If your mille won't grow, consider hidden phosphate

[Sk8r]

Couldn't grow mille for spit.

Started running Phosban and skimming wet.

My system: a 52g corner bow with 75 lbs live rock, 4" aragonite, 250 mh 10000k 2 actinics, sea swirl, and way too much caulerpa, which is now going out, thanks to fish. Way too much film algae, which is also going, thanks to Phosban.

Never thought I had phosphate. Ran the test. Negative. Ha. When film algae ran wild I said to myself, screw the test, there's phosphate in there somewhere.

So I ran a lot of Phosban, taking care to keep my ph up.

And the strawberry mille which I have had for 6 months without a bit of growth has grown 1/4 inch since 3 weeks ago. The digitata that has grown like a weed has slowed down. Take your pick. Possibly it loves phosphate.

[MiddletonMark]

I would think PO4 should inhibit calcification equally for stony corals? :confused:

[jackson6745]

Which testkit did you use? I use salifert testkit for phosphate but find it to be pretty useless. If I see any color at all I know that my phosphate level is higher than I want it (>.03 based on Hanna meter results.)

[cwegescheide]

FWIW I have a couple milli's and I didn't notice any growth in my blue or red milli for a LONG time after I put them in the tank. I'd say around 7-8mos. Just a little encrusting. Then all of the sudden I had a tremendous growth spurt in both of them. I have a few corals like this. I ran a generous amount of phosban and GAC. I have a Merk po4 test kit that reads 0.

Chris

[jackson6745]

FWIW I noticed the same thing on a fuzzy stag. Everything else was growing fine and this stupid frag wouldn't grow. It fell over one day and the tip broke off. Within a week the coral had a new growth tip and began to branch out.

[Justin/TiV]

Yes...you can test 0 for phosphates because they are getting used up by the corals. I'm getting ready to start running rowaphos...cause like you said...I know it's there. I feed fairly heavy...but I have fish that will nip my coral if I don't.