My tank, 90 Gallon DT running just over 2 years has had and is maintaining a Nitrate and Phosphate spike all while I cannot get Cheato or Caulerpa to grow anymore.
My tank would typically run around Nitrates 10-25 and Phosphates around .3 but now for the past month Nitrates max out my test at 100 and Phosphates are reading 2-2.5. How could I have nutrients this high and not be able to see any growth in my Macro Algae? I had a refugium light, one of those pink looking LED lights and when it started not growing I went back to the CFL 5K lights I had always used with great success but still nothing
In the past 2 months I have done a few things, I deep cleaned the sump, pulled all rubble/rocks and had them sitting in a bucket of tank water while I drained the sump and cleaned all the crud and detritus out, it was gross. I added a clarisea roller filter as I had no form of mechanical filtration, no socks nothing but after cleaning the sump I knew I needed to do something so that has been in place for about a month and my sump is staying clean. I also added a bag of sand to the tank, one of those caribsea arag alive bags of reef sand. It covered the sand in spots where the power heads blew it but mostly mixed in with existing. I also got rid of one of my bigger fish, a large Fox Face. Between the Fox face and the Trigger I was really overfeeding the tank to make sure my shyer inhabitants were getting enough.
The Macro’s really stopped growing after I cleaned the sump and nothing has made a difference as far as Nitrates and Phosphates. Before that I would pull out a good amount every few weeks as well as feeding the tank Caulerpa on occasion and I assume this was keeping the nutrients in check. There is still a small chunk of Cheato and Caulerpa in the refugium so not dying just not growing.
Fish are all healthy, Nems, leathers, rhodactis and Yuma are doing great. Monti, Chalice and lepto all browned out and died.
I was thinking about putting a pellet reactor on line but would rather go back to using my refugium and Macro algae as the control and not another piece of equipment to maintain and monitor.
Tank details; a redsea reefer 450 approximately 94 gallon DT and another 20 or so gallons in the sump, 1000 GPH return pump. Nitrites and ammonia undetectable PH 8, temp 78, Calcium 450 and KH of 8.9 I have the typical looking sump full of Sponges, copepods and feather dusters so I feel like my tank is healthy
WHAT AM I MISSING
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My tank would typically run around Nitrates 10-25 and Phosphates around .3 but now for the past month Nitrates max out my test at 100 and Phosphates are reading 2-2.5. How could I have nutrients this high and not be able to see any growth in my Macro Algae? I had a refugium light, one of those pink looking LED lights and when it started not growing I went back to the CFL 5K lights I had always used with great success but still nothing
In the past 2 months I have done a few things, I deep cleaned the sump, pulled all rubble/rocks and had them sitting in a bucket of tank water while I drained the sump and cleaned all the crud and detritus out, it was gross. I added a clarisea roller filter as I had no form of mechanical filtration, no socks nothing but after cleaning the sump I knew I needed to do something so that has been in place for about a month and my sump is staying clean. I also added a bag of sand to the tank, one of those caribsea arag alive bags of reef sand. It covered the sand in spots where the power heads blew it but mostly mixed in with existing. I also got rid of one of my bigger fish, a large Fox Face. Between the Fox face and the Trigger I was really overfeeding the tank to make sure my shyer inhabitants were getting enough.
The Macro’s really stopped growing after I cleaned the sump and nothing has made a difference as far as Nitrates and Phosphates. Before that I would pull out a good amount every few weeks as well as feeding the tank Caulerpa on occasion and I assume this was keeping the nutrients in check. There is still a small chunk of Cheato and Caulerpa in the refugium so not dying just not growing.
Fish are all healthy, Nems, leathers, rhodactis and Yuma are doing great. Monti, Chalice and lepto all browned out and died.
I was thinking about putting a pellet reactor on line but would rather go back to using my refugium and Macro algae as the control and not another piece of equipment to maintain and monitor.
Tank details; a redsea reefer 450 approximately 94 gallon DT and another 20 or so gallons in the sump, 1000 GPH return pump. Nitrites and ammonia undetectable PH 8, temp 78, Calcium 450 and KH of 8.9 I have the typical looking sump full of Sponges, copepods and feather dusters so I feel like my tank is healthy
WHAT AM I MISSING
Recent Pics: