The corals are coloring up crazy since I am back from a long vacation. In fact, I never seen they color up that much ever since. However, I notice some stn recently on about 30% of the colonies on this system. Things doing great, colors outstanding, polyps are crazy. I live in the comfort zone for too long, I don't notice the problems. Think again, this system doesn't consume that much Alk and Calcium at all. (45ml per day at peak, now it's 30ml per day). And I realize that the corals in this tank don't grow...at all. Some frag I but in here for 3~6 months, still stay at frags, happy, but only encrust a very little. Huhm, what can be the problem here?!
As usual, I always do a big water change (50% this time) as an emergency response. Thing still the same, corals doesn't consume alk and cal (My Calcium gone off chart on Hanna Checker and I had to stop dosing Cal completely).
My tank doesn't have algae outbreak. And I always rely on algae availability to guess the nutrient level. But I know that one of the reason corals can't calcification is because of high phosphate in the water. So I try to test for phosphate using Hanna Phosphorus checker. It's off range! (Highest range on the checker is 0.61ppm)
I am so relieve right now because when we know the problem, we can fix it! I start using gfo and feed a little less. Hopefully corals will start growing again when phosphate is lower. I will update the process.
Here are some pictures I took when the phosphate was high. Blue light using Nikon D500 with Tamron 90mm and Sigma 17-50mm lens.
RRU Apple Jack
I have this little frag in the system for at least 6 months. No grow! but check out the coloration!
WWC Papaya, this frag stay in the tank even longer.
Greg's Unicorn
Mr V's The French Wolverine. Always proud of this baby!
RRU Red Bull
RR Lady In piNK
TCG Northern Crush
Diabolic Pacman
No name tenuis, but the color is amazing!
RRU Rainbow Blossom.
As usual, I always do a big water change (50% this time) as an emergency response. Thing still the same, corals doesn't consume alk and cal (My Calcium gone off chart on Hanna Checker and I had to stop dosing Cal completely).
My tank doesn't have algae outbreak. And I always rely on algae availability to guess the nutrient level. But I know that one of the reason corals can't calcification is because of high phosphate in the water. So I try to test for phosphate using Hanna Phosphorus checker. It's off range! (Highest range on the checker is 0.61ppm)
I am so relieve right now because when we know the problem, we can fix it! I start using gfo and feed a little less. Hopefully corals will start growing again when phosphate is lower. I will update the process.
Here are some pictures I took when the phosphate was high. Blue light using Nikon D500 with Tamron 90mm and Sigma 17-50mm lens.
RRU Apple Jack
I have this little frag in the system for at least 6 months. No grow! but check out the coloration!
WWC Papaya, this frag stay in the tank even longer.
Greg's Unicorn
Mr V's The French Wolverine. Always proud of this baby!
RRU Red Bull
RR Lady In piNK
TCG Northern Crush
Diabolic Pacman
No name tenuis, but the color is amazing!
RRU Rainbow Blossom.