Concern for hammer?

[EBR]

Here is the hammer that I've had for better part of a year, and which seems to have survived the recent move across room splendidly. In fact, I had just commented that it never seemed so relaxed and full for quite a long while, and that the removal of the CC substrate really helped out a lot:

 

Then, I looked closer and saw this one head nearly gone:

 

I had noticed yesterday that that same head was shrunken in a bit, but I attributed that to a fish getting too close for its liking. The only thing I can think that has really changed recently is its orientation to the light -- I'm sure it's very different than what it was before the move and re-scaping, but I really don't have enough experience with these to know for sure.

 

Anyone else have this happen? All other heads seem perfectly happy. Do they bump each other off for the good of the whole?

 

Thanks.

Matt

[flowerseller]

Common things from the days when I kept them,

imbalance in water (alk/Ca ratios)

salt creep lands on area and burns it to the point of no return

Bacterial infection that was not noticed earlier

Unnoticed damage that did not heal

shading of a head if seperated as opposed to ridge

 

Care to offer and water specs?(other than all are ok)

#'s for alk, Ca, nitrate in particular

 

Why did you remove your substrate? - just curious

[EBR]

Common things from the days when I kept them,

imbalance in water (alk/Ca ratios)

salt creep lands on area and burns it to the point of no return

Bacterial infection that was not noticed earlier

Unnoticed damage that did not heal

shading of a head if seperated as opposed to ridge

 

Care to offer and water specs?(other than all are ok)

#'s for alk, Ca, nitrate in particular

 

Why did you remove your substrate? - just curious

Hi Chip --

Thanks for the pointers. I haven't spec'd the water yet, but should. As for the substrate, the temporary move of the 55g was in preparation for the big move to the 125g, for which I am planning on sand. It truly is amazing how much detritus gets trapped in CC, especially in my 55g, which is without a sump and relies on a POS skimmer and lot of water changes to make up for it. The plan is to have more substrate critters in the new tank to help keep it stirred up so the gunk can be skimmed out.

I'll get some params soonest.

Matt

[EBR]

Hey Everyone --

 

Well, the one head of the hammer that was retracted has totally disappeared, and the one immediately next to it (on the same stem, retracted a bit as well, but seems to have stabilized after a water change. All other heads appear normal. If it continues, I think I might just snip 'em off. I also think that since the hammer was moved, it is in a completely different orientation to the lighting, and that perhaps these two that were on the shady side are now getting much more light than they are used to. But really don't know for sure.

 

Anyway, the parameters are:

 

Ph: 7.8

nitrite: 0

ammonia 0

nitrate 5-10

calcium ~380

phosphate <0.25

alk 160

 

For many years, I've been dosing Seachem's reef complete and reef carbonate, but see now that I've been a little 'lax about it. I also need to brush up on my reef chemistry, and would appreciate any advice if you think these readings are out of whack.

 

Thanks.

Matt

[jason the filter freak]

Hey Everyone --

 

Well, the one head of the hammer that was retracted has totally disappeared, and the one immediately next to it (on the same stem, retracted a bit as well, but seems to have stabilized after a water change. All other heads appear normal. If it continues, I think I might just snip 'em off. I also think that since the hammer was moved, it is in a completely different orientation to the lighting, and that perhaps these two that were on the shady side are now getting much more light than they are used to. But really don't know for sure.

 

Anyway, the parameters are:

 

Ph: 7.8

nitrite: 0

ammonia 0

nitrate 5-10

calcium ~380

phosphate <0.25

alk 160

 

For many years, I've been dosing Seachem's reef complete and reef carbonate, but see now that I've been a little 'lax about it. I also need to brush up on my reef chemistry, and would appreciate any advice if you think these readings are out of whack.

 

Thanks.

Matt

 

 

Did you test that with your lights off, your pH is way too low for most reef tanks, you'd like more like 8.2/8.3

[EBR]

Did you test that with your lights off, your pH is way too low for most reef tanks, you'd like more like 8.2/8.3

Thanks. and yeah, the lights were not on this morning when I sampled the water -- in fact, the actinics just turned on as I'm typing this -- and yes, I agree with the 8.2-ish target. I think the move and big water change had a much bigger impact than I appreciated. But I think the regular dosing will bring it back in line, no?

Matt

Edited August 11, 2007 by EBR

[treesprite]

if you kept some of the old water, I bet your present nitrate is at least partly from the CC.

[EBR]

if you kept some of the old water, I bet your present nitrate is at least partly from the CC.

Yup, I can see that -- I actually saved as much of the existing water as I could during the move.

Matt

[treesprite]

i took the stuff out a few months ago - stuff is nasty

[lanman]

Hey Everyone --

 

Well, the one head of the hammer that was retracted has totally disappeared, and the one immediately next to it (on the same stem, retracted a bit as well, but seems to have stabilized after a water change. All other heads appear normal. If it continues, I think I might just snip 'em off. I also think that since the hammer was moved, it is in a completely different orientation to the lighting, and that perhaps these two that were on the shady side are now getting much more light than they are used to. But really don't know for sure.

 

Anyway, the parameters are:

 

Ph: 7.8

nitrite: 0

ammonia 0

nitrate 5-10

calcium ~380

phosphate <0.25

alk 160

 

For many years, I've been dosing Seachem's reef complete and reef carbonate, but see now that I've been a little 'lax about it. I also need to brush up on my reef chemistry, and would appreciate any advice if you think these readings are out of whack.

 

Thanks.

Matt

 

Alk is 160 what? Is that ppm or something? I'm used to seeing in the neighborhood of 3.5 meq/L, or 16 dKh; but I haven't seen any numbers around 160.

 

And that pH is a little on the acid side, even for the end of the lights-out period.

 

bob

[EBR]

Alk is 160 what? Is that ppm or something? I'm used to seeing in the neighborhood of 3.5 meq/L, or 16 dKh; but I haven't seen any numbers around 160.

 

And that pH is a little on the acid side, even for the end of the lights-out period.

 

bob

Sorry about that -- I had to check the LaMonte kit to confirm, but it is "ppm total alkalinity in ppm calcium carbonate CaCO3"

[flowerseller]

If you have a window in the room where the tank is, I'd open it slightly, say 1/4.

I can't get above 8.0 this time of year unless I do. Partially because I run a Ca reactor and have to have a high effluent rate to keep up. Don't sweat the 7.8 too much though I would refreshen my kalk.

The 160 ppm is not bad but with Kalk for all evaporation, you may be able to boost it to 180.

 

You may have hit it with the light change on the two heads as this is hard on them to quickly go up in brightness.

[EBR]

If you have a window in the room where the tank is, I'd open it slightly, say 1/4.

I can't get above 8.0 this time of year unless I do. Partially because I run a Ca reactor and have to have a high effluent rate to keep up. Don't sweat the 7.8 too much though I would refreshen my kalk.

The 160 ppm is not bad but with Kalk for all evaporation, you may be able to boost it to 180.

 

You may have hit it with the light change on the two heads as this is hard on them to quickly go up in brightness.

Cool - thanks for the sanity check, guys. Much appreciated.

Matt

[dandy7200]

Sorry about that -- I had to check the LaMonte kit to confirm, but it is "ppm total alkalinity in ppm calcium carbonate CaCO3"

 

 

This is going to come in handy:

 

http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/AlkConv.php

 

Alk 160ppm = 3.2meq/l or 8.96dkh I just did the 150,160,170 etc, and wrote them on the back of the endpoint card.

[EBR]

This is going to come in handy:

 

http://www.saltyzoo.com/SaltyCalcs/AlkConv.php

 

Alk 160ppm = 3.2meq/l or 8.96dkh I just did the 150,160,170 etc, and wrote them on the back of the endpoint card.

Well, now isn't that a handy little calculator. Thanks!

Matt