ReefdUp

Oh the woes! Too little phosphate! ? I used to dose phosphate, but I bumped up the food dosing. Now I need to deal with the opposite issue. ?

This is very sad to hear - and I can relate all too well. It's always hard to decide what is more work: fighting so many problems or just starting over. I hope you've considered how to prevent these challenges with your new start.

Yaaay!! That's great!

I actually use sodium nitrate. Amazon: Sodium Nitrate, Reagent Grade (chemically Pure) – 1 lb. Bag https://a.co/d/13Ucime But I think I remember Randy Holmes-Farley calculating out the amount of potassium added from dosing potassium nitrate, and I don't think it was much (if you decide to use that, check my memory). I've used Brightwell's NeoNitro with success, but I need my supplements in much larger bulk nowadays.

EF ECOFLOW RIVER Pro Portable Power Station 720Wh, Power Multiple Devices, Recharge 0-80% Within 1 Hour, for Camping, RV, Outdoors, Off-Grid https://a.co/d/5pFzQbz We got rid of our giant gas generator for it, and we even take it camping and to the backyard for random fans and other accessories. There are various sizes, and we sized ours for camping. We've only had minor power outages here (knock on wood).

Have you ever used Vibrant? That aside... are you able to grow any other macroalgae or other algae at all? Are you doing anything for iodine? Do you have green corals or soft corals in the tank, and if so, how are they doing?

No nitrate processing bacteria with no detectable nitrate... even while dosing MB7?? That is odd. Did you only gather a water sample or take a swab from along the glass/rocks? I think most bacteria is present on surfaces (not in the water column), so that might be the reason.

I'd start with reducing your phosphates. If you're hoping to keep SPS, then target it <0.06ppm (decimal place was off).

I need to look up my recipe (I'm not near it right now). But I try to keep my nitrate at 4ppm. Anything lower, and it's gone the next day. Anything higher, and then I start to get algae issues.

Here's a calculator for dosing nitrate... http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm You can buy pre-made solutions, but I buy my nitrate in bulk (probably on every watch list by now...). Pre-made is probably the best until you see how the tank reacts. So, here's why I love managing nutrients this way... I have super-rich colors in my SPS that I can tweak just right. My SPS don't get pastel/ bleached, I can run high alk without burnt tips, and I avoid the plagues of dinos (typically associated with low nutrients). The downside is that if I forget... well... you don't want to know my phosphate levels. Let's just say I can't use the Hanna ULR phosphate checker... (But, I know I'm a fringe case from my rescuing efforts.)

Try the nitrate dosing - go slow. You might just be a convert! I absolutely love it and find it much easier to manage than other nutrient reduction methods once you get used to it. You may not need the vodka dosing if you just bump up your nitrates.

The Redfield Ratio isn't directly related. That doesn't change the fact that bacteria process phosphate and nitrate. Limiting one limits the uptake of the other. I don't maintain a ratio; I maintain sufficient levels of both to reduce both.

When I talk about bacteria dosing, I'm talking about essentially carbon dosing theory without the carbon addition. There is a balancing act with the levels of nitrate, phosphate, bacteria, and carbon. If a tank is high in phosphate and nitrate, it may just need a bacterial boost (both nutrients are required for bacteria). If the nutrient levels drop, then regularly dosing bacteria will address the nutrient levels together... up to the point the tank is carbon limited. Both phosphate and nitrate are testable. Carbon and bacteria are the limiting factors after that. Address those, and phosphate and nitrate are easily controllable. My tank is typically high on phosphates with undetectable nitrates, so I dose both bacteria and nitrate to reduce the phosphates. It generally takes 40ml nitrate solution (I forget the concentration I made) for my 120g tank... DAILY... to keep the phosphates low. I also dose Microbacter 7 daily (although I've use others). On the rare occasion, I have had my tanks become phosphate-limited, and nitrate-high, so I've had to dose phosphates to help bring down the nitrates. Crazy, I know. But the amount was super-low (maybe 6ml of the solution). On the super-rare occasion, I do extremely low carbon dosing just to boost the bacteria temporarily. My tanks are mature, but I bring in dying corals frequently (which should contribute to the biodiversity, but maybe in a negative manner). I have the aquabiomics kits to test my tanks, but I just haven't done it yet. Bottom line, I don't recommend this technique for anyone without advanced knowledge and testing capability, as it is a complete juggling act. For the advanced aquarist, it's nice to have very precise levels of nutrients controlled over time (rather than too rapid of a drop with GFO). But, at a minimum, bacteria dosing can help rule out a bacterial-limitation on nutrient processing for a newbie.

Of course, everything that was said, but I'm also a huge fan of bacteria-dosing. This can help speed up the cycling process with reducing nutrients. It's hard to overdo (if you're just dosing bacteria), but it can get expensive. This is also easy to build upon once the person grows in the hobby (balancing nitrate, phosphate, bacteria, and carbon - which requires advanced testing and dosing). I have multiple mature tanks, and I have very distinct tank responses when I manage my nutrients this way. I practically don't even use my skimmers anymore. But, every tank is different. All that being said, I do hesitate to suggest bacteria dosing as it could be conveyed as a "miracle in a bottle." There are tons of garbage products out there, and I wouldn't want a newbie just believing every bottle without having a good understanding of the mechanisms at play.

I lost track of the number of antibiotic treatments on this coral required to save it. I should have removed all the excess skeleton like I normally do. It's funny - not following my own protocols gets me into trouble!

Linking to the MACNA presentation: Back from the Brink: A Systems Engineering Approach to Coral Triage and Rehabilitation

Oh nooo! What happened?! Was this recent? I lost a chalice the size of a dinner plate during a battle with a severely toxic type of cyano (killed all of my fish and most of my corals - it was one of the most horrific things I've ever battled).

If you joined as a member in-person, please see if your account has the necessary changes made. Unfortunately, there are several applications with undecipherable writing, so I did the best I could. If something isn't correct, please send me a message with the correct information. Also, if creating a username on the spot was too much pressure at the time, please let me know what you actually want! Otherwise, you'll be stuck with "NameTBD####" for perpetuity!

That's phenomenal! Yes, that's what I received. Thank you!!

For those of you asking for more information during my presentation, please see some references at my site: Coral Inspection, Dips, and Quarantine: https://coraleverafter.org/?p=578 Pest/Parasite Identification Information: https://coraleverafter.org/?page_id=22 Thanks again to everyone that came out and/or contributed!

What awesome finds did you pick up at FragFest? My tanks are just now waking up, but I got an amazing tabling red Acropora!

Hopefully you were able to make it, grabbed some awesome new coral, met some great folks, and had a fun time!

Thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and everyone that came out! It was a great event, as always! If you joined as a member in person today or had other changes made to your account, please give me a day or two to process them all. Feel free to reach out if you need anything. And... welcome!

Oh no! Hope you feel better soon!

Welcome! Everything you need to know should be in the info the great folks above provided, but if you still have questions or need anything, feel free to reach out to me. I'm the Membership Director and will be at the entry table at FragFest. I'll also be presenting the talk on coral pests/parasites! Looking forward to seeing you there! Nikki