Parameter questions

[Saltywaters]

I’m looking for some help.

My mixed reef tank has been up and running around 8 months now.
75 gallon Aqueon with a 40 breeder sump.
I have a mixed reef at the moment from softies to lps.
I just started to test my parameters to start a log to see what my elements are doing so I know when I need to start dosing and what I will be dosing. I also have been testing my Nitrates and phosphates.
I went through a crazy hair algae phase for a little over a month. I finally got some chaeto growing with a kessil light that runs from 10pm-10am.
Seems to be growing my chaeto really well however the last two nitrate tests 1 week apart roughly are at 0. Last weekend I had .06 for phosphates, and this week .03 for phosphates. Both weeks nitrates at 0.
I’ve been trying to feed more to get my nitrates up, however they have not budged.
For mechanical filtration I run filter floss in filter cups. Love them! They do a good job plus I’m not washing filter socks.
I also have an oversized bubble magus curve 7 which I’m sure the curve 5 would be more appropriate for this size tank however I got a good deal on it used.
I do have a hefty fish load as well, so I’m unsure what I need to do.
Cut my refugium light schedule down? Don’t run my skimmer 24/7?
Or dose nitrates?
The last few weeks I’ve been getting green algae all over my sand as well. I can’t tell if it’s cyano or Dino’s. Slowly growing up some rock work. I want to say Dino’s, but I most definitely could be wrong.
I have attached some photos of the Dino’s/cyano. Also have attached my parameter readings.
Let me know what you all think.

 

[Saltywaters]

Not the best photos of the algae. I'll try to get better photos or a video tomorrow when the white lights come on.

 

[Uncle99]

What test kits are you using for nitrate and phosphate.

Looks very green which makes me think of excess phosphate or zero phosphate.


Excess and zero nutrients bad numbers as they may trigger pest type stuff.

 

[Pod_01]

Based on the calcium and magnesium drop I suspect your salinity is not consistent.

I do have a hefty fish load as well, so I’m unsure what I need to do.
Cut my refugium light schedule down? Don’t run my skimmer 24/7?
Or dose nitrates?

My preferred method is to use skimmer and GAC only.
For reference some corals from my tank:

I prefer to keep PO4 at 0.1 and NO3 1-3ppm range.

Good luck,

 

[Saltywaters]

What test kits are you using for nitrate and phosphate.

Looks very green which makes me think of excess phosphate or zero phosphate.


Excess and zero nutrients bad numbers as they may trigger pest type stuff.

I have Hanna test kids for nitrates and phosphates.
I have the Red Sea foundation pro kit for Alk, calc, and Mag.

 

[Saltywaters]

Based on the calcium and magnesium drop I suspect your salinity is not consistent.


My preferred method is to use skimmer and GAC only.
For reference some corals from my tank:

I prefer to keep PO4 at 0.1 and NO3 1-3ppm range.

Good luck,

I check my salinity once every week or 2 and is always constant to be honest. 1.026 is what I run it at. I use the Milwaukee digital test kit.
Your corals are amazing looking. What’s a GAC?
I don’t have anything to test my PH, could this be an issue if it’s up and down?

 

[rishma]

I am not sure what kind of algae you have but in the past I have had the issue of relatively low nutrients and algae infestations of different types. I believe the algae was sucking up the N and P so the residual in the water was low. What solved it for me was carbon dosing, I think the bacteria out competed the algae. I did have to dose nitrogen and phosphate sources to prevent them from bottoming out. When I let it bottom out I ended up with dinos.

I’m not discouraging your current path, just sharing.

 

[LordGman76]

Cleaning your sand once in a while would be good.

 

[Pod_01]

I check my salinity once every week or 2 and is always constant to be honest. 1.026 is what I run it at. I use the Milwaukee digital test kit.
Your corals are amazing looking. What’s a GAC?
I don’t have anything to test my PH, could this be an issue if it’s up and down?

GAC - Granular Activated Carbon.

For Calcium to drop from 470 to 405 your Alk would drop by 9 dKh (there is 2.8 dKH of alk consumption for each 18-20 ppm of calcium). For magnesium the ratio is lot more.
So either the calcium/magnesium test is incorrect or salinity decreased. I should have mentioned the testing error. Calcium and magnesium test kits are notoriously inconsistent.

I used to struggle with this as well and these days use Alk to figure out how tank behaves. I tend to use ICP tests for calcium and magnesium.

Corals require PO4 and they are only able to get it from water column. If you drive your PO4 too low algae wins, algae can get PO4 from substrate and rock while corals starve.

Also corals love fish poop, so I like to keep it in the water column as long as possible and why I don’t use extensive filtration. My corals are the main filter.

Good luck,

 

[LordGman76]

GAC - Granular Activated Carbon.

For Calcium to drop from 470 to 405 your Alk would drop by 9 dKh (there is 2.8 dKH of alk consumption for each 18-20 ppm of calcium). For magnesium the ratio is lot more.
So either the calcium/magnesium test is incorrect or salinity decreased. I should have mentioned the testing error. Calcium and magnesium test kits are notoriously inconsistent.

I used to struggle with this as well and these days use Alk to figure out how tank behaves. I tend to use ICP tests for calcium and magnesium.

Corals require PO4 and they are only able to get it from water column. If you drive your PO4 too low algae wins, algae can get PO4 from substrate and rock while corals starve.

Also corals love fish poop, so I like to keep it in the water column as long as possible and why I don’t use extensive filtration. My corals are the main filter.

Good luck,

corals poop too! I agree with the algea feeding off the substrate that’s why you gotta clean the sand every once in a while, but I do believe you need good filtration also because corals also poop out the food they take in.

 

[LordGman76]

Everyone is invited to my Whatnot podcast show. Where I talk all about corals and fish. Also have corals for sale that I aquaculture myself. Come hang out! Give me a follow on Whatnot and bookmark my shows. Thanks. Here’s the link.Whatnot.com/invite/lordgman76