Water chem. At what level do you chase #s?

[mnsean]

Hello everyone.

I understand stability is most important, but under what range?

My phosphate is always at 1.9

I can lower it by using PhosRx but really don’t want to add anything to change stability if it’s not needed. Except beneficial bacteria. I do add bacteria weekly.

Back to Phos, Before and after water change, day after, week after. All 1.7-1.9

Is this ok? I understand phosphate should be below 1? But I also know stability is most important?

KH 9.8 (steady .2-.4 drop a week)
Mg 1425 (steady about 10-20 drop a week)

Ca 575-600 (I know, been having issue with this but slowing coming down.. basically I was doing Ca test wrong and dosed for about a month . It’s been about 2-3 month since, been doing larger water changes. Very very slowing going down. This week was first time below 580).

Nitrate 10-19 (after water change it’s usually around 15 then goes up to 19 by end of week. Weekly water change 20%)

Phosphate 1.9 steady
No ammonia nor nitrite. Steady
Ph 8.2-8.3 steady
Temp 78.8-79.1 steady

62gal 8 fish all doing well, lots of inverts. Mostly very small. Feeding phyto once a week day before water change. Only my blastos gets fed benepellet and gonis (tiny amt of reefoid). Only day before water change.

I have mostly LPS and some softies. I do have part of rocks kept empty for monti in future.

 

[Dburr1014]

My opinion;

I don't chase or try to pinpoint a number.
If something is to high/low for my liking, I trend it down/up to where I'm more comfortable.

Let the coral speak to you.

 

[UMALUM]

If it helps my tank settled at n03 25 and p04 .2 without any interference. I would think you could live within your numbers just fine with no tinkering. I'm sure I could squeeze a little more growth out of it by cutting my numbers in half but testing everyday and cleaning out reactors just ain't gonna happen.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello everyone.

I understand stability is most important, but under what range?

My phosphate is always at 1.9

I can lower it by using PhosRx but really don’t want to add anything to change stability if it’s not needed. Except beneficial bacteria. I do add bacteria weekly.

Back to Phos, Before and after water change, day after, week after. All 1.7-1.9

Is this ok? I understand phosphate should be below 1? But I also know stability is most important?

KH 9.8 (steady .2-.4 drop a week)
Mg 1425 (steady about 10-20 drop a week)

Ca 575-600 (I know, been having issue with this but slowing coming down.. basically I was doing Ca test wrong and dosed for about a month . It’s been about 2-3 month since, been doing larger water changes. Very very slowing going down. This week was first time below 580).

Nitrate 10-19 (after water change it’s usually around 15 then goes up to 19 by end of week. Weekly water change 20%)

Phosphate 1.9 steady
No ammonia nor nitrite. Steady
Ph 8.2-8.3 steady
Temp 78.8-79.1 steady

62gal 8 fish all doing well, lots of inverts. Mostly very small. Feeding phyto once a week day before water change. Only my blastos gets fed benepellet and gonis (tiny amt of reefoid). Only day before water change.

I have mostly LPS and some softies. I do have part of rocks kept empty for monti in future.

IMO, phosphate at 1.9 ppm is likely worth lowering.

Phosphate levels of 0.5 ppm have been shown to inhibit skeletal formation of some hard corals.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What kind of test are you using? Have you followed videos to make sure the test is done right?

To me thats pretty high, all your others look fine to me. But I would make triple sure about the phosphate reading, and if its correct I would make effort to lower it

 

[UMALUM]

IMO, phosphate at 1.9 ppm is likely worth lowering.

Phosphate levels of 0.5 ppm have been shown to inhibit skeletal formation of some hard corals.

I was under the impression that 1.7 - 1.9 was a typo with 10 nitrate. Seems unlikely to me so I figured he meant .17 - .19.

 

[mnsean]

I was under the impression that 1.7 - 1.9 was a typo with 10 nitrate. Seems unlikely to me so I figured he meant .17 - .19.

Yes sorry typo.

 

[mnsean]

IMO, phosphate at 1.9 ppm is likely worth lowering.

Phosphate levels of 0.5 ppm have been shown to inhibit skeletal formation of some hard corals.

IMO, phosphate at 1.9 ppm is likely worth lowering.

Phosphate levels of 0.5 ppm have been shown to inhibit skeletal formation of some hard corals.

Sorry typo. .17-.19
Icp test just came in as .109

 

[Spare time]

The idea of chasing numbers is something I don't like to say as it is used poorly. The reason is yes you need the test numbers within a certain range, but an exact value isn't too important. It is more about being relatively stable within the recommended value range. Often, the chasing numbers argument is used poorly by people who are lazy or don't like to test, and want to justify themselves. Reef keeping is water keeping. If the numbers are right, corals grow well. Not testing is just gambling and you won't know why something is going wrong until it is too late.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Uh, oK.