what is my dysfunction?

[1mbrews8]

)
still having algae issues and alk...



so, a while back, i had a huge HA problem. I started dosing vodka and it cleared up ~ 75%.

then i started reading how vinegar is "safer" and would get rid of the left over, other kinds, of algae. So i started dosing that.. the combo got rid of ~ 90% of algae.

but then growth was slowing and corals were losing some color. sps was doing the worst overall.. this was all as i was reducing the dose, slowly, to maybe 70% of what i was doing (- 50% of vodka, -30% of vinegar).

it wasn't looking bad, but i had been having phos probs for a while and it was up to .30ppm (after v and v) so i figured i would try GFO.

did GFO for ~ 4-5 days 2 weeks ago, and it started bringing the phos down slowly. got to .24 after 24hrs, .20ppm after 48hrs. stayed there and i was having trouble getting it to stay tumbling even with maxi1200 full on. I tested alk as well and it was LOW. I read somewhere that GFO might make alk go down?

Hanna read 5.824dkh on the 9th
salifert was 6.2dkh
(did baking soda to try to raise dkh) dosed 3tsp
3-4 hrs later got ~6.6dkh
added another 3tsp

I was going out of town, so i turned GFO off on last mon. had my dad continue dosing just vinegar (so he wouldnt mess anything up lol) at 15ml at 12pm and 15ml at 10pm.

got home and everything is ok.. lost about a 4 and a 5p utter chaos (SUCKS!) but nothing else.. more algae though!

test results TODAY:
Cal (salifert) = 420
Mag (salifert) = 1430
Phos (hanna) = .25ppm

ALK (unsure about how to do exactly 1ml with supplied syringe, so did a few):
Hanna (with black part at 1ml) = 5.376dkh
Hanna (with liquid to 1ml line) = 6.216
Hanna (with using salifert 1ml syringe) = 5.992dkh
Salifert alk = ~6.6 dkh


sooooooooooooooooooooooooo, what is my prob? Coral doesnt look bad, which i would expect with that low of dkh..?

cal is cool.
mag is cool


should i go back to the gfo? i think because i have the reactor mounted above sump water line, it might be creating too much head for the maxi1200?

up the vinager again?


HELP!!
I just got a calcium reactor as well. with my cal at 420, should i bother setting it up yet?

 

[dine]

lol ok so i know this wasnt your main question..sorry i dont know the answer to help you with that one BUT

as to setting up the calc reactor (unless this conflicts with the advice others will give you on the main problem) i would say hook it up. a calc reactor should hold your current calicium lvl steady. if your right on the money (and you are) hooking it up now would be the way to go

 

[1mbrews8]

i thought about that, but i know mag, alk, and cal have a "relationship" so i didnt want to kick it out of whack with too much cal..?

 

[dine]

well the reactor shouldnt raise your calc... i know what your saying though and i was hoping others would chime in. in my mind i dont think you would have any additional problems but you know how these tanks are. 30min to screw something up and 30 days to get it back to where it was.

 

[1mbrews8]

yup..

i think my sps is getting sorta brown either from the high phos or low alk..

but if i dont do the GFO, then my phos wont go down, and if i do, it seems that my alk will go lower..? ack!

 

[1mbrews8]

lol! true dat! )

 

[1mbrews8]

yes, but since my phos was so high, most everyone i talked to suggested gfo first, then bio when level dropped to less than 10 or so..

 

[johniii]

1mbrews8;757537 wrote: yes, but since my phos was so high, most everyone i talked to suggested gfo first, then bio when level dropped to less than 10 or so..

I would change gfo every 72 hrs until phosphates are controlled. If it brings it down then stops it is probably saturated.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[1mbrews8]

what if it is lowering my alk? if it doesnt tumble, it is not working "good" right?

 

[johniii]

1mbrews8;757541 wrote: what if it is lowering my alk? if it doesnt tumble, it is not working "good" right?

Buffer for alk daily to keep it 7 or higher. It needs to tumble to work efficient. Add less ib the reactor and change more often if nessacary. Are your trates ok
6 dkh might cause a little discoloration and inhibit calcium absorbtion a little but IMO it shouldn't kill anything as long as your ph doesn't swing from the lower alk.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[1mbrews8]

apex probe says 8.6ph as of now.. someone said calibrate, but i think i am out of fluid..

 

[thesilence87]

Just curious, do you run a refugium?

 

[ripped tide]

Maybe a series of big water changes are in order to reset everything. I am really likin the red sea coral pro salt.

Edit: Ps how's my chalice? I want it before you crash everything! Lol jk!

 

[falos]

Have you tried a wc regiment to help lower your phosphate 10% a day for a week should help you
Lower you feeding of the tank during that time
I don't like using chems or media in my tank but sum Times its a must move your maxi to pull watterfrom and return to the display you can run gfo and phosguard at the same time the gfo will git rid of the bulk and phosguard will take care of the rest
Remove your sump and scrub it clean change all filter floss and socks
Phosphate is a mother to git rid of wen levels git high
Have you tried to scrub your rocks in a 5 gal bucket sounds weard but it works phosphate can bind in them
Brightwell has a liquid chem that will bind the phosphate and slow it to be removed by the skimmer but it will do it very quickly and may shock your tank best I have used it before and it worked well but should only be a last ditch effort

 

[superclown]

Hey mike havin similar probs on my end strangr thing my utter chaos diun same thing

 

[1mbrews8]

thesilence87;757553 wrote: Just curious, do you run a refugium?

Yes

Edit:

Ripped Tide;757554 wrote: Maybe a series of big water changes are in order to reset everything. I am really likin the red sea coral pro salt.

Edit: Ps how's my chalice? I want it before you crash everything! Lol jk!

It is good lol!

Edit:

falos;757556 wrote: Have you tried a wc regiment to help lower your phosphate 10% a day for a week should help you
Lower you feeding of the tank during that time
I don't like using chems or media in my tank but sum Times its a must move your maxi to pull watterfrom and return to the display you can run gfo and phosguard at the same time the gfo will git rid of the bulk and phosguard will take care of the rest
Remove your sump and scrub it clean change all filter floss and socks
Phosphate is a mother to git rid of wen levels git high
Have you tried to scrub your rocks in a 5 gal bucket sounds weard but it works phosphate can bind in them
Brightwell has a liquid chem that will bind the phosphate and slow it to be removed by the skimmer but it will do it very quickly and may shock your tank best I have used it before and it worked well but should only be a last ditch effort

I do 10% every 10 days..
When I originally got rocks, I scrubbed them.. Now would suck! ;0)

Edit:

SuperClown;757560 wrote: Hey mike havin similar probs on my end strangr thing my utter chaos diun same thing

Well, it is weird.. My colony in the dt is fine, just the ones in the frag tank died...

 

[jimknutson]

+1 on the frequent wc. I would use a buffer to get the alk up. I have to dose everyother day to keep alk stable. I thought vodka dosing is supposed to het phos and trates down on its own. Are you feeding to heavy? Maybe MysteryBox will chime in.

 

[ralph atl]

Stop starting and stopping stuff....

Are you sure u are using dkh scale with alk?

Use the reef calculator on BRS or reef central and use soda ash if you want ph to go up or Sodium bicarbonate if you don't.
Bring to 8-9 should be good to go over a 3-4 day period.

Do 20 to 30% water changes for a very long while. 7-10 intervals.


Mae sure you use GFO in a reactor, and insure that it tumbles.. (using a brs reactor and a maxi jet will not cut it but a couple of days).
At first, changer it out every 3 to 4 days, it won't lower your alk, ph that much.

Don't stop using it.


Just dose vodka for now, daily, but gradually increase it my a ml a week or so...

If you are already at 20-30, lower it back to ten with just vodka and keep it there for months..

You need to have some patience.....


Depending upon the type of algae, I have some great recommendations, if u need....

But first lets get your tank stable, and ULNS to insure all tank inhabitants are healthily.

 

[1mbrews8]

thanks^!

i am using the multiply by .056(i dont have it in front of me right now) for the hanna ppm, and the salifert has the conversion chart on the instructions..

when i see stuff kinda dying, i want to find out what might be doing it and change it! i do need to maybe wait stuff out ) lol!

my ph is high (from what my apex probe says, i will be re zeroing it out tomorrow) it says 8.71 now!!!!!!!!!!

i am also doing water change tomorrow ( i think it has been ~12 days since last?) i usually pump it out of my sump to my manifold to get around 30g out of my ~330g total volume. I can do that much barely, then the pump starts to suck air..

when u say dose just vodka, do u mean it and vinegar, or just 1ml of vodka 2x a day? or replace the vinegar with a "bigger" vodka dose?

right now, i dose 15ml of vinegar at 12PM and 12AM. 1.2ml of vodka at same time. and the 3 tsp of baking soda to raise my alk.

I tested my phos and alk today to see what it has done and got:

Phos - Hanna - .23ppm
Alk - Salifert - 7.3dKH

lost a nice WWC Stardust chalice which rtn'd over last 2 days. It was in the same corner as my Utter Chaos colonies that bit the dust!

 

[falos]

In the same corner? rtn as in under 1day 24hrs time from first tissue loss was seen ?in chalice usuly they will peel back from one side to the other was there damage that didn't look right cuts, or patches missing. It's just weerd you would only lose corals near the same spot but different species. Just for giggles put a lps or softy you don't care about in the same place you may have a predator in the tank if its healthy wen you put it there then after the lights come on and there is damage its not a water parameter issue