Yesterdays water results

[NeMoo]

A little worried about the low phosphates so I increased feeding a little bit yesterday but goal is to do a water change every week since I have smaller tanks now, each pic is a different tank, first two are the fusion 25 AIOs and the last is the 38 gallon.

 

[Subsea]

Nitrates are low as well. With both N & P at near zero (yes, nitrate at 5ppm is lower recommended threshold limit), I would be concerned about Dinoflagellets

 

[Terry Le]

My recent set up 32 gallons LPs phosphate is reading o I feed more still at 0 . I bought Brightwell NeoPhos will try that to see about raise po4

 

[NeMoo]

My recent set up 32 gallons LPs phosphate is reading o I feed more still at 0 . I bought Brightwell NeoPhos will try that to see about raise po4

I did order some neophos should be here this week. I’m surprised the tank that’s as low on nitrates is that low cause I have little to no filtration and a trigger in it.

 

[YSreef]

Add it slowly neophos slowly or itll will mess up your tank even more

 

[NeMoo]

Add it slowly neophos slowly or itll will mess up your tank even more

What in worried about my hammers and everything looks good

 

[NeMoo]

Picture from last couple days

 

[Subsea]

I did order some neophos should be here this week. I’m surprised the tank that’s as low on nitrates is that low cause I have little to no filtration and a trigger in it.

NO FILTRATION! How are those gorgeous corals growing if they are not sequestering nutrients into their biomass.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Neophos is very weak and since most dosed phosphate binds to rock and sand, you will likely have to dose far, far more than one would calculate to hold phosphate above a minimum.

 

[NeMoo]

NO FILTRATION! How are those gorgeous corals growing if they are not sequestering nutrients into their biomass.

True, I don’t have a dedicated filter or sump though, I have filter media from the 75 around a pump in the tank and planned on only softies but have a few others in here, maybe I should remove my phos media? I’ll test tonight and post

 

[NeMoo]

Maybe low phosphate is what’s hurting my stylo?

 

[NeMoo]

Neophos is very weak and since most dosed phosphate binds to rock and sand, you will likely have to dose far, far more than one would calculate to hold phosphate above a minimum.

Randy you’ve always given good advice, pending tests tonight should I remove phos guard from the two all in ones. The Two 25s look good

 

[NeMoo]

I just fed all the and removed the phosguard stuff the trigger tank and I’ll test in about an hour or so since I just got home from work and see where everything sits today. All three are less than a month running but the triggers tank is the newest but all have lots of rock and media from the 75 that’s now empty

 

[Goubli]

I can only tell you what I have done in the past and what I would do in this situation.

Firstly, I scanned the responses so perhaps I may have missed an earlier detail so please forgive me if so.

Whenever I get test results that are concerning I always take into account what the tank looks like. Not necessarily one coral, although that could be an indicator for action if you are paying close attention to the tank.

These hobby test kits are helpful but they are better used as a trend analysis. I find the phos ulr test can be HIGHLY variable. I have had one read around 100 and then the restest is 25. I have had 0 turn into a 30.

So, I always will do 3 tests if I have a strange initial result. I find that it can be difficult to always get all of the powder into the vial and that can lead to results that don’t correlate with how tank looks.

After that I would stop the phosphate absorbing media (like you have). I would increase the feedings slightly for a few days.

Then I would wait a few days and retest and see. I would be careful about adding any phosphate supplements unless tank looks to be worsening and tests confirm it.

Doing this process I have ended up having to do nothing or even adding phosphate into tank.

 

[NeMoo]

I can only tell you what I have done in the past and what I would do in this situation.

Firstly, I scanned the responses so perhaps I may have missed an earlier detail so please forgive me if so.

Whenever I get test results that are concerning I always take into account what the tank looks like. Not necessarily one coral, although that could be an indicator for action if you are paying close attention to the tank.

These hobby test kits are helpful but they are better used as a trend analysis. I find the phos ulr test can be HIGHLY variable. I have had one read around 100 and then the restest is 25. I have had 0 turn into a 30.

So, I always will do 3 tests if I have a strange initial result. I find that it can be difficult to always get all of the powder into the vial and that can lead to results that don’t correlate with how tank looks.

After that I would stop the phosphate absorbing media (like you have). I would increase the feedings slightly for a few days.

Then I would wait a few days and retest and see. I would be careful about adding any phosphate supplements unless tank looks to be worsening and tests confirm it.

Doing this process I have ended up having to do nothing or even adding phosphate into tank.

Thank you, testing the trigger tank as we speak, other than a stylo that’s giving up the ghost even though other ones are doing good everything appears pretty happy even have a little acro in the trigger tank not great color with the cheap lights but polyps out and don’t appear stressed

 

[NeMoo]

NO FILTRATION! How are those gorgeous corals growing if they are not sequestering nutrients into their biomass

Alright first picture is trigger tank, then NeMoo, then we’ll say mixed tank even though they’re all mixed. I have no phosguard or phosphate treatment in the mixed tank or NeMoo unless it’s the carbon, corals possibly consuming the phosphates as subsea stated earlier?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not be happy to see undetectable phosphate. I would feed more or dose phosphate.

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

 

[NeMoo]

I would not be happy to see undetectable phosphate. I would feed more or dose phosphate.

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

Sounds like a plan, I live in middle of nowhere and have phosphate and nitrate on the way. Will try adding some phosphate to the two 25 all in ones and nitrate and phosphate to the trigger tank if they are not up from feeding by the time it gets here