Think I’m going to stick the LPS for a while.

[John-Solo]

I’m so frustrated. My tank is a 29 gal biocube running for about 5+ years. I decided about a year ago I wanted to start getting into SPS. I got a monti and a rainbow acro from WWC. They had been doing very well, good color slow growth but happening. About 2 weeks ago I added a few more pieces. Birds nest, red planet, seriatopora, and another I can’t remember the name. Placed them in the tank with temporary putty, to make sure they liked the spots. they were all looking happy, good color, polyps extending. 3 days ago I glued them in place with Gorilla glue gel. Woke up this morning and they are all bleached! My water permitters are fine, nitrates a little high because I feed my other LPS and fish kind of heavy. nothing changed with lighting. Everything els is still doing fine. Just a bummer to see such nice things die so fast like that and have no idea why.

 

 

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[BtmDweller]

What’s your alk and ca?

[John-Solo]

PH 8
Nitrite 0.25
Ammonia 0.25
Cal 380
Alk 140ppm

Today is my water change day. Witch I do a 5 gal change every week to two weeks.


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[BtmDweller]

Ca is a bit low. What’s the alk in dkh?


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[treesprite]

It's always better to hear someone say they will stick to (whatever easier livestock) for a while rather than see someone post all their stuff for sale. 

[Origami]

BTW, when you say "they are all bleached," are you talking about all your SPS or just the ones that you glued down using the gel?

 

Is there anything you can think of that might have been behind a high ammonia spike? The (relatively high) combined nitrite and ammonia, given the (typically) high-transit rate from a ammonia to nitrite to nitrate makes me wonder if something significant died or polluted the tank.

 

Sorry for your losses.

[Jon Lazar]

On 11/1/2019 at 6:39 PM, BtmDweller said:

Ca is a bit low. What’s the alk in dkh?

 

Found a converter.  140ppm is 7.8dKH.

[John-Solo]

Ca is a bit low. What’s the alk in dkh?


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dKH was 9


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[John-Solo]

BTW, when you say "they are all bleached," are you talking about all your SPS or just the ones that you glued down using the gel?
 
Is there anything you can think of that might have been behind a high ammonia spike? The (relatively high) combined nitrite and ammonia, given the (typically) high-transit rate from a ammonia to nitrite to nitrate makes me wonder if something significant died or polluted the tank.
 
Sorry for your losses.

Maybe these were the readings I got the morning of before I did a water change. All my other corals look ok. The Rainbow acro browned a little bit but is fine now.


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[John-Solo]

Iv been using an API test kit. I don’t have a sump/refugium so I think I need some better way to keep cal, alk, and ammonia under control other then just water changes.


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[smh254]

140 ppm x .056 will give you dkh. 7.84


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[John-Solo]

my eyes might not be that great for matching the color. I never tested regularly until this past year or dosed. Did my water changes and everything looked great. What are the alk test kits you guy recommend?

I’m definitely going back to the drawing board. All my softies and LPS are ok, the monti I have is still doing fine but really would like a few more SPS. I feel I need a better ways to maintain water quality other then just water changes. Maybe a hang on back refugium or something. My tank is in the living room so space and keeping it quiet is key. Been researching Mangroves (my friend said planting 2 in his tank did wonders for phosphate/nitrates).


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[John-Solo]

It's always better to hear someone say they will stick to (whatever easier livestock) for a while rather than see someone post all their stuff for sale. 

Yeah I like this hobby way to much to give it up. I have no problem taking a few steps back and reassessing rather then kicking it all to the curb.


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[treesprite]

Consider the air in the room the tank is in. There might be things getting the into the water that are harder on sensitive sps corals than other types. Even what comes through the HVAC vents could pollute tank water enough to harm corals.

[YHSublime]

There are a lot of things that could have happened. Make sure your refractomer is calibrated, and I would grab some better test kits if you really want to start tracking. I suggest the Salifert for the Calcium, and a Hannah Checker for the Alk. I'd slow down on the feedings before trying to add things to "help." Personally I would up my water change routine, and slow the input. 

 

 

[John-Solo]

There are a lot of things that could have happened. Make sure your refractomer is calibrated, and I would grab some better test kits if you really want to start tracking. I suggest the Salifert for the Calcium, and a Hannah Checker for the Alk. I'd slow down on the feedings before trying to add things to "help." Personally I would up my water change routine, and slow the input. 
 
 

I was actually on BRS today looking at other test kits. I suppose I could does my ATO with Kalkwasser but obviously need to get accurate test reading first.

I was just really surprised that they were all looking really well one day and had been for 2 weeks then after glueing them bleached in 3 days. Something I read on line said sometimes acros just really don’t like being removed from the water even just for a short time. Stressed them out to much .

Ether way I feel new test kits are my first step.


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[YHSublime]

3 minutes ago, John-Solo said:

Ether way I feel new test kits are my first step.

 

This. 

 

[newbie2014]

54 minutes ago, John-Solo said:

I was actually on BRS today looking at other test kits. I suppose I could does my ATO with Kalkwasser but obviously need to get accurate test reading first.

I was just really surprised that they were all looking really well one day and had been for 2 weeks then after glueing them bleached in 3 days. Something I read on line said sometimes acros just really don’t like being removed from the water even just for a short time. Stressed them out to much .

Ether way I feel new test kits are my first step.


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BRS also did a video comparing different ALK test kits. It helped me a great deal on deciding to go with Salifert.

 

In term of Kalkwasser in ATO, for some reasons it never really works on my puny system. If I want to stabilize Alk, I have to dose 2-part.  

Edited November 6, 2019 by newbie2014

[BtmDweller]

There are a lot of things that could have happened. Make sure your refractomer is calibrated, and I would grab some better test kits if you really want to start tracking. I suggest the Salifert for the Calcium, and a Hannah Checker for the Alk. I'd slow down on the feedings before trying to add things to "help." Personally I would up my water change routine, and slow the input. 

 

 

Sound advice. Small tanks are difficult. Parameters can swing very easily and fast. SPS dont respond well to changes. I’ve personally had no issues with salinity swings as mine swings a lot and don’t track it much. However, ca and alk swings and levels are a critical component requiring dosing at some point. Also, you don’t need to feed your lps. They are photosynthetic. A lot of people spot feed, but this is not a requirement except dendros and a couple others.

 

Also agreed salifert is the standard for a quality test kit.