2 Year Anniversary Live sale -up to 80% off

[tbrown]

Whew... I was reaching for my boxing gloves for a minute.

 

[tbrown]

I've actually been reading that article a lot lately since I've started having decent success with Acros.

 

[tbrown]

I'm trying little changes here and there to help. I also understand that MOST changes take several days to make a difference in Acros so slow, little changes and lots of observation.

 

[CodyBot]

I'm trying little changes here and there to help. I also understand that MOST changes take several days to make a difference in Acros so slow, little changes and lots of observation.

And I would note that I wouldn’t personally trust any changes in my corals unless the nutrients were adequate and constant first.

 

[tbrown]

And I would note that I wouldn’t personally trust any changes in my corals unless the nutrients were adequate and constant first.

That's the first change I'm working with. Bringing my nitrates down and getting stable, detectable phosphates.

 

[CodyBot]

That's the first change I'm working with. Bringing my nitrates down and getting stable, detectable phosphates.

Oh dang. You have the opposite problem of me. I dose nitrates to drop phosphates and keep both balanced.

 

[tbrown]

Oh dang. You have the opposite problem of me. I dose nitrates to drop phosphates and keep both balanced.

Phosphates are nondetect - I'm dosing 10ml per day. Nitrates are 60.

 

[CodyBot]

Phosphates are nondetect - I'm dosing 10ml per day. Nitrates are 60.

It's because your phosphates are limiting the ability of chlorophyll to use the nitrates, and your corals aren't able to produce their food because of it. Chlorophyll will use nitrogen and phosphorus at a 16:1 ratio, respectively, to produce 95%+ of the carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, etc that they need to grow. Once your water has a steady stream of phosphates, then chlorophyll can start consuming the nitrates. Without the 1, they can't consume the 16. Add an additional 10mL of phosphate dosing every 5 days until they're detectable. Stop there and let it settle for another 5 days. If they drop back down to zero then keep pushing until phosphates hit a minimum of .03ppm. That's the bottom of where phosphates should be to start seeing your corals taking off, IME.

 

[billyocean]

I’d recommend spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to try and fix this problem.

I’m not convinced of the trend of chasing trace elements these days. I have a lot to say on the subject, but I’ll start with the notion that I’ve seen the information you posted above passed around more times than an a virus between sailors, but no one really says where that info came from. Best I can trace it back is Aqua Forest putting it on their website then Andre copying it for the foundation of his Reef Moonshiners product.

Even then, it’s anecdotal at best. Sure, you spent hundreds on the extra dosers, the dozens of bottle of distilled water with a flake of a trace element in them then your colors got better. You also forgot to mention you added more fish, started feeding more, and provided more nutrients to your starved corals, or the new powerheads you added for better flow. When corals aren’t looking good, people start changing things. When was the last time you changed one variable at a time?

Salifert makes a potassium test kit. WC wasn't keeping up with my potassium. And you can think dosing trace elements isn't necessary but ever since I've kz 1 2 3 4 there has been an obvious improvement in my acros. I will say that most people don't have the number of sps I have in their tank so WC will probably be fine for them for trace and things like potassium. So yeah, for my tank at least, dosing trace elements matters very much.

Edit..this is also in hand with excellent husbandry/maintenance/testing

 

[ryshark]

Salifert makes a potassium test kit. WC wasn't keeping up with my potassium. And you can think dosing trace elements isn't necessary but ever since I've kz 1 2 3 4 there has been an obvious improvement in my acros. I will say that most people don't have the number of sps I have in their tank so WC will probably be fine for them for trace and things like potassium. So yeah, for my tank at least, dosing trace elements matters very much.

Edit..this is also in hand with excellent husbandry/maintenance/testing

I didn't get the Salifert Potassium test kit yet, even though I should because I'll occasionally dose NeoNitro. However, I also dose ESV Nitrate which doesn't have potassium. I was curious where I was at with potassium and just got an ICP.

My tank is doing well, but I still try to do ICP every 3-4 months. I happened to do one this week and already got the results back.

I found that my Salifert Calcium test and Magnesium (took sample on the same day as ICP sample) is very close.
Overall I'm happy with the results. I think my saltmix is always high in Lithium and I may dose a tiny bit less Iodide.

See attached

 

[billyocean]

I didn't get the Salifert Potassium test kit yet, even though I should because I'll occasionally dose NeoNitro. However, I also dose ESV Nitrate which doesn't have potassium. I was curious where I was at with potassium and just got an ICP.

My tank is doing well, but I still try to do ICP every 3-4 months. I happened to do one this week and already got the results back.

I found that my Salifert Calcium test and Magnesium (took sample on the same day as ICP sample) is very close.
Overall I'm happy with the results. I think my saltmix is always high in Lithium and I may dose a tiny bit less Iodide.

See attached

I use neonitro and still dose potassium. I find brightwell potassion works best if trying to raise numbers

 

[ryshark]

I use neonitro and still dose potassium. I find brightwell potassion works best if trying to raise numbers

My potassium looks to be in range, but I don’t have anywhere near the coral-load as you.

 

[woodyarmadillo]

Question for you more experienced reefers. I am working in a small (14g) young system. I’m having a lot of phosphate variations. Usually the first couple days after a WC, my phosphates will run about 1.0 -1.5 but by the 7 day mark, I’ll test again and phosphates will be around .02 or lower. My nitrates are basically staying between 10-14. I’m also noticing my alk will run about 9-9.5 a day or two after WC and then be in the low 8s a week later. Is this just the imbalance of higher nitrate means lower phosphates? Could a larger water change help stabilize the phosphate?

edit. Using Hannah for nitrates and phosphates ppb and tests seem accurate and consistent. No dosing.

parameters:

sal 1.0265
PH 8.0
DKH 8.3-9.5
Mag 1380
Cal 480
Phos .01-1.5
NO3 10-14

 

[tbrown]

My potassium looks to be in range, but I don’t have anywhere near the coral-load as you.

Your iron is at 0... That article I posted earlier says iron brings out colors as well.

I'm a little suspect with ALL metals being 0. Don't a lot of foods have at least trace copper?

 

[stoney7713]

Your iron is at 0... That article I posted earlier says iron brings out colors as well.

I'm a little suspect with ALL metals being 0. Don't a lot of foods have at least trace copper?

From what I understand even most salt mixes have traces of copper.

 

[ryshark]

Your iron is at 0... That article I posted earlier says iron brings out colors as well.

I'm a little suspect with ALL metals being 0. Don't a lot of foods have at least trace copper?

I never considered dosing iron without having macro algae. I’ll look into this, thanks.

 

[ryshark]

Your iron is at 0... That article I posted earlier says iron brings out colors as well.

I'm a little suspect with ALL metals being 0. Don't a lot of foods have at least trace copper?

Do you have a link to the article?

 

[ryshark]

Do you have a link to the article?

Never mind, I found it.

 

[pandaparties]

Your iron is at 0... That article I posted earlier says iron brings out colors as well.

I'm a little suspect with ALL metals being 0. Don't a lot of foods have at least trace copper?

Fwiw all my metals are 0 as well, and my Mn/Vn are both 0 and I have no issues with color.

 

[stoney7713]

I wonder if an occasional dose of chaetogro would help or just encourage algae growth.