I'm panicking: SPS shedding

[tokejr]

wbrown;352919 wrote: dKH is 9 ATM too.. afraid to dose and get back on the rollercoaster so soon..

My dKH is high too........but nothing shows signs of stress until/unless the pH drops too far. I'll live with high dKH and, evidently, so can the fish and coral. They absolutely will not live with a pH that low.

 

[wbrown]

just for grins, while I was draining and changing so much water I cleaned the 'fuge of a good number of white sponge-like things on the sidewalls of the return area and the overflow area.
I did not disturb the rubble or sandbed as I have a cubic butt-load of pods cultivating in there for my mandarin.
Any significance to the sponges?

 

[tokejr]

wbrown;352928 wrote: just for grins, while I was draining and changing so much water I cleaned the 'fuge of a good number of white sponge-like things on the sidewalls of the return area and the overflow area.
I did not disturb the rubble or sandbed as I have a cubic butt-load of pods cultivating in there for my mandarin.
Any significance to the sponges?

Look like tiny white pineapples? Nah, just part of the new tank cycle.

 

[jeff_mcphail]

how do you top off your tank? I

 

[jeff_mcphail]

I once made the mistake of dumping my top-off water directly into the top of my 120g display :boo:. the next day it was bye bye to all the acros near the area I dumped the water in:doh: I'm guessing it was the ph/temp swing but whatever it was, it was wrong. lesson learned:yes:

 

[wbrown]

top off is into the overflow in the corner of the tank, or into 'fuge, either way it's not directly into the tank.

I totally agree with me not being able to stabilize and screwing with it too much. I'd like to get this figured out and get into a daily regimen and weekly cleanings and smaller w/c before I have to leave this in the hands of the missus while I go back to traveling.
I'd love to get this where all she had to do was feed and do w/c.

 

[ralph atl]

take a look at this:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm</a>


[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>

 

[wbrown]

mysterybox;353038 wrote: take a look at this:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm</a>


[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php</a>


[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>[/QUOTE]
thanks!
First is a good read, I'll review the others as time permits over the morning.

 

[jeep9783]

at all costs avoid swings in anything...ph 7.8-8.3 leave it be...dkh 8-12 leave it be...do small water changes to avoid swings...with the above paramaters everything else will fall right in place...when things jump from 12dkh to 8 RTN...ph goes from 7.8 to 8.3 RTN...most corals will tollorate this SPS i think not...that is why they are so popular because it requires a dictator ship over your tank...lps and other corals can take swings for the most part....just do water changes is my recomendation...

 

[skriz]

Wow, do you aerate your topoff water? If not, try that and see what that does to the ph.

Trying to adjust too many parameters will result in only one thing: crash.

You have too many variables present; let's narrow it down. The root of the problem is your ph. Let's figure out how to stabilize your topoff water and go from there. If aerating it works, you'll need to do some large water changes to bring your tank back to and equillibrium. Once there, you can maintain it, either by frequent wc's, additives or reactors.

 

[wbrown]

Skriz;353064 wrote: Wow, do you aerate your topoff water? If not, try that and see what that does to the ph.

Trying to adjust too many parameters will result in only one thing: crash.

You have too many variables present; let's narrow it down. The root of the problem is your ph. Let's figure out how to stabilize your topoff water and go from there. If aerating it works, you'll need to do some large water changes to bring your tank back to and equillibrium. Once there, you can maintain it, either by frequent wc's, additives or reactors.

I'll fill a bucket and drop in a powerhead, airstone, and my ph probe.
Regarding w/c; I can do 32G/day or less, or up to 100G with some effort in one shot.
I still have livestock in the tank, and don't want to harm it anymore than necessary at this point.

I just verified the calibration of my probe, and source water is 5.49 this morning.

 

[kwl1763]

That's insanely low. Put an airstone in there and blow it off for at least 24 hours and then retest. It should be in the 7's for sure after that. I don't think I've even seen water that low.

 

[wbrown]

after just a few minutes it's already at 6, kinda bouncing from 5.98 to 6.02..
Might be time to invest in that auto top off I've been contemplating so I can aerate the water prior to adding.
We've been battling this ph issue with the pool for a few years too, thats easier, just dump in good 'ole Arm & Hammer. I've found this already not to be a good idea with the tanks, or my source water as it precipitates like no other. Adding salt compounds the bejeesus out of it, and everything goes whacko.

 

[oldschool52]

We have the same kind of problem. You can aerate your water from now till dooms day, I've aerated 5 gal buckets for a week, still low. I test mine with a fresh water test kit and pH meter source water and that includes RO water is between 5.8 and 6.0. Stopped buffering with sodium bicarb I'm adding 2 or more gallons of topoff a day drops the 72g to 7.8 pH. My DKH goes through the roof (over 20 ) when I buffer, and I use muntiple test kits to verify my readings so I don't get the same people saying, "maybe your test kit is bad, are you sure it's ok?" I have 5 different mfgs test kits to check one against the other. We have noticed corals go down hill when pH drops below 7.9 but seem to do alright with high alk.

I have read about using 20 Mule Team Borax to raise pH and not raisin ALK. Have not tried it yet am doing some research and probably will try on a small tank before I blast the 72 (too much $$$ in that tank). Good luck and pm me if you think I can help. Will post on the ARC if any new developments.

 

[wbrown]

well Hmmmm.
I started aerating (5.49) water about 8:35- 8:40, now ph is bouncing from 7.08 to 7.12.

I have onhand; Seachem Reef buffer, Reef Builder, and Marine buffer. Brightwell Calcion-P, Bulk reef supply's 2 part recipe 1, Kent A-B, and RedSea calcium +3, and of course baking soda.
I'm using Oceanic salt mix
Tank is running refugium, filter socks, cheato, and a skimmer, no carbon, GFO, or anything else. Running mag 9.5, two Koralia 3's one Koralia 2, and a MaxiJet 1200 feeding the skimmer.
I mention what I have onhand hoping someone will spot something useless or detrimental that needs to hit the curb, or something I need to alter in my setup to ease the balance issues.

 

[sailfish]

Could he not use soda ash to buffer the top off water and if and when his tank needs it to buffer the tank. The soda ash aka(baked-baking soda or sodium carbonate) would increase ph more then just sodium bicarbonate aka (baking soda).

Others please comment as I never had to use soda ash because it would raise my PH to much.


I would get a 5 gal bucket of of top off water and add a teaspoon full of soda ash then test the water for pH and Dkh and see if you can use it without negativly affecting your tanks DKH. It may work or it may increase your tanks dkh to much but you will not know tell you mix some up and test it.

If you do no have any sodia ash you can make some buy baking normal baking sodia. Not sure on the time but I am sure someone on here knows how or you can look for it on the net.

Sorry for your loss but I would not add any more sps until you get this straight.

Joe

 

[jeep9783]

i wouldn't start adding chemicals as most chemicals will fix one probelm but off set two or more parm...just aerate the top off prior to topping off...do 10gal every other day of water changes for about a week and you will be fine...u start adding buffer etc...tank crash...next post will be getting out of hobby for awhile... best remedy for any problem is water change

chris

 

[grouper therapy]

How is your topoff added, as in how much at each topoff event?

 

[sailfish]

grouper therapy;353148 wrote: How is your topoff added, as in how much at each topoff event?

He mentioned 2.5 gal a day earlier if I am not mistaken.

Joe

 

[fish scales2]

jeep9783;353145 wrote: i wouldn't start adding chemicals as most chemicals will fix one probelm but off set two or more parm...just aerate the top off prior to topping off...do 10gal every other day of water changes for about a week and you will be fine...u start adding buffer etc...tank crash...next post will be getting out of hobby for awhile... best remedy for any problem is water change

chris

+1 Also 2.5 gallons per day is also swinging your salinity quickly when you top off. Def get an ATO.