Show me your polluted tanks: High Po4 High No3

[VintageReefer]

I didn't know that's how it worked.

So higher nutrients require higher alk.

Higher nutrients do not require higher alk

 

[VintageReefer]

I think it's the other way around though. Higher alk encourages growth which requires higher nutrients to assist with the growth demands.

Correct

Higher alk encourages skeletal growth, so make sure calcium is also in correct range

And this growth requires higher nutrients or else you get burnt / white tips because the accelerated growth needs higher nutrients for flesh growth to keep up

 

[BriansBrain]

Bro. This is the growth issue. 7.5 is low. That’s for like near zero nutrients

Yes when you ran 9 you got burnt tips because flesh growth couldn’t keep up with skeletal growth. Skeleton grew faster from higher alk, but the flesh was always a few steps behind

If you keep your current nutrient parameters…you should increase to 8 and then 8.5 and then 9. Trust me. And I’m being conservative. You could go higher. But get a plan to increase to 9 over a few weeks then observe the difference.

I’ll give a slightly higher Alk a try. I’ve just been playing safe because this is my first successful attempt (to me)so far at a sps mainly acro tank. I don’t really care to have explosive growth tbh just want healthy coral. The corals that are growing are growing well just the frags need a poke. Some frags have not done anything in nearly a year

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ll give a slightly higher Alk a try. I’ve just been playing safe than sorry because this is my first successful (to me) sps mainly acro tank. I don’t really care to have explosive growth tbh just want healthy coral. The corals that are growing are growing well just the frags need a poke. Some frags have not done anything in nearly a year

Some acro species just be like that lol
I do think a bump in alk will give you results you are looking for. If you see white tips it’s not a big deal just means you can increase nutrients more or reduce alk

8.5. Give it a few weeks and monitor. Then go to 9 and see how things grow

 

[CHSUB]

Really no secrets to reef keeping. Keep inorganic nutrients low or undetected with hobby test kits, but always favor eye test to test results. Corals can absolutely survive and grow in an ecosystem with elevated nutrients, but you would need to “find” those corals. Purchase a wild, or marine cultured Acro and place it in a high nutrient environment and it will certainly RTN, STN or “brown”; when an aquacultured Acro would be fine.

 

[Anxur]

Di rado controllo la maggior parte dei miei parametri, ma quando l'ho fatto, i miei fosfati erano a 0,90 . Questo dimostra che non dovresti inseguire solo i numeri. C'è molto di più nel reefing di quello che si vede in un test.

i don't think that your Po4 is 0.9

 

[scotty333]

Non credo che il tuo Po4 sia 0,9...

Ingliase pf

 

[Anxur]

Ingliase pf

Sorry..

 

[scotty333]

Não faz mal

 

[scotty333]

For the non Portuguese speaking it’s better
Obrigada amigo

 

[tbrown]

i don't think that your Po4 is 0.9

Why not?

 

[GrimReefer51]

I rarely ever check most of my parameters, but when I did check, my phosphates were at 0.90. Goes to show that you shouldn’t solely chase numbers. There’s more to reefing than what shows up in a test.

No way what a beautiful tank. Could you share more photos? I love this.

 

[enebrac]

I looked at it both ways but I am genuinely curious to see whether there are more corals there. Those levels don’t make me worry at all but I am curious whether there are lots of corals growing in them. More form a scholarly perspective than anything else

That was before the spotted rabbitfish ate most of the corals. Here is before adding it.

 

[Coral Kai]

 

[aquadise]

Mine has Nitrate at 15ppm, Phosphate 0.27ppm.

 

[GARRIGA]

Seems many report better results after having ignored their tanks, regardless of reason. Could it just be marketing that drives the hobby to attempt perfection or human nature to impress others

 

[exnisstech]

Sorry forgot to add the quote @GrimReefer51

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www.reef2reef.com

 

[Ryebreadiest]

0.7 dang! Lovely torches

 

[areefer01]

Seems many report better results after having ignored their tanks, regardless of reason. Could it just be marketing that drives the hobby to attempt perfection or human nature to impress others

There is a lot of marketing drive in this hobby. Not to be one of those hobbyist but we never cared about phosphate until they made a test kit for it. Something to think about...

 

[GARRIGA]

There is a lot of marketing drive in this hobby. Not to be one of those hobbyist but we never cared about phosphate until they made a test kit for it. Something to think about...

I knew of phosphates with FW tanks somewhere between the 70s and 90s but don't recall it being discussed then with reef tanks to later find the hobby fixated on a study with one acro as best I recall and then there's this assumption that all reef tanks must contain acros or be maintained as if.

More complicated anything is made the more profits to be made and many take the challenge as a badge of honor to separate themselves from mere mortals yet it's often not until they are forced to neglect their tanks that perfection seems to be met. Crazy