OP
OP
Great write up! Thank you for your contribution!That ICP doesn’t look too bad at all for your system’s age. Usually when you start up a new system a lot of elements will be elevated initially. So your analysis is actually quite good.
One thing already pointed out is the Iodine level is low. However this may or may not have contributed. Iodine does help protect the corals from light and it’s a much needed element, but your PAR is on the low end.
The Aluminum level is not really concerning. Most people have somewhat elevated Aluminum levels.
I have to agree with @SBB Corals in that most young systems are just not stable enough in the beginning. It was likely a fluctuation and if you weren’t testing consistently you’d probably never know it. .05 ppm PO4 sounds like a decent number to most, but in a young system it might not be enough. I think .08 and above is better until the system hits saturation and fully stabilizes. Otherwise it can swing too close to zero or become depleted. I’ve had Acro’s RTN at .03 ppm in a new tank. It’s just too low and the biodiversity isn’t there yet. On the flipside I had a Pink Cadillac STN due to a 0.1 ppm PO4 swing. It came form a very low almost depleted environment (yet well established system) and that swing was too much for that particular coral. 23 other Acro’s didn’t blink.
Your NO3 is a little high, but I don’t think it played a role. I’d be more concerned about the ratio and getting dino’s or problematic algae than anything else at this age.
