and ph in the last two columns!!!
Good eye!!!

 

[BWV]

Winter here in upstate NY, so the house is closed up and I'm guessing co2 is higher. My alkalinity seems consumed as fast as I add it (Baked baking soda(400f for 35min) = soda ash dissolved in RODI), and my calcium slowly drifts down (not fast.. its ok).

I wonder if the alkalinity, that I was keeping 9-10, and has slowly drifted down to 7ish has anything to do with this.

I'm adding about 0.36g of "Soda ash"(tank water vol is ~10 gal, should raise about .5dkh) once every 3-5 days to try and only get 7.3. I don't want to add too much and shock things.. but i may have to add more

 

[homer1475]

Curious where in upstate your located if you don't mind me asking?

You can raise DKH by 1 point in 24 hours. If you want to raise it, raise it by 1 point, test, get a number. Then test at the same time the next couple days to get an idea of what your consumption is.

 

[BWV]

Curious where in upstate your located if you don't mind me asking?

You can raise DKH by 1 point in 24 hours. If you want to raise it, raise it by 1 point, test, get a number. Then test at the same time the next couple days to get an idea of what your consumption is.

Stamford..about an hour and ten south of Albany

I thought I had my alk dosing down.. about .36g every 15 days, with a .5 dkh change at that dose... now it seems to be every 3-5, which feels like a lot. My pH is stable though, so I'm guessing its just how it's going to be in the winter.
I'll test and readjust my dosing... I got a little lazy.

 

[BWV]

I have decided I do want to try to increase the phosphates.

It's a 13.5 gallon tank with 10 gallons of water in it... what is the safest product to use?
(I do realize I can dilute anything to "safe" amounts...maybe I should say "controllable in small tanks" )

Looks like my Goniastrea is suffering a bit now, my understanding is they are sensitive to 0 phosphates.
I also am seeing some bubbles on my rock, and fear dinos.
I'd like to target less than 0.05ppm .. but at least want to have it measurable.
Today:

October 30 (right after feeding, and before feeding)

 

[BWV]

I ordered some Brightwell Aquatics NeoPhos.

I'll keep it at a barely measurable level. I don't want the dinos back, and I feel it may be part of my problem with my corals.

As barely measurable amounts won't hurt, but totally bottomed out phosphate will... I gotta try it.

I don't usually make decisions without some kind of evidence but in this case I'm kind of going with my gut...

 

[Aqua Man]

I ordered some Brightwell Aquatics NeoPhos.

That’s what I’ve been using too. Good product IMO.

Did you pick up a Hanna ULR?

I wonder if the alkalinity, that I was keeping 9-10, and has slowly drifted down to 7ish has anything to do with this.

I'm adding about 0.36g of "Soda ash"(tank water vol is ~10 gal, should raise about .5dkh) once every 3-5 days to try and only get 7.3. I don't want to add too much and shock things.. but i may have to add more

how are you figuring the 0.36g? I also use homemade soda ash in RO. I dose 4ML of that solution a day to keep Alk stable.

 

[BWV]

That’s what I’ve been using too. Good product IMO.

Did you pick up a Hanna ULR?


how are you figuring the 0.36g? I also use homemade soda ash in RO. I dose 4ML of that solution a day to keep Alk stable.

Thanks for that! A little confidence helps

I'm debating the Hanna tester. I think I can meet my goal with the Salifert kit I have... I just need the barest indicator that there is any phosphate at all. Don't need exact.

I disolve one tsp, or roughly 3.6grams into 100ml of RODI. So when I add 10ml of that solution, I know it's .36g which for me has been about .5dkh rise.

 

[Aqua Man]

I disolve one tsp, or roughly 3.6grams into 100ml of RODI. So when I add 10ml of that solution, I know it's .36g which for me has been about .5dkh rise.

That makes sense now. Most of us mix a gallon at a time. 2 cups home made soda ash to 1 gallon RO.

just need the barest indicator that there is any phosphate at all. Don't need exact.

Not sure if the Salifert kit is sensitive enough for that purpose. For your 10 gallon volume, I’d start at 1.0 ml of neophos. Test PO4 an hr later and see if it registers. 4ml in my 20 gl gives around 0.02ppm PO4