bbyatv February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 My acropora are being hit by what looks very similar to Rapid Wasting Syndrome or White-band disease. The coral tissue is peeling/sloughing off starting at the base and working its way towards the tips. I have looked very carefully and can not find a pest like flat worms etc. I have been doing 10% water changes weekly, adding some Lugol's solution and very aggressive skimming. Does anyone know what might be causing the problem or how to stop it? I am losing some nice coral. Thanks for any advice. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Low alk? if your test says its fine, then use another test to be sure Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Low alk? if your test says its fine, then use another test to be sure Sean post up some water results. Sorry Bruce, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakotasreef February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 I agree to check your alk. Lack of flow can also case corals to lose their flesh at the base. Post your tanks parameters and current setup. Sent from my DROIDX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Everyone, Thanks for your concern and fast responces. I am very fastidious about my water parameters. I check them once a week. My alk does seem to be low. Alk 7.3 newer kit, 6.0 older kit Calc 430 Ca kit, 404 first part Sr kit Mg 1270 pH 8.0 Morn 8.4 Eve Temp 79 Salinity 36 Sr 3 I have started using baking soda to slowly raise my alk a little. Anyother thoughts? Thanks again, Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 What about your phosphate levels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 I agree to check your alk. Lack of flow can also case corals to lose their flesh at the base.Post your tanks parameters and current setup.Sent from my DROIDX Bruce, your tank seems to have good flow, but I will echo lack of flow as a culprit. I have seen acro colonies RTN starting at the base if flow is limited in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Oh Ya, Phosphates and Nitrates are undetectable. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 are you dosing 2part or 3 part? sometimes maintaining it low allows it to swing a bit low in between dosing. also when do you test before or after your dosing. I like to keep it higher just in case there is an unexpected drop in alk, which will allow the pH to swing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 I maintain alk and calc with a combination of Calc reactor and Kalkwasser. I keep both running 24/7 and balance them to keep pH at 8.0 morn 8.4 eve. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Hows your mag levels? maybe its lacking from the addition of kalk. Try and bring your mag levels up, b/c with a kalk reactor and calcium reactor your alk should be higher than that at 24/7 operation. Longterm, to keep magnesium levels higher you can add neomag to your calcium reactor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 ^^Magnesium stated to be at 1270. @Bruce: What alk test kit are you using? Is this a problem across all of your SPS or is it just affecting a few specimens? Any possibility of an airborne chemical contamination? Have you been doing anything else in the tank - like zapping pests? Any chance that some electrical component is failing and leaking something into the tank? How about cabon, are you running it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overklok February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Any change in lighting? How old are your bulbs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Mg @ 1270 using Salifert Only affecting acros. No zapping pests. No Elec problems. Running carbon always have along with phosban. New bulbs about 1 month ago. No other changes. ^^Magnesium stated to be at 1270. @Bruce: What alk test kit are you using? Is this a problem across all of your SPS or is it just affecting a few specimens? Any possibility of an airborne chemical contamination? Have you been doing anything else in the tank - like zapping pests? Any chance that some electrical component is failing and leaking something into the tank? How about cabon, are you running it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Alk test kit also Salifert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Yup. All my test kits are Salifert. I have been reading about RTN and I am thinking Sean has it right with the low Alk and maybe Mg. I am raising both and then I am going to get another brand Alk kit and test with it. Bruce Alk test kit also Salifert? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Your magnesium is not low. I can provide you with an alkalinity standard if you want to calibrate your test kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Tom, I just went up to BRK and bought a new Hanna Electronic Alk test meter with liquid solution. I would love to check it with a calibration solution. Where did you get yours? If I can not buy it or make it easy, I would love to take 10ml off your hands. Thanks, Bruce Your magnesium is not low. I can provide you with an alkalinity standard if you want to calibrate your test kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 12, 2011 Share February 12, 2011 Bruce, I made my standard. It's fairly easy if you have a precision scale and have put the formula in the DIY forum. I made it to verify my Hanna Alkalinity checker after I first got it. If you've got Hanna's meter, I think that you're in good shape. It's a good product. At least, it is when you first open the reagent - I don't know how well the liquid reagent ages. Between the standard and my Hanna meter, I found that my API test kit was reporting considerably higher alk than I actually had. Nominal magnesium in seawater is 1280 ppm, so you're right on as far as that's concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 12, 2011 Author Share February 12, 2011 Tom, I recall the post. In fact, I copied it in to a text file and save it to my hard drive. I just pulled it up. I have a tripple beam scale that does down to .1g. I need to see if this is fine enough. Thanks. Bruce Bruce, I made my standard. It's fairly easy if you have a precision scale and have put the formula in the DIY forum. I made it to verify my Hanna Alkalinity checker after I first got it. If you've got Hanna's meter, I think that you're in good shape. It's a good product. At least, it is when you first open the reagent - I don't know how well the liquid reagent ages. Between the standard and my Hanna meter, I found that my API test kit was reporting considerably higher alk than I actually had. Nominal magnesium in seawater is 1280 ppm, so you're right on as far as that's concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 13, 2011 Author Share February 13, 2011 Tom, I followed your directions in you Alk standard post and modified them as follows: I know .5 liters of water weights 500g I weighed a clean .5 liter Coke bottle without the cap 25.2g My total weight needs to be 500g I know I need to add 7.5g of baking soda So I set my scale at 500g + 25.2g - 7.5g = 517.7g I added RO/DI water until it was balanced out at 517.7g I then weighed a sheet of paper and found it was 4.5g I then set my scale at 7.5g + 4.5g = 12g I added baking soda until my scaled balanced out at 12g I then folded the paper and poured the baking soda in to the bottle I then weighed the bottle and got 525.2g This was my 500dKH solution. Then I took another clean .5 liter coke bottle without the cap It also weighed 25.2g I added 10ml of the 500dKH I then set my scale to 525.2g I then added RO/DI water until the scale balanced out at 525.2g This was my 10dKH solution I used my new Hanna test meter and got 9.464dKH Not bad. Bruce, I made my standard. It's fairly easy if you have a precision scale and have put the formula in the DIY forum. I made it to verify my Hanna Alkalinity checker after I first got it. If you've got Hanna's meter, I think that you're in good shape. It's a good product. At least, it is when you first open the reagent - I don't know how well the liquid reagent ages. Between the standard and my Hanna meter, I found that my API test kit was reporting considerably higher alk than I actually had. Nominal magnesium in seawater is 1280 ppm, so you're right on as far as that's concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 February 13, 2011 Share February 13, 2011 Maybe running a polyfilter would be a help for now. Not long term, but it can't hurt for now. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 13, 2011 Share February 13, 2011 Not bad. There's one error, though, in this process. When you add 7.5 grams of baking soda to 492.5 grams (~492.5 ml) of water, you don't get 500 ml of solution. You DO get 500 mg of solution, but the density of the solution is not 1.0 as water would be. That probably accounts for the error (which is very small). When I ran my check, I was off by a little over 0.1 dKH. (Should read 179 CaCO3 equivalents, instead of 181 that I had.) What does the meter say about your tank's alkalinity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbyatv February 13, 2011 Author Share February 13, 2011 (edited) Tom, Ya, I knew the density of the baking soda was different than that of water, but I fugured it would not make a huge difference. Like you said, it is close. Oh, my tank is currently at 8.3dKH after adding 23g of baking soda over the span of the day. Thanks again, Bruce Not bad. There's one error, though, in this process. When you add 7.5 grams of baking soda to 492.5 grams (~492.5 ml) of water, you don't get 500 ml of solution. You DO get 500 mg of solution, but the density of the solution is not 1.0 as water would be. That probably accounts for the error (which is very small). When I ran my check, I was off by a little over 0.1 dKH. (Should read 179 CaCO3 equivalents, instead of 181 that I had.) What does the meter say about your tank's alkalinity? Edited February 13, 2011 by bbyatv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F&Fmgr February 13, 2011 Share February 13, 2011 try an tweak your CaCo3 reactor to run a higher dKh that will really help. I have also found, that in a high demand system where a reactor and kalk are being used that adding neomag(which is a pure(er) form of mag carb than dolomite, will be very beneficial Sean PS i am sure, that regardless of your Mag levels, that your Alk levels were low or fluctuating, keep dosing until you re-tune youre reactor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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