Must have equipment for SPS

[softhammer]

Dale, skimmer upgrade will also help with your vodka dosing as it will collect more bacteria. If it seems to be working why stop? Also depending where you are at, I can set you up with some Montipora Digitatas, which I think is the best starter coral. Very hardy but will turn brown if things are out of whack. If it likes what you are doing it will turn brilliant purple.

 

[ddaddy2420]

Well it looks like my nitrates are finally dropping - my latest test showed 5-10ppm which is down from 40ppm. So at least i am heading in the right direction. My other issue now is based on the API test I thought my phosphates were 0 or undetectable. Well I got a Hannah tester for phosphates and have tested 2 days in a row. It was .40 the first day and .39 the next so my phosphates seem to be an issue.

Im just wondering, a good bit of my rock came from tanks that were running for 5+ years each. Could there be any issue with this rock that would cause my nitrates and phosphates to be high? I have backed off my feeding and have put matrix in my sump and have chaeto in my refugium as well. I have been vodka dosing for a few weeks now and am starting to see the benefits of the vodka dosing because my nitrates are finally dropping and my tank looks crystal clear. But now my phophates are high.

Honestly, if i could get a fish trap and get my fish out into my QT, i really think i would take out all of that old rock and just keep my new rock in there and basically start over. I need to do this for the ick issue i had in the beginning anyways.

 

[cj22009]

One tip on the Hannah meter after you put the reagent in shake it really well and let it sit for a minute and make sure you get all the reagent out of the pack. Even though I don't like api I wouldn't think it would read 0 and the Hannah would read .40 not unless the api is bad. I was getting high readings with my Hannah and double checked it against two seachem test emailed Hannah and they told me to let it sit to get a more accurate reading

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[ddaddy2420]

cj22009;833182 wrote: One tip on the Hannah meter after you put the reagent in shake it really well and let it sit for a minute and make sure you get all the reagent out of the pack. Even though I don't like api I wouldn't think it would read 0 and the Hannah would read .40 not unless the api is bad. I was getting high readings with my Hannah and double checked it against two seachem test emailed Hannah and they told me to let it sit to get a more accurate reading

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Ok thks for the advice. The API phosphate test was showing something under .25 which is the lowest it can be next to the color for 0. So i shouldn't say it was 0 but it was low, certainly not .4 that is showing up on Hannah.

Dale

 

[ddaddy2420]

Well i did what cj22009 suggested and my phosphate reading was still .38. Good news is my nitrates are showing 0 for the first time. Gonna keep testing it over the next few days and then adjust my vodka dose accordingly. Seems like the vodka dosing is helping for sure. Now just need to figure out this phosphate issue. I suppose I can get some gfo, however, i am running out of room in my sump and under the tank. Is Matrix supposed to help with nitrates only or nitrates and phosphates???

Any suggestions on the phosphates?

 

[cj22009]

Get a gfo reactor easiest way to run gfo BRS has decent prices on them. I like running the high capacity gfo from them less dust last longer too. Also if you are feeding a lot cut back some

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[seth the wine guy]

Gfo or frequent large WC are about the only way you're going to get the PO4 number low and keep it low. Be careful how quickly you bring that number down using Gfo. Any corals you have already are accustom to the high nutrient level and will not react well to sudden change. Most common thing to notice is a loss of color. Especially with SPS but even zoas and LPS will as well. You can help avoid it happening to your LPS by supplementing with weekly target feedings.