HELP! Question on my tank
- Thread starter MaryAnn
- Start date
Florida Sunshine
Member
Here is a link to a great Reef Chemistry article.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
I am not familiar with a reading for GH and either you dKH is way high or your KH represents something else.
As far as your leather coral goes, you would want to check for Ammonia and Nitrite. Either of those being present in your system would present a reason for that. Also leather corals are notoriously "moody" and sometimes just get mad and close for a while. I would check to make sure it is not getting stung or poisoned by nearby corals and probably do a water change. It will likely perk up in a couple of days.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
I am not familiar with a reading for GH and either you dKH is way high or your KH represents something else.
As far as your leather coral goes, you would want to check for Ammonia and Nitrite. Either of those being present in your system would present a reason for that. Also leather corals are notoriously "moody" and sometimes just get mad and close for a while. I would check to make sure it is not getting stung or poisoned by nearby corals and probably do a water change. It will likely perk up in a couple of days.
What is the 80 actually measuring? This would be an almost impossible reading for dKH,
As for your leather coral, please tell us more about your tank.
Also, how long have you had the leather coral? Did it open at one time?
I should point out the\at leather corals need to retract for a few days in order to grow. At this time they can look almost waxy and shed what looks like skin from the surface. This is normal.
As for your leather coral, please tell us more about your tank.
Also, how long have you had the leather coral? Did it open at one time?
I should point out the\at leather corals need to retract for a few days in order to grow. At this time they can look almost waxy and shed what looks like skin from the surface. This is normal.
chipmunkofdoom2
Well-Known Member
I think I found the manual for the strips you're using:
http://www.apifishcare.com/pdf/Testing_Chart_1_16_14-1.pdf
According to this chart, a reading of 80 for Kh is roughly equivalent to 4.5 dKh (degrees carbonate hardness), which is very far outside the range of normal for reefs. I would think it would be difficult to have a pH anywhere near 8.0 with carbonate levels so low, but it's possible. I'd be willing to wager that the test strips are way off. It's difficult to read these types of values accurately with test strips.
I'd recommend picking up some Salifert test kits from Amazon or Bulk Reef Supply. BRS has free shipping on everything, and of course Amazon has free 2 day if you have Prime. Each kit is only about $15 and they last a few months depending on how frequently you test. I would at the very least buy a test kit for Alkalinity (carbonate), calcium and magnesium. I'd also pick up a refractometer (if you don't already have one) for salinity. Swing arm hydrometers are not very accurate.
There are lots of parameters one can test in a reef tank, but in my opinion, those are the most important. Salinity is important for obvious reasons, as sodium chloride is one of the most abundant compounds in seawater. Alkalinity (more accurately, carbonate) is important because stable alkalinity helps maintain a steady and high pH. Additionally, many corals are sensitive to alkalinity (carbonate) swings. To make matters worse, carbonate is available in relatively low concentrations in seawater, meaning it gets depleted much more easily than other elements. Calcium is important because corals use it to build skeletons, but otherwise it doesn't have a huge effect on water chemistry. Magnesium is important because without adequate magnesium levels, calcium and carbonate will find each other in your water and join together, meaning your alkalinity and calcium levels will be hard to maintain.
I'm not advocating that these are the only things in your water you should test, but these are the building blocks of seawater and some of the most important (IMO). Without accurate test results, however, it would be difficult to give solid advice on what to do.
http://www.apifishcare.com/pdf/Testing_Chart_1_16_14-1.pdf
According to this chart, a reading of 80 for Kh is roughly equivalent to 4.5 dKh (degrees carbonate hardness), which is very far outside the range of normal for reefs. I would think it would be difficult to have a pH anywhere near 8.0 with carbonate levels so low, but it's possible. I'd be willing to wager that the test strips are way off. It's difficult to read these types of values accurately with test strips.
I'd recommend picking up some Salifert test kits from Amazon or Bulk Reef Supply. BRS has free shipping on everything, and of course Amazon has free 2 day if you have Prime. Each kit is only about $15 and they last a few months depending on how frequently you test. I would at the very least buy a test kit for Alkalinity (carbonate), calcium and magnesium. I'd also pick up a refractometer (if you don't already have one) for salinity. Swing arm hydrometers are not very accurate.
There are lots of parameters one can test in a reef tank, but in my opinion, those are the most important. Salinity is important for obvious reasons, as sodium chloride is one of the most abundant compounds in seawater. Alkalinity (more accurately, carbonate) is important because stable alkalinity helps maintain a steady and high pH. Additionally, many corals are sensitive to alkalinity (carbonate) swings. To make matters worse, carbonate is available in relatively low concentrations in seawater, meaning it gets depleted much more easily than other elements. Calcium is important because corals use it to build skeletons, but otherwise it doesn't have a huge effect on water chemistry. Magnesium is important because without adequate magnesium levels, calcium and carbonate will find each other in your water and join together, meaning your alkalinity and calcium levels will be hard to maintain.
I'm not advocating that these are the only things in your water you should test, but these are the building blocks of seawater and some of the most important (IMO). Without accurate test results, however, it would be difficult to give solid advice on what to do.
chipmunkofdoom2
Well-Known Member
That sounds like mg/L. If so, this chart (from the link above) probably applies:
If you're at 143 mg/L, that's around 8.3 dKh, which is a perfectly acceptable level of alkalinity. Though it is not a guarantee, the 8.0 pH and the 480 ppm calcium that the test strip showed now make more sense. This is doing a lot of assuming, but I would guess that the water chemistry is not the issue.
Has anything else changed with the tank?
If you're at 143 mg/L, that's around 8.3 dKh, which is a perfectly acceptable level of alkalinity. Though it is not a guarantee, the 8.0 pH and the 480 ppm calcium that the test strip showed now make more sense. This is doing a lot of assuming, but I would guess that the water chemistry is not the issue.
Has anything else changed with the tank?
MaryAnn
Member
I checked it with a liquid calcium i did order the red sea reef foundation that checks most of what i needed that i didnt have could nit buy around here..i will have it by Wednesday i know my bubble tips are not opening every well..
Thank you so much for helping me. I dont want to buy any more corals until i get it right..
Sent from my SM-G930R7 using Tapatalk
Thank you so much for helping me. I dont want to buy any more corals until i get it right..
Sent from my SM-G930R7 using Tapatalk
Florida Sunshine
Member
When you say bubble tips are you referring to anemones?
How long has this tank been up and running? What do you have for equipment and what livestock do you have?
I agree with Chipmunk. Based on those assumptions nothing seems really out of wack with your numbers. We would need to know more about the system to hazard a guess.
If you are having trouble with your anemones they could definitely be putting toxins in the water that are upsetting your leather or it could even be the other way around or something else in your tank that is irritating both of them.
There are just too many unknowns at this point.
Best general rule is dilution is the solution to pollution so without knowing the problem I would recommend a water change. Rarely a bad idea and it can help with a lot of things.
How long has this tank been up and running? What do you have for equipment and what livestock do you have?
I agree with Chipmunk. Based on those assumptions nothing seems really out of wack with your numbers. We would need to know more about the system to hazard a guess.
If you are having trouble with your anemones they could definitely be putting toxins in the water that are upsetting your leather or it could even be the other way around or something else in your tank that is irritating both of them.
There are just too many unknowns at this point.
Best general rule is dilution is the solution to pollution so without knowing the problem I would recommend a water change. Rarely a bad idea and it can help with a lot of things.