hair algae

[lomondreef]

test results today are

kh - 12.8
po4 - 0.64
no3 - 4
mag - 1275
cal - 480
ph - 8
temp - 27.7
sal - 1.026

still adding 18mls of nopox, 12mls of liquid phos remover, tried dropping daily buffer to 50mls but has dropped 0.4 again so will go back to 72mls. Got my reef energy today, should i dose that now or do i wait until no3 and po4 are in sync?

[lomondreef]

mag dropped 165 over 7 days

using liquid foundation c......

1ml/100litres raises mag by 1ppm, so im loosing 23ppm per day so if i am right i should be dosing a daily amount of 138mls to my 600 litres of water.

which means my 500ml bottle shall not last very long, hope my lfs has the powder form in stock this weekend....

[lomondreef]

no3 and po4 still the same, still dosing the same, i have turned of my ozone now, to see if that will help any

[lomondreef]

been skimming like mad for the past 4 days, still adding the same stated doses, but started dosing reef energy, which seems to be helping my corals, going to carry out my tests now, better see a difference in po4.......

[lomondreef]

phosphates seem to be shifting, still close to 0.64, but not as dark as the colour indicating 0.64, sort of inbetween that an the next colour 0.36
nitrates still 4

[lomondreef]

one change worth mentioning, i have raised my flow through sump from 2500 - 5000 litres n hr

[RedSeaKev]

Hi Lomondreef, Is that rate allowing for head loss? what is the height of the top of your aquarium and which pump are you using?

[lomondreef]

eheim 5000 compact

pumping from sump upto tank which is roughly 5ft

[lomondreef]

todays results surprise surprise same as all the other times....no3 4......po4 0.64

salifert = no3 50/100ppm and p04 0.000

tried tank tests liquid phos remover, which the tank is suppose to turn cloudy then the skimmer removes this thus reducing po4, if the water doesn,t cloud and the skimmate is clear you should be testing near to 0 po4. which i am the later

finishing the current bottle of nopox, if no changes, im done with wasting money on this programme

[gforrow]

Hi Buddy,

Just so I understand it - Your Red Sea NO3 test states 4, yet your real level is between 50 and 100????

Hmmmm.

If that is the case, then that makes 2 of us. I've done a full set of tests today, and it appears that my Mag and Ca are out of sync as well, but I'm using RSCP, thought that would give me correct levels.

Kev has offered to test my test if I send it to him, but hasn't told me which bits to send back. I am now trying something different as well as numerous water changes, looks like liguid phosphate remover may be in order. I've lost too much stock in terms of corals to "Just give it time", I've been giving it time for well over 6 months now.

I get the distinct impression that as long as your tank is sort of right, then it will work. But if your levels are slightly out, then you are buggered, it aint gonna help, and false readings don't make this any easier to deal with.

I'll keep watching

Gary