I am having the most difficult times with harder corls specifically CAPS, TURBINARIA, MERULINA. About 3 weeks ago I attributed the death to a old halide bulb, swapped it and things were much happier. BUT the harder corals still dont seem to be doing so hot. Any ideas?
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Problems Keeping Harder Corals HELP PLEASE
- Thread starter johnfluevogs
- Start date
FYI... I have custom designed my own lighting for this tank and have been running a 175w Hamilton 14k bulb off of an Advanced Insustrial MH Ballast. (i.e. one that was not designed for a fish tank per say)
Does anyone see a problem with this. it has been running for just under a year and I have had no problems tus far.
Does anyone see a problem with this. it has been running for just under a year and I have had no problems tus far.
What brand test kit do you use that gives "normal" for alk?
Nothing wrong with the ballast btw. How high is the mh above the water and what is the depth of tank on those cubes?
What kind of flow do you have for the tank?
What are your nitrates and do you have skimmer, other filters?
Also, when you say not so hot, describe what they are looking like.
Def. keep working on the phosphates but you should be ok for now as long as they are lowering. How long has it been since a phosban media change.
Nothing wrong with the ballast btw. How high is the mh above the water and what is the depth of tank on those cubes?
What kind of flow do you have for the tank?
What are your nitrates and do you have skimmer, other filters?
Also, when you say not so hot, describe what they are looking like.
Def. keep working on the phosphates but you should be ok for now as long as they are lowering. How long has it been since a phosban media change.
ok - i just changed the phosban media a few weeks ago - do you think it is leaching back into the system??
the halide is about 6-7 inches off the water.
Tank is 18" Deep
Nitrates test 0, I have a CPR Skimmer
The system is set up with a 10 sump, filter sock, skimmer.
A 10g Refugium with LR and Calerpa
A little Giant 3 pump that runs on my system about 5-600 gph
i have multiple drilled retuns on the back wall (decent flow)
It is occuring to me that maybe my Phosphate reactor is leaching phosphates back into the system. Where do phosphates come from anyway , I have friend with tanks that never have phosphate problems.
the halide is about 6-7 inches off the water.
Tank is 18" Deep
Nitrates test 0, I have a CPR Skimmer
The system is set up with a 10 sump, filter sock, skimmer.
A 10g Refugium with LR and Calerpa
A little Giant 3 pump that runs on my system about 5-600 gph
i have multiple drilled retuns on the back wall (decent flow)
It is occuring to me that maybe my Phosphate reactor is leaching phosphates back into the system. Where do phosphates come from anyway , I have friend with tanks that never have phosphate problems.
Phosphates come from either using tap water instead or ro/di, deposits on the rock, and foods. Even when it reads 0 on a Salifert test which is about the best unless you want to go with a couple hundred dollar Hatch test, you will still have them. Don't worry about the phosban. Most change it out about every 3 months.
What brand of test kits are you using and how often are you doing water changes?
The reason I asked about the alk being "normal" is alot of people think normal is something different than other people. If it is 8-11 good but depending on the test kit etc. 9 or 10 would be best. Are you doing any other supplementing?
And the what the coral looks like will help if you have certain "bugs" getting you.
What brand of test kits are you using and how often are you doing water changes?
The reason I asked about the alk being "normal" is alot of people think normal is something different than other people. If it is 8-11 good but depending on the test kit etc. 9 or 10 would be best. Are you doing any other supplementing?
And the what the coral looks like will help if you have certain "bugs" getting you.
I use RO water so I think im good there
I usered sea test kits, and the alkalinity test only has High, Low and Normal on the scale.
I do use Bionic calcium every other day 10ml of buffer for every 5ml of calcium
The corals... they seem to be receeding or dieing off. The color is fading.
I am going to change the water, the filter sock and the phosban today and see what happens.
I usered sea test kits, and the alkalinity test only has High, Low and Normal on the scale.
I do use Bionic calcium every other day 10ml of buffer for every 5ml of calcium
The corals... they seem to be receeding or dieing off. The color is fading.
I am going to change the water, the filter sock and the phosban today and see what happens.
Sounds like a good plan. I would set up a regular water change regieme of about 15% a week and try a different test for alk. I noticed you use bionic, have you tried Randy Holmes Farley's homemade 2 part? It maybe costs 1 dollar per gallon.
I use and really only trust the Salifert tests for Ca, mag, and phosphate but for that alk I use a cheap tetra one. That way I can test often and quick because it's a little tedious to keep using that little syringe.
Once you have your parameters in line, and it looks like you do, you just figure out your weekly or daily alk consumption. Once you start doing a 2 part always add equal amounts if it is a balanced 2 part. There is a little deception with the ca/alk balance and sometimes it appears there is only alk drop. For every 2.8 dKh the ca only drops by 20. And that is about as specific as a test can get so it can appear only the alk dropped. But a balanced formula will give the correct replacement.
Also make sure you check magnesium as if that is low, it can stop calcification as well. It's really not paid attention to as much as it should be by most.
I'll post a couple links for you here regarding the homemade formula. In that link they use dowflake but you can use pedalow cacl as well it's just more dehydrated so you use 20% less. Pedalow is repackaged and sold as Prestone Driveway Heat! Sounds weird I know. But anyway here is the homemade 2 part link and also a link about ca/alk supplementation.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... 4/chem.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
And here is one regarding water changes in case someone tries to convince you that you shouldn't do as many as I've recommended:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
I use and really only trust the Salifert tests for Ca, mag, and phosphate but for that alk I use a cheap tetra one. That way I can test often and quick because it's a little tedious to keep using that little syringe.
Once you have your parameters in line, and it looks like you do, you just figure out your weekly or daily alk consumption. Once you start doing a 2 part always add equal amounts if it is a balanced 2 part. There is a little deception with the ca/alk balance and sometimes it appears there is only alk drop. For every 2.8 dKh the ca only drops by 20. And that is about as specific as a test can get so it can appear only the alk dropped. But a balanced formula will give the correct replacement.
Also make sure you check magnesium as if that is low, it can stop calcification as well. It's really not paid attention to as much as it should be by most.
I'll post a couple links for you here regarding the homemade formula. In that link they use dowflake but you can use pedalow cacl as well it's just more dehydrated so you use 20% less. Pedalow is repackaged and sold as Prestone Driveway Heat! Sounds weird I know. But anyway here is the homemade 2 part link and also a link about ca/alk supplementation.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... 4/chem.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
And here is one regarding water changes in case someone tries to convince you that you shouldn't do as many as I've recommended:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php
Thanks all for your help.
I really think that I am fighting a phosphate problem due to the fact that everything else in my tank is flurishing (candy, torch, frogspawn, 2 clams, zoozs, star polyps)
I also think that I may have found my source of phosphate. I use tap water to thaw out my frozen food before I feed. As i think you mentioned that Phosphates can come from tap water there may be my problem. Can I test my tap water for phosphate, will they show up in the test?
From now on I am going to use tank water to thaw my food.
Thanks again!
I really think that I am fighting a phosphate problem due to the fact that everything else in my tank is flurishing (candy, torch, frogspawn, 2 clams, zoozs, star polyps)
I also think that I may have found my source of phosphate. I use tap water to thaw out my frozen food before I feed. As i think you mentioned that Phosphates can come from tap water there may be my problem. Can I test my tap water for phosphate, will they show up in the test?
From now on I am going to use tank water to thaw my food.
Thanks again!
I would seriously think about getting an ro/di unit. You can find a cheap one at filterdirect.com. I got the RO6100+DI from them. I bought mine off of thier eBay site for about 125 after shipping. It will eliminate a lot of headaches. Or isit just the food you thaw in the tapwater and not all the water.
Another tip is after you thaw your foods in water, rinse them well because there are a lot of phosphates in the frozen foods even though those are the better foods.
Another tip is after you thaw your foods in water, rinse them well because there are a lot of phosphates in the frozen foods even though those are the better foods.
My entire tank only sees RO/DI water for water changes and top off.
I only thaw my food in tap water because the sink is close to the freezer. As I said, I am going to start useing tank water to thaw it out. Rinsing the food is another good thought.
I tested the water tonight for phosphates and I still show 0.1. My tap water also shows 0.1.
I really am begining to think that my problem revolves around phosphates. I am going to post a new thread on phosphates and peaple experiences.
Thanks for your help.
I only thaw my food in tap water because the sink is close to the freezer. As I said, I am going to start useing tank water to thaw it out. Rinsing the food is another good thought.
I tested the water tonight for phosphates and I still show 0.1. My tap water also shows 0.1.
I really am begining to think that my problem revolves around phosphates. I am going to post a new thread on phosphates and peaple experiences.
Thanks for your help.
I had a little bit of a hard time with phosphates although mine had hit between 1 and 2 before I ever checked the first time. I had one episode of rtn on a few sps but I had other explainations but I can't rule that out as the cause. My chaeto had all but stopped growing and I think was near death. A few cyano outbreaks that I took care of with chemi-clean. And my corraline algae in my sump was dying off to almost nothing.
If you hatch brine shrimp, it will be loaded with phosphates so be sure to rinse those guys off well too. Also if you grow phytoplankton, some of the other fertilizers that some people use (miracle grow and others) have phosphates in them as well.
If you hatch brine shrimp, it will be loaded with phosphates so be sure to rinse those guys off well too. Also if you grow phytoplankton, some of the other fertilizers that some people use (miracle grow and others) have phosphates in them as well.
Problem with distilled water is that it is usually collected on copper coils. Not always but most are. At least when I had checked into them when I started in the early 90's.
He has a ro/di unit already it was just the food he was soaking in the tap water. I don't think that's enough to add much phosphates.
Rock from a heavy phosphate tank, old ro/di filters and resin, too much food especially brine shrimp and frozens.
Some salts, in the beginning there were alot of reports of the Oceanic salt having high phosphates. That can be ruled out by testing the new salt water before adding.
The phosphates could have came from the corals as they died too as it is taken up by them when present.
Kalk dosing can help to lower as well.
Ineffective skimming can also be a cause.
I've probably forgot something else off the top of my head right now.
He has a ro/di unit already it was just the food he was soaking in the tap water. I don't think that's enough to add much phosphates.
Rock from a heavy phosphate tank, old ro/di filters and resin, too much food especially brine shrimp and frozens.
Some salts, in the beginning there were alot of reports of the Oceanic salt having high phosphates. That can be ruled out by testing the new salt water before adding.
The phosphates could have came from the corals as they died too as it is taken up by them when present.
Kalk dosing can help to lower as well.
Ineffective skimming can also be a cause.
I've probably forgot something else off the top of my head right now.
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