jacobB89 May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 I am having some issues with alkalinity dropping rather quickly in my tank i got from 6 dkh and get it up to 9 dkh (Via bulk soda ash from BRS). within 5 days im back down to 6 dkh. also have some random spots of green hair algae on some of the sand bed and on 1 rock not sure what from. Calcium sitting at around 440. PH is around 7.99-8.05 when ALK is 6 DKH when 9 DKH PH sits at 8.25-8.3 raising when I dose. But what the heck is eating up all that ALK? 7 fish10 sps frags and 4 LPs/softies no clams250-270 gallon total. RC salt 45 gallon water change every other week. I also feed pretty light and mainly frozen food like rods. did a test last night to see what everything currently is sitting at PH 8.07 probe Alk 140 ppm hannahCal 420 ppm salifertMag 1420 ppm salifertPhosphate 0.03 hannah ammonia 0 (only had an API kit will get a better kit today) nitrate 0 ( salifert and i tested it twice ive never had a tank show me 0? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 Jacob, peep out zone 3 or 4 in this article by Randy Holmes-Farley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 Great article.Green hair algae is from phosphates. I fixed it with more aggressive skimming and GFO. It's best to dose alk in a slow doser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads May 29, 2015 Share May 29, 2015 I always had issues with keeping my alk stable. I got a dosing pump and am dosing sodium bicarbonate which keeps alk rock solid (aside from adjusting based on growth of coral mass). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 May 29, 2015 Author Share May 29, 2015 Jacob, peep out zone 3 or 4 in this article by Randy Holmes-FarleyWill take a read at this to tonight.Great article.Green hair algae is from phosphates. I fixed it with more aggressive skimming and GFO. It's best to dose alk in a slow doserYea agreed I know I'm only ready 0.03 phosphates I know some could be getting absorbed by the algae feeding on it. I skim pretty heavy avast cs3 and a fuge. I always had issues with keeping my alk stable. I got a dosing pump and am dosing sodium bicarbonate which keeps alk rock solid (aside from adjusting based on growth of coral mass).Yea I actually have a calcium reactor so this may just make me get that running now. Calcium slightly on low side but will help with alk as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s2nhle June 2, 2015 Share June 2, 2015 Check your test kit. You might have defect test kit. also, have you use kalk reactor with your calcium reactor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 14, 2015 Author Share June 14, 2015 Check your test kit. You might have defect test kit. also, have you use kalk reactor with your calcium reactor? no i have not used either one i have a calcium reactor but not running. right now still fighting issues with alk and ph being lower. green hair algae is starting to get worse read that this could also be alkalinity related not sure though. doing weekly water changes 2 in total in 2 weeks 40 gallon changes. put on a gfo reactor as well algae still growing tank is starting to break me lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime June 14, 2015 Share June 14, 2015 no i have not used either one i have a calcium reactor but not running. right now still fighting issues with alk and ph being lower. green hair algae is starting to get worse read that this could also be alkalinity related not sure though. doing weekly water changes 2 in total in 2 weeks 40 gallon changes. put on a gfo reactor as well algae still growing tank is starting to break me lol. If you want to talk about your hair algae: your readings on phosphates could be low because your hair algae is successfully using it to grow. Don't be fooled by the low reading if this is the case. I would check your water source after you make your RO/DI and confirm the TDS. Once you confirm your source water is OK, I could start siphoning out as much of that hair algae as you can. I've also recently found carbon to be helpful in running on my nano. Get your calcium reactor setup in order to maintain that relationship between your calcium and alkalinity. Did you end up running your skimmer tube outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 14, 2015 Author Share June 14, 2015 If you want to talk about your hair algae: your readings on phosphates could be low because your hair algae is successfully using it to grow. Don't be fooled by the low reading if this is the case. I would check your water source after you make your RO/DI and confirm the TDS. Once you confirm your source water is OK, I could start siphoning out as much of that hair algae as you can. I've also recently found carbon to be helpful in running on my nano. Get your calcium reactor setup in order to maintain that relationship between your calcium and alkalinity. Did you end up running your skimmer tube outside? ill check the bin that i hold water for phosphates and tds i know from the system there is 0 coming out on the meter. I agree low reading is probably from the algae growing. thats the plan i need to order a few things and get it setup and running to balance things out. Skimmer tube outside of what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime June 14, 2015 Share June 14, 2015 Running your skimmer airline outside will help with your ph. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 14, 2015 Author Share June 14, 2015 ahhhhh gotcha well my alks low which in term my ph follows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 16, 2015 Author Share June 16, 2015 checked tds in storage tank 0-1 floating back and forth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 23, 2015 Author Share June 23, 2015 (edited) So calcium reactor will be going on this week or next week waiting for ph probe to come in. Getting really frustrated with this hair algae right now the battle is not going good. It's spreading and getting worse. So far I've done the following. Bumper water changes to weekly. Added gfo reactor. blacked out tank for 2 days didn't do anything. Added more hermit crabs and 2 urchins. Picking out what ever big chunks I see growing in the sand bed or rocks. Even less feeding then my normal light feeding. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Edited June 23, 2015 by jacobB89 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 June 23, 2015 Share June 23, 2015 Def feed less but don't starve the fish. IME the rock gets so packed full of junk and phosphates so it takes time. Good battle plan though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 24, 2015 Author Share June 24, 2015 Yea also was reading last night about gfo I definitely do not have no way near the starting amount BRS recommend Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef June 24, 2015 Share June 24, 2015 Yea also was reading last night about gfo I definitely do not have no way near the starting amount BRS recommend Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Just make sure and increase slowly if you plan to do so. I started about 25% of recommended dose and move up 1tbs at a time. Slow but safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 24, 2015 Author Share June 24, 2015 Just make sure and increase slowly if you plan to do so. I started about 25% of recommended dose and move up 1tbs at a time. Slow but safe. agreed i got small amount now ill bump that up then order my new reactor build it then add a little more at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 29, 2015 Author Share June 29, 2015 so algae is getting worse still tested for phosphates in rodi bin again and in salt water mixing barrel as well both tested 0.00 got my avast reactor the weekend but ran into so trouble with lid not fitting getting that worked out so I can start running more gfo in hopes of helping. still doing weekly water changed but nothing seems to make even the slightest difference. added a lawnmower blenny he has not done much of anything yet then look at you on a rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime June 29, 2015 Share June 29, 2015 What are you using to test? Everything calibrated properly? Are you still manually removing as much of the HA as possible? Lawnmower Benny is not your answer, they will only (if at all) snack on your shorter algae. I found the big turbo snails to be extra proficient when it came to this endeavor. What are you running in your fuge? Is it producing? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 29, 2015 Author Share June 29, 2015 What are you using to test? Everything calibrated properly? Are you still manually removing as much of the HA as possible? Lawnmower Benny is not your answer, they will only (if at all) snack on your shorter algae. I found the big turbo snails to be extra proficient when it came to this endeavor. What are you running in your fuge? Is it producing? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Hannah phosphate meter with new reagent. I remove as much as possible easier to get it off sand bed off the rocks not is more of a pain as its attached to the rocks. Yea I'm just trying to help as much as little as I can and just going through all the possible options I think I only have 2 turbos left I can grab some more my elegance eats them... lol Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 June 29, 2015 Author Share June 29, 2015 Hannah phosphate meter with new reagent. I remove as much as possible easier to get it off sand bed off the rocks not is more of a pain as its attached to the rocks. Yea I'm just trying to help as much as little as I can and just going through all the possible options I think I only have 2 turbos left I can grab some more my elegance eats them... lol Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk I have chetto and like a fern style macro it grows I trim it back here and there. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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