Quote:
Originally Posted by Big E
Just to clear things up here..........my colors were just as good in the 20's as below.10
The biggest problem was nusiance macroalgae and green slime/cyano. I would blow this off with a baster every evening and up my snail load so the coraline would take over.
I got as high as over .50 at one time with no color changes. Above this level is when I could tell my acros wouldn't grow as well.
If you look cronologically in my thread and the pictures you can see algae in the backdrop and then the latest pics show coraline taking over when I was mainly in the .10-.12 range, where it's been for the last 1 1/2 years. I only test once a month at most and it ranges from .07-.15 but I do nothing to chase the numbers.
It's very possible to grow enough acros and coraline to out compete the algae for space and run higher levels. From my own personal experience I think nitrates brown out corals more than PO4.
I stated that .10 was my high target in my thread, as I didn't want people running high levels and fighting algae.
I actually want higher levels because I like the deeper vivid colors versus the pastel look. Higher levels aren’t bad, it’s the detritus that’s trapped in rock and sand surface that cause problems.
I’m about 99% sure the original PO4 target of .03 was just pulled out of thin air as an educated guess for acros based on ocean levels by someone who wrote an article.
If you look at Thales tank…….where’s the algae going to gow? The corals have taken over. I think the point to take is that PO4 in the water column isn’t a big deal.
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IF: High PO4 (such as 0.1-0.3ppm) gets you deep/strong SPS colours + possibility of nuisance algae; then I'd happily take that route and deal with a bit of algae and beef up my CUC.
BUT, why is it then that since the early days of my hobby experience everyone keep saying PO4 higher than 0.03ppm=BROWN SPS?!!!
Take my current tank for example...I had EXCELLENT colours in MOST of my acros when the same tank and equipment was setup a couple of years ago.
I have the same tank and equipment and a year after a restart, I am not getting the same results...OK, its not bad...but overall its NOT the same level of success.
Parameters are the same...salt additives, salt, flow, pumps, lights...the list goes on.
The ONLY difference is the rocks.
So is it something to do with the bacteria in my rocks?
If its not PO4 then what is in the OP and Big E's tanks that is missing from so many of everyone elses tank?
Is lots of food the answer? Arrrgh! This hobby does my head in sometimes...
