My "new" 180 doesn't do so well (1 Viewer)

[ReefNoob]

So long story short,I upgraded to a180 last year with top of the line equipment( apex, Razor Led, RO skimmer, tunze etc)t and dry rock( Marcos rock). Cycled it for 3 months and everything was fine.

Since,I have had healthy and happy fishes,including clown and yellow tangs,ocellaris,12 line wrasse etc and fast growing red anemones.
But can seem to grow anything else,SPS ( tried a few frags) or montis,brain all lost color and eventually die.

My params are all good EXCEPT PO4(0.30ppm)which I can't seem to get rid of,even with my fuge and a( new) bio pellet reactor.
I don't overfeed and use only RODI for top off and water change... I had a low budget 55 gals that was better

I can't think of anything except perhaps LED( I'll borrow the club Parmeter )- any other ideas?

 

[d2mini]

Could the marco rock be releasing po4? Thought I've heard of that before.

 

[steveb]

what do you mean by doesn't do good? what are the parameters?


marco rock and volume of food are PO4 sources...

Have you tried dripping lanthium chloride into a <=5µ filter sock?

You could also use GFO (granular ferrix oxide) to reduce phosphate.

For what its worth I have never been able to totally get rid of phosphate with biopellets or any other type of carbon dosing (vodka, vinegar, etc.) I have tried.

 

[ReefNoob]

Params

Well I have read about vodka and started dosing for a month but nothing( visible) changed,so then am bio reactor and will let that run for a few months.
gFO never worked for me ,hence my selling of the reactor( classified section)
Am wondering if I should just do a lot of water change in hope to remove the pO4 leaching ( if that's the source).,,

My water param attached, PH is 8.6 and temp constant at 79F

 

[Wbattles]

I have incredibly high phosphate that I have slowly been bringing down the past couple of week and my lps, gorgs and my birds nest were fine. I highly doubt its the high phosphate. Once you get near 1600 mag though, dont you lose sps like birdsnest. (maybe you had it high and it bounces up and down). Did you raise the mag that high over the course of weeks or in the span on a week?

Just my 2 cents.

Are other peoples PH at 8.6? Mine is about 8.2 at the max and I just cant raise it any higher.

 

[d2mini]

Are other peoples PH at 8.6? Mine is about 8.2 at the max and I just cant raise it any higher.

8.6 is higher than most.
I have to fight to get mine near 8.2, adding Kalk to my ATO. My CaRx lowers it to 7.7 if I don't.
I think NSW is around 8.0-8.3 and what's normally considered acceptable for a reef tank is 7.8-8.5.

 

[steveb]

Once you get near 1600 mag though, dont you lose sps like birdsnest. (maybe you had it high and it bounces up and down). Did you raise the mag that high over the course of weeks or in the span on a week?

The only thing I have experienced from high magnesium on a previous tank (like 2000 ppm range, raised slowly, when treating with tech-m for bryopsis) was some snail sluggishness and mortality. Corals never seemed to be affected by it.

 

[ReefNoob]

Ok so I'll focus on bringing that pH down( high because of Kalk) and measure my light output at different heights ( a total unknown right now)