How to proceed? HIGH nitrates and phosphates

[GarrettT]

So, oddly enough, I dosed flux rx back in august because we had horrible hair algae and bryopsis. Literally within 2 days Dino’s was completely gone (confirmed it was Dino’s with microscope) so I believe some sort of reaction happened that helped get rid of the Dino’s then. Now, I’m not so sure. Haven’t dosed flux rx recently. Phosguard is I believe what caused Dino’s the first time. I had high phosphates at one point and phosguard bottomed them out which I think is what caused it.
I do have a uv going as well.

I tried the whole silicate thing for a while and it hasn’t worked. Stopped wasting money on it.

Doesn’t sound like dinoflagellates, but will take your word for it. Phosgaurd is slow to remove phosphate, not like GFO. If your phosphate really is 1 ppm then it would take MANY applications to deplete. Even then, your rocks will continue to release the phosphate until an equilibrium is reached.

Are you sure your ppm is 1.0 and not .1 ppm? 1ppm would take quite awhile to build up. Unless you went a LONG time without testing and don’t do water changes or run a skimmer, then I really doubt that measurement is correct.

 

[Spare time]

Thanks. She’s doing good surprisingly. The thing she’s most worried about is being nauseous from the chemo so I’d say she’s doing well considering.
Trying to keep tank maintenance as easy as possible haha. We have a FluvalSmart reef light I usually run opposite hours of my display lights. Could overlap them to help growth though!

You could have the refugium lights on longer. I only have mine off occasionally to give the LED light a break.

 

[britnicole1724]

Doesn’t sound like dinoflagellates, but will take your word for it. Phosgaurd is slow to remove phosphate, not like GFO. If your phosphate really is 1 ppm then it would take MANY applications to deplete. Even then, your rocks will continue to release the phosphate until an equilibrium is reached.

Are you sure your ppm is 1.0 and not .1 ppm? 1ppm would take quite awhile to build up. Unless you went a LONG time without testing and don’t do water changes or run a skimmer, then I really doubt that measurement is correct.

Positive. I used hanna checker. New reagents so possible my old ones were bad. I’ve experienced it with alkalinity testing against older reagents which is part of the reason I got the trident. I have 2 things to test against, if they’re close I know it’s accurate. If not then something’s off. Suppose I could try a different test kit to test against the Hanna.

I do water changes about once a month. Skimmer is on.
I did a water change Saturday night, haven’t fed the tank since. Just retested and nitrates are 65.8 so they’re lowering. Didn’t have time on lunch to retest phosphates so plan on that tonight.

first time around was 150% Dino’s. It was confirmed in Mack’s fb group. LCA. I got a new phone since then otherwise I’d post the pictures under microscope to show ya lol

 

[britnicole1724]

You could have the refugium lights on longer. I only have mine off occasionally to give the LED light a break.

How long do you keep it off in the fuge?

 

[Spare time]

How long do you keep it off in the fuge?

I think for like 5 or 6 hours at the moment.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Do nothing drastic. You said your coral, sponges, etc are doing well... My tank ran at about those levels for years with no problem. If you want to reduce the N/P, do it SLOWLY and don't stress over specific numbers

 

[GarrettT]

first time around was 150% Dino’s. It was confirmed in Mack’s fb group. LCA. I got a new phone since then otherwise I’d post the pictures under microscope to show ya lol

Just surprised as I've done Reef Flux 5 times now for bryopsis, and have LCA, small cell, coolia, and osteopsis - the whole army. Never had the treatment have any effect on it. Every tank is different I guess.

Keep on feeding, but definitely cross examine the results with another test kit. This may sound strange, but I've had a salifert nitrate test show 100ppm before. I didn't believe it was right so I checked it 3 times. All three times it showed 100ppm+. Next day I tested and it showed 5ppm, which was correct. Test be weird sometimes.

 

[britnicole1724]

Just surprised as I've done Reef Flux 5 times now for bryopsis, and have LCA, small cell, coolia, and osteopsis - the whole army. Never had the treatment have any effect on it. Every tank is different I guess.

Keep on feeding, but definitely cross examine the results with another test kit. This may sound strange, but I've had a salifert nitrate test show 100ppm before. I didn't believe it was right so I checked it 3 times. All three times it showed 100ppm+. Next day I tested and it showed 5ppm, which was correct. Test be weird sometimes.

I tested Hanna/Red Sea and both reading the same levels.

flux rx you have to dose exactly as it says and then off all mechanical filtration for a couple of weeks. It destroyed the bryopsis in my tank back in august. Haven’t seen a trace of it since.

 

[Dburr1014]

Do nothing drastic. You said your coral, sponges, etc are doing well... My tank ran at about those levels for years with no problem. If you want to reduce the N/P, do it SLOWLY and don't stress over specific numbers

Finally someone picked up on it.

OP, if all are doing well, why change anything?

Refuge will drop the numbers. Refuge can be "tuned" with the lights AND by pulling out 50% will keep it growing. Longer lights on, longer grow time. As the compartment gets full, the cheato will slow down. Just pull out 50% and it will keep growing. It will keep growing as long as you have both elevated N and P. If one drops to zero, so will the growth.

I hope grandma is okay. I find it great you are talking care for her. I'm sure she really appreciates it. Prayers sent your way!

 

[britnicole1724]

Finally someone picked up on it.

OP, if all are doing well, why change anything?

Refuge will drop the numbers. Refuge can be "tuned" with the lights AND by pulling out 50% will keep it growing. Longer lights on, longer grow time. As the compartment gets full, the cheato will slow down. Just pull out 50% and it will keep growing. It will keep growing as long as you have both elevated N and P. If one drops to zero, so will the growth.

I hope grandma is okay. I find it great you are talking care for her. I'm sure she really appreciates it. Prayers sent your way!

I want to do something because it feels like most new corals I’ve added haven’t made it and I’m starting to believe this might be why. I had a beautiful tiger torch and northern lights torch from wwc that I spent hefty money on, neither made it unfortunately. Tank is about a year and a half old so still young and plenty of space for corals. Just don’t want to leave it be and pray

she’s doing good. First round of chemo went well! Appreciate all the kind words for her.

 

[Dburr1014]

I want to do something because it feels like most new corals I’ve added haven’t made it and I’m starting to believe this might be why. I had a beautiful tiger torch and northern lights torch from wwc that I spent hefty money on, neither made it unfortunately. Tank is about a year and a half old so still young and plenty of space for corals. Just don’t want to leave it be and pray

she’s doing good. First round of chemo went well! Appreciate all the kind words for her.

Cheato can take care of this.
But if you drop to rapidly the po4 you may be in worse shape.
If the frags died already, sorry but it is what it is, just don't add anymore. Wait until the numbers come down. Cheato can do this work in a month or two.
Where gfo can take down the water column overnight, it's still bound in the rock. It's still going to take a long while until it's pulled out and now your buying gfo all the time.
Edit...... In my opinion.

 

[britnicole1724]

Cheato can take care of this.
But if you drop to rapidly the po4 you may be in worse shape.
If the frags died already, sorry but it is what it is, just don't add anymore. Wait until the numbers come down. Cheato can do this work in a month or two.
Where gfo can take down the water column overnight, it's still bound in the rock. It's still going to take a long while until it's pulled out and now your buying gfo all the time.
Edit...... In my opinion.

Oh of course, I don’t plan on adding anything until things are back to normal. I just want to get them back to normal and keep them stable.

 

[Spare time]

I tested Hanna/Red Sea and both reading the same levels.

flux rx you have to dose exactly as it says and then off all mechanical filtration for a couple of weeks. It destroyed the bryopsis in my tank back in august. Haven’t seen a trace of it since.

No you can keep mechanical filtration (socks, filter pads, etc.). Just not skimmers

 

[GarrettT]

I tested Hanna/Red Sea and both reading the same levels.

flux rx you have to dose exactly as it says and then off all mechanical filtration for a couple of weeks. It destroyed the bryopsis in my tank back in august. Haven’t seen a trace of it since.

It will be back. I promise. No carbon, skimmer, or WC for 6 weeks (on multiple occasions). At 6 weeks, I had to do a water change as my acros were on the brink of death. Actually added a little more of the medication than required.

All that said, for bryopsis, it only takes about 10-14 days to actually kill the algae, so it really doesn't bother me. Corals are unaffected with this short of a treatment. I view it more as maintenance at this point, which tends to occur every 7-8 months. No longer do I do long periods of treatment in hopes to fully eradicate the algae, as it simple won't. Does more harm than good Imo.

 

[britnicole1724]

No you can keep mechanical filtration (socks, filter pads, etc.). Just not skimmers

I turned everything off and it worked wonders for me. Seems to not be the case for others.

 

[britnicole1724]

It will be back. I promise. No carbon, skimmer, or WC for 6 weeks (on multiple occasions). At 6 weeks, I had to do a water change as my acros were on the brink of death. Actually added a little more of the medication than required.

All that said, for bryopsis, it only takes about 10-14 days to actually kill the algae, so it really doesn't bother me. Corals are unaffected with this short of a treatment. I view it more as maintenance at this point, which tends to occur every 7-8 months. No longer do I do long periods of treatment in hopes to fully eradicate the algae, as it simple won't. Does more harm than good Imo.

Dude it’s been almost 9 months. I’m fine. Sorry it didn’t work for you but it worked for me.

 

[Spare time]

I turned everything off and it worked wonders for me. Seems to not be the case for others.

I just meant that filter socks and sponges should be kept to grab any dying algae or crud since it won't remove the medicine.

 

[britnicole1724]

I just meant that filter socks and sponges should be kept to grab any dying algae or crud since it won't remove the medicine.

Oh yeah. I guess by mechanical I meant like motorized/running on electricity? Haha I turned my UV and skimmer off, removed carbon as well.

 

[ilikefish69]

So, I did a water change after I saw my parameters.

We’ve been battling Dino’s (I think… or thought… we had them back in august, seemed to clear up after flux rx but came back about a month later) microscope testing tonight to be sure, and hair algae, possibly cyano?

I’ve been testing and everything has been totally normal and stable in my normal ranges. Typically 17 nitrates and .04 phosphates. Everything else is almost exactly as it has been.

Well; I got new reagents and my phosphate and nitrate are reading EXTREMELY EXTREMELY high.

Phosphate 1.077 (Hanna)
Nitrate 75!! (Also Hanna)
Surprisingly, corals are all looking great except my gsp… torches have heads popping left and right, my stratosphere Zoa has its 3rd head starting in a month, noticeably growing each day which has been cool to see. all fish are acting fine. January/February I lost two new torches that I added a few weeks after adding them, and an sps bleached over night after having it for about a week and a half. Only coral losses have been new corals, and it hasn’t even been all new corals. I have a new acan doing great. Sponges are great. Nothing outside of those few losses. All torches, hammers, octospawn etc doing fine. I’ve had btas splitting left and right but these two parameters could explain it. Also lost one head of my purple blasto. All others look ok. New toadstools we got looked bleached as hell when we got them and parameters probably aren’t helping.

Everything else is totally normal
Temp 78.5
PH 8.3
Nitrite 0
Alkalinity 8 Hanna; 7.8 apex
Ammonia 0
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 566
Magnesium 1453

How do I control this?? I have to feed daily, I have a copperband I want to keep fat and healthy but I’m worried this might be what’s causing the high nutrients. I have 14 fish and feed 2-3 cubes of a mix. 2x a day. Emerald entree, mysis, blood worms, etc. foxface is a literal pig and will eat an entire cube himself so I’m always worried the others aren’t getting enough. Also feet 1 sheet of nori a day.

mechanical filtration is really just my skimmer. I haven’t done gfo or anything similar, feels like a whole new ballgame I don’t understand and kinda scares me. Filter socks I took out because I didn’t really have the time to change every 2 days and clean. (Grandma diagnosed with cancer and taking her to chemo treatments/appointments has taken a lot of time away from the tank)

most of the green in these pics has disappeared. These were taken about a week ago. There’s misc spots now of green but not as much.
lights are running 12-6/7 at night. All blues no whites.
Appreciate the help. I just want to get this back on track desperately and back to being able to add a dang tiger torch

View attachment 3122801 View attachment 3122802

I want a fraggy of those stratospheres

 

[britnicole1724]

I want a fraggy of those stratospheres

Haha third head has officially opened up. They seem to love the higher nutrients! This is who I got mine from. Got an amazing deal but also purchased a glitter bomb Goni from him. Superb customer service too. My shipment was delayed and he followed up daily for a week to make sure everything was okay and offered to replace any corals that didn’t make it.