[quote=“beadlocked450r, post:20, topic:4818”]
When I first found out my po3 was high it was testing above 2.5ppm(tim and paul saw it) and I never had an algee problem.that was atleast 6months ago.ca525,ph was8.1,mag1480,alk2.8,kh7.8 trates 25[/quote]
Are these current readings or from 6 months ago? Those numbers look OK, but Nitrate is a little high, shouldn’t exceed 20, and would be best below 10. What are your other readings(NO[sub]2[/sub] NH [sub]3/4[/sub])? Also, what test kits/meters are you using to test with?
Dude, go grab a beer and stop obsessing about it so much :BEER ;D Keep your feeding reduced and let it run for a few weeks, it may be a month before it stabilizes.
[quote=“beadlocked450r, post:14, topic:4818”]
So let me get this right ANY food has phosphates? If I’m not mistaken phos is an additive or perservaitive? So how does fresh food have that?[/quote]
Take one of your market fresh shrimp and add it to a cup of RODI. You know there is 0ppm TDS… there is nothing in that water before hand. After letting it soak for a day first try smelling the cup. Enjoy. Secondly measure the phosphates. Great way to see what it looks like when your test kit or colorimeter maxes out.
Phosphate can be added as a preservative however phosphate is in every living thing. It is part of DNA. It is part of the structure of bones. It is required for life.
If you want better coral growth I would continue to use meathods to remove it, but once a week or every couple of weeks on the media changes should be plenty to keep the levels reasonable. Key word is should be. Stop with the oyster feast and limit the quantities of your other food.
Also careful with new animal additions. May want to consider QTing anything new that is wet. If you have no issues with algae then you may just have the right herbivores for the algae that is present in your system. The last thing you want is to introduce a new species of algae that nothing in your aquarium eats and goes plague. Pest anemones and bubble algae also love phosphates.
Heard several people ask what your Ca, Mg, and Alk are, but didn’t see a response yet. This could be the key. Also if your phosphates have been high your carbonates may be lower then you think.
[quote=“beadlocked450r, post:20, topic:4818”]
When I first found out my po3 was high it was testing above 2.5ppm(tim and paul saw it) and I never had an algee problem.that was atleast 6months ago.ca525,ph was8.1,mag1480,alk2.8,kh7.8 trates 25[/quote]
Call me crazy but I would be worried too with high trates and po4 like this algae blooms are bound to happen. A lot of us have algae problems with low numbers. I do
[quote=“dunk, post:25, topic:4818”]
Call me crazy but I would be worried too with high trates and po4 like this algae blooms are bound to happen. A lot of us have algae problems with low numbers. I do[/quote]
+1
Woah, yeah missed that… it isn’t just phophates leaching out of the work. Less food or more water changes are certainly needed and probably both. Have to warn though it is possible those Nitrates are not only slowing the growth of corals, but likely algae as well.
I have seen systems many times just like that where things seem ok, but corals get lost or just don’t grow, then maintenance and feeding are improved and algae issues show up. Now that being said I have not seen your aquarium in person, so there could be other things going on as well.
So either way I’m screwed? Your saying when I get my trates down I’m going to have an algee problem?thought algee was from a spike in trates? Or there is a chance I could? I figured with the trates where they are I woulda had that issue already?
I also want to thank everybody for all this help.I know this is all par for the course, I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong or what I need to do to fix these problems. So I’m now mixing a batch of water and I’m going to start a weekly water change and see if things change. I have changed the feeding and will see where this gets me. I’m sure this is a hard question to answer but how long should I expect these things to take untill I notice a differance?
I don’t think there a time line for that Jason. I think you just have to keep an eye on your tank and hope it will flourish for you and not start going down hill.
beadlocked, you mean you have not been doing weekly water changes? How often have you been doing water changes, and how much?
I would assume it would take 3-4 weeeks to get things under controll, alot of varibles in something like this so it is hard to predict, Gordy may have a better idea on this…That remids me I need to bend his ear a bit about phosphate and nitrate removal, have an idea need to run past him…
[quote=“aonemarine, post:30, topic:4818”]
beadlocked, you mean you have not been doing weekly water changes? How often have you been doing water changes, and how much?
I would assume it would take 3-4 weeeks to get things under controll, alot of varibles in something like this so it is hard to predict, Gordy may have a better idea on this…That remids me I need to bend his ear a bit about phosphate and nitrate removal, have an idea need to run past him…[/quote]
No I don’t do weekly water changes.I have been doing 30-35gal every month.however I guess I’m going to have to start doing it every week. So my next question is if I’m doing this weekly do I still need to do a big monthly? Or do these little changes take its place?
Phosphates are found not only in DNA, but as the backbone for energy usage in most prokaryotes in the form of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate). Though traditionally used aerobically, in an anaerobic reaction absent nitrate, glucose is consumed by the general form:
Glucose → Lactic Acid + ATP
In prokaryotes (multi celled organisms), multiple electron acceptors can be used in anaerobic respiration. These include nitrate, sulfate or carbon dioxide. These processes lead to the ecologically-important processes of denitrification and sulfate reduction (in reef-keeping, sulfate reduction = H2S production = nuking the tank)
I’d be hard pressed to find the complete lack of phosphates in ANY system, unless you have a system almost completely dependant upon photosynthesis. Crabs, clams, fish . . . pretty much every creature will contribute to the phosphorous buildup in your tank (as well as obvious other chemicals).
Weekly water changes should keep things in check, and stirring the sand is a no-no if it has been established for some time . . . less risk exposing anaerobic bacteria to the system which will react chemically and only make bad things happen.
Water changes will remove phosphate while contributing to chemical stability (when mixed properly). I have a smaller system, so water changes are all I need to keep phosphates in check. As for larger systems . . . I believe the experts have chimed in already.
Quite simply, if you have good water going in with WC’s, you should have things under control in a minimal amount of time with due diligence and maintenance of water stability. You don’t want to make DRASTIC changes all at once, or you will just contribute to the problem (animal/algae death).
I have a 30gal DT w/ a 20gal sump. I have about a 45gal system total. I change out 5 gallons a week which is about 10% weekly. It has worked very well for me, and has kept my water quality where I want it. Whatever your volume is, I would do 10% weekly for now. Possibly 15% if you’re feeling the itch. lol
[quote=“dajohnson02, post:36, topic:4818”]
I have a 30gal DT w/ a 20gal sump. I have about a 45gal system total. I change out 5 gallons a week which is about 10% weekly. It has worked very well for me, and has kept my water quality where I want it. Whatever your volume is, I would do 10% weekly for now. Possibly 15% if you’re feeling the itch. lol[/quote]
what volume do you have, jason? btw don’t count the aiptasia in the volume calculations. ::
at 200 gal +/- i think a 15 gal w/c is too small every week. that’d take too long to affect much. i’d bet the salt says 10% a week or more, but you have an issue to correct through w/c, so just from my ancient perspective, i would change more than 20-25 gals a week for at least a month [that’s only 50% total turnover]. just my .02
[quote=“moliken, post:39, topic:4818”]
at 200 gal +/- i think a 15 gal w/c is too small every week. that’d take too long to affect much. i’d bet the salt says 10% a week or more, but you have an issue to correct through w/c, so just from my ancient perspective, i would change more than 20-25 gals a week for at least a month [that’s only 50% total turnover]. just my .02[/quote]
Enjoy. Secondly measure the phosphates. Great way to see what it looks like when your test kit or colorimeter maxes out.
: