A.ocellaris

Here's a good reading about the relationship between Ca, Alkalinity, pH, and Magnesium: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/

Thanks for your answers, I really appreciate it! My tank is basically new. It has been running for 2 months and 9 days with live rock. Darkseeker, I decided to clean the water pump because I noticed that the heater is set at 78º, but the water temperature is always 79.1-79.7, so I thought the water pump was kind of clogged and releasing heat to the tank (it did not change). I did rinse it with fresh water for a few minutes and did not use any chemicals, vinegar or detergents. I just replaced carbon and hope things stay normal. Madweazl, I think my pH is always low (8.0) and I bet overnight it gets even lower. I live in a very closed apt and even with windows open it does not get any higher. Do you also match pH when performing water changes? How do I do it? Thank you all!

Hey folks, So here am I with more issues and you are the only ones that can help me . On May 21 I acquired a few SPS (Cyphastrea *on the bottom of the tank*, Jack O'Lantern Lepto *in the midde of the tank*, and a Bonsai Acro *at the top of the tank*. All of them suffered some damages and other are gone and I can't figure out the why since the parameters I can test are within range and there are not much swing with exception of PO4 and Nitrates. The Bonsai Acro bleached today within hours of me completing some maintenance with the water pump. I noticed some bleaching on its base and took some pictures so that I can ask you guys for advise, but when I returned home it was 70% bleached. I noticed more brown algae on the sand and rocks and the anemone just started to move (which is always a bad signal). Today at 9am: Today at 5pm: After this I decided to test almost all water parameters and results are below: Ammonia: 0.ppm (API) Nitritres: 0ppm (API) Nitrates: 1.0 ppm (Salifert. It was .20 last week) Phosphate: .18 (Hanna. PO4 was .07 last week) pH: 8.0 (API) kH: 9.1 (Hanna) Salinity: 1.025 (Calibrated Refractometer) Calcium: 420 (API) Magnesium: 1320ppm (Salifert) Temp: 79.3F I also have an IM Ghost Skimmer, ATO system, heater, and 2 power heads. Recent Changes and Additives: I've been using NoPox to reduce PO4 and NO3 for the past 3 weeks. and this week I cut dose in half because I did not want to have zero and starve corals. Also I use Amino Acid concentrate (1 drop per day). I also believe that I increased the royal blue and UV light, but no more than 10% each (the Cyphastrea died before this change). Keep in mind I use 1 Al Prime HD and settings are below. This light is 13" above water. Other corals look fine, specially the softies. The anemone is looking good but started to move today. Water changes are 10% weekly. Any suggestions? Thanks

Where did you relocate the anemone? If corals are closed too you should check your water parameters. Temp? Salinity? Nitrates? kH?

So I went shopping and got some good test kits! After reading about different test pros and cons I got Hanna instruments for Alkalinity and Phosphate, and Salifert for Mg and Nitrates. Results are attached. They look good! I am still testing pH with API

Yes. It's always good to have a portable TDS mete on hand. ( I paid like 13 bucks for one on Amazon).

Thank you all. This is great information. I just signed up for a aquaticlog account and helps me keep track of test results. I do not have SPS coral so I think I should stick to regular test kits for now. My pH is 8 every time I test it and I does not go up. I am hesitant to use additives for this since I've read a pH of 8 is not bad, specially in closed apts. In a near future I would like to move so more real-time monitoring of my tank.

I just read this... wow ! I didn't even know KH was the "buffer"

Hi, I've been reading about how important is to keep parameters stable, but it's very hard to know where you currently are with normal test kits like API or Salifert. Like I can be testing pH 2-4 times a day but the API scale is not helpful. The same with KH, I would like to know how it changes by the day so that I know when to worry and prevent any stressful situation to my creatures. Is there a device that you guys use to keep track of these parameters? Are they very expensive? Is it possible to log the results maybe every hour? I feel like I want to know what's happening in my tank . My temp and salinity (thanks to the ATO system) are very stable. I am not sure about my pH (mostly 8.0) and I know it changes during the day, but how much of a change is the question. pd. I am kind of new at reef chemistry Reading as much as I can... Thanks

Thanks! I have the IM Sock that comes with a plastic that I think will not survive in a washer machine (see pic below). Is it safe to use Clorox with them? I have 4 of them. I just feel like they can become nitrate generators...

Hi, Filter socks are new to me and I am not sure how to properly clean them. Any suggestions? I am cleaning with fresh water, but hate the smell and brown color after they dry. Thanks

The phosphate test was at 11 am and I just did one and got zero... it makes you think about accuracy.

Hello All, I bought this test since I am trying to keeps nitrates low, but it’s kind of hard to read. From top it looks like 5. From the side is 25/10=2.5. So is it 5 or 2.5? Also, API says 5ppm (but I am not sure if because that number is greater than 0, it jumps to the next color on the chart). KH was on the high end 10-11. pH = 8.0 and Phosphate .25. I am trying NoPox (been dosing for 2 days). Update: a new Phosphate test shows 0.

I would say the combination of NoPox and return pump. When you add Nopox the PH also goes down.

Awesome colors!!!

Thank you KingOfAll_Tyrants! I'll try to get some of those if she does not start to eat frozen. A LFS gave me a sample of Rod's food and I am mixing in some live brine shrimp. It looks like she is eating more than just the live brine shrimp with this food.... (it's also hard to tell since she is so fast and sometimes spits out the food she doesnt like.)

It’s hard when you have a few other fish in a qt tank. I think ill have to feed adult brine shrimp until I can isolate her when the treatment is over.

Hi! So it looks like that my anthia only eats live food

Whats is the therapeutic level? .50?

Great. Ill be in Silver Spring tomorrow! Thank you so much

Hi! Anyone or any place that sells live food for fish? Trying to get my anthias to eat something... I was reading they may like live black worms?

Hey! Any recommendations to test low levels of Ammonia and Nitrates? I am currently using API and sometimes the colors do not match or it gives me the next reading on the line (eg. if Nitrates is > 1ppm, but less than 2ppm, API shows 5ppm.). Also, what water parameters are key for shrimps and snails?

Hey Neto! Great! I am from Morovis! so very close! Yes, I figured out that having three of them was too much for a 40-30G. I honestly wanted the super male, but I was told that if I didn't get all of them he would lose his colors. He can be very pushing with the females.

Hello All! I am new to this forum and I made a come back to this hobby. I previously had a 55G Reef tank with mostly soft and LPS corals (pics here). I had to sold everything I had to be able to move to the mainland (I am originally from Puerto Rico, anyone from the island??). My tank was beautiful and I have great memories. So, I decided to start again! The journey has been kind of complicated and expensive since I do now own a house, so I rent an apartment and my space is very very limited. I recently bought an IM 40 Fushion, that I equipped with a Tunze 9004 skimmer, filter sock (one chamber), and activated carbon. It's been cycling for few weeks, used water and rock from an established tank, also added Fritz Zyme 900 Turbo start to speed up the process. The sand I used was not "live", this is black sand (I kind of regret it), but it is too late now. In terms of the lights, I have one Al Prime HD LED, but I still have to learn how to control it. I then added (small fish) 2 ocellaris, 3 anthias (1 male and two females, which are not eating, but this is a separate topic) and a few small turbo snails. Water parameters so far, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrites, less than 1.00 of Nitrates. I did have an ammonia spike when I introduced the fish, but it was very minimal and not detected by the Seachem Ammonia Alert. It was detected in the total amonia test (API). I am doing water changes every week (RODI), and hope to change the frequency to every two weeks. So I hope to share my successes and failures with you all. Also, please note that I am also here to learn and learn and learn, so I will be asking lots of questions. I guess I forgot almost everything I knew 7 years ago... Thank you!