Great addition - Love cleaner shrimp - will always have one as part of my cuc (clean up crew)
The Fredericks' RSM C130
- Thread starter AFrederick
- Start date
AFrederick
Active Member
Thanks Nano. The tank is already cleaner. He tidies up everywhere he goes; the rocks, the hermit crabs' shells - he REALLY wants to clean the clowns, but they are a little suspicious of him still.
AFrederick
Active Member
So a couple weeks ago I spilled a little water near the tank. And I noticed there were wires coming out from under the cabinet door, lying on the floor...very close to the puddle.
Since electrocution isn't the way I want to go, I got on Amazon and ordered a bunch of little sticky clips and double sided tape, etc.
Here's before:
And after:
Not many points for "style," but it should at least (1) lower the risk of electrocution in the Frederick house and (2) make room for more gizmos under the tank!
Since electrocution isn't the way I want to go, I got on Amazon and ordered a bunch of little sticky clips and double sided tape, etc.
Here's before:
And after:
Not many points for "style," but it should at least (1) lower the risk of electrocution in the Frederick house and (2) make room for more gizmos under the tank!
AFrederick
Active Member
Lost the cleaner shrimp a couple days ago 
When I got home, he was caught in the MP10. I think he died first and then got sucked up into it. The pump was on reef crest mode at about 40% max.
A couple days before he died I think I fed too much. The skimmer went crazy and overflowed. This spilled a bunch of waste into the tank which I think poisoned the water. I tested for but never detected an ammonia spike. I immediately did a 5 gal water change (that's all the salt water I had mixed up at the time). But I couldn't get the skimmer working again for a few days. Two days later, when I found him dead, I tested for ammonia again and nitrate also. Both showed up 0.
I am guessing either my testing missed the nutrient spike or perhaps something poisoned him that I didn't or couldn't test for.
During this time, one of the clowns got a little discolored patch between his right eye and right pectoral fin. This cleared up after the water change and getting the skimmer running again.
Everything seems stable again. I switched out the CPE and Purigen for fresh media (same). The clowns look great. The corals look great. Hermits and snails seem good too.
I suppose it could have gone worse.
When I got home, he was caught in the MP10. I think he died first and then got sucked up into it. The pump was on reef crest mode at about 40% max.
A couple days before he died I think I fed too much. The skimmer went crazy and overflowed. This spilled a bunch of waste into the tank which I think poisoned the water. I tested for but never detected an ammonia spike. I immediately did a 5 gal water change (that's all the salt water I had mixed up at the time). But I couldn't get the skimmer working again for a few days. Two days later, when I found him dead, I tested for ammonia again and nitrate also. Both showed up 0.
I am guessing either my testing missed the nutrient spike or perhaps something poisoned him that I didn't or couldn't test for.
During this time, one of the clowns got a little discolored patch between his right eye and right pectoral fin. This cleared up after the water change and getting the skimmer running again.
Everything seems stable again. I switched out the CPE and Purigen for fresh media (same). The clowns look great. The corals look great. Hermits and snails seem good too.
I suppose it could have gone worse.
AFrederick
Active Member
So on Sunday night, Clara and I impulse bought some corals on the internet. Fortunately, they weren't totally blind picks. I had read at least a little about each of the three frags we got.
- stylophora
- montipora capricornis
- euphyllia (one of the hammer kinds; maybe branching?)
There they are!
(The other two were already there. A goniastrea and a platygyra? Please tell me if I misidentified any. I'm new at this.)
Since I've only bought two corals before, I was nervious about ordering non-WYSIWYG corals over the internet and having them mailed. Props to live aquaria though. Everyone seems to have made the trip from Wisconsin (-1 F yesterday) and acclimated to the Frederick tank well.
Since it is warm in SC, I didn't think about how cold it was where the corals were shipping from until after I placed the order. But the corals were well-packed to survive the harsh conditions. Inside the cardboard shipping box, was a styrofoam cooler with a little chemical heating pad. Each coral was triple-bagged in about a liter and a half of water. Lots of packing peanuts.
I did the "bag float" acclimation - and I'll admit that I might have hurried it a little. But everything looks great! The hammer's tentacles seem to be inflated well. And it looks like the stylo has all of its polyps extended.
And I got a little bonus crab in the stylo! At least I hope it's a bonus.. I haven't gotten to see it in the open yet. Just some yellow/orange legs on one side of its body. He's the size of an oblong dime. Does that sound good or bad?
- stylophora
- montipora capricornis
- euphyllia (one of the hammer kinds; maybe branching?)
There they are!
(The other two were already there. A goniastrea and a platygyra? Please tell me if I misidentified any. I'm new at this.)
Since I've only bought two corals before, I was nervious about ordering non-WYSIWYG corals over the internet and having them mailed. Props to live aquaria though. Everyone seems to have made the trip from Wisconsin (-1 F yesterday) and acclimated to the Frederick tank well.
Since it is warm in SC, I didn't think about how cold it was where the corals were shipping from until after I placed the order. But the corals were well-packed to survive the harsh conditions. Inside the cardboard shipping box, was a styrofoam cooler with a little chemical heating pad. Each coral was triple-bagged in about a liter and a half of water. Lots of packing peanuts.
I did the "bag float" acclimation - and I'll admit that I might have hurried it a little. But everything looks great! The hammer's tentacles seem to be inflated well. And it looks like the stylo has all of its polyps extended.
And I got a little bonus crab in the stylo! At least I hope it's a bonus.. I haven't gotten to see it in the open yet. Just some yellow/orange legs on one side of its body. He's the size of an oblong dime. Does that sound good or bad?
acro crabs are good 
AFrederick
Active Member
I'm glad I didn't dip the corals! I would have killed the little hitchhiker.
I had planned to dip the frags in coral RX but I was in a hurry to get back to work and then I saw the "certificates" that came with the frags. They were Drs. Foster and Smith "Certified Captive Grown Corals" and the certificate said they were inspected and guaranteed to be "free of pathogens." So I plunked them in the tank and went back to work.
I didn't discover the acro crab until I got back home yesterday evening. Perhaps skipping the dip was reckless, but it saved the little crab!
I had planned to dip the frags in coral RX but I was in a hurry to get back to work and then I saw the "certificates" that came with the frags. They were Drs. Foster and Smith "Certified Captive Grown Corals" and the certificate said they were inspected and guaranteed to be "free of pathogens." So I plunked them in the tank and went back to work.
I didn't discover the acro crab until I got back home yesterday evening. Perhaps skipping the dip was reckless, but it saved the little crab!
AFrederick
Active Member
So, I didn't expect to have to do this so soon, but I think I have to start 2-part dosing..(?)
I've got a 34-gallon tank. Started October, 2015. Six weeks ago, two little 1-inch brain frags were the first corals. These guys seemed to be growing slowly, but not consuming significant amounts of Ca and alk. A weekly 5-gal water change seemed sufficient to keep these guys happy.
A little over a week ago, I added a hammer, a stylo, and a monti cap;
all roughly 1-inch frags. This being my first foray into the shallow end of the SPS pool, I'll say I had read that SPS demanded more stable water parameters in general, and Ca and alk, in particlular. A week after I added these three frags, I tested, and Ca and alk consumption has increased significantly. Ca from 400 to 355, though alk went from 7.4 to 7.7 (huh?) in the first week with the hammer and the two sps.
Yesterday, I did my regular, weekly 5-gal water change. This is the first water change since adding the last three frags. The two brains don't give a damn. They appear to be growing slowly and color is pretty good. The hammer looks great. Tentacles well-inflated. The monti cap looked fine. Color is great but it pretty much just sits there. But the stylo was pissed...
Its tiny green polyps had all been fully extended. But after the water change, it pulled in about half of them completely, and the other half were only part-way extended. Finally, a day after the water change, most of the polyps are back out, but not as fully as they were.
Was my water change too large? I ordered Red Sea parts A (Ca) and B (alk). I plan to keep with the weekly water changes but decrease the volume from 5 gallons to maybe 2.5? And dose Ca and alk daily.
Does this sound like an effective solution to the aforementioned symptoms?
I've got a 34-gallon tank. Started October, 2015. Six weeks ago, two little 1-inch brain frags were the first corals. These guys seemed to be growing slowly, but not consuming significant amounts of Ca and alk. A weekly 5-gal water change seemed sufficient to keep these guys happy.
A little over a week ago, I added a hammer, a stylo, and a monti cap;
all roughly 1-inch frags. This being my first foray into the shallow end of the SPS pool, I'll say I had read that SPS demanded more stable water parameters in general, and Ca and alk, in particlular. A week after I added these three frags, I tested, and Ca and alk consumption has increased significantly. Ca from 400 to 355, though alk went from 7.4 to 7.7 (huh?) in the first week with the hammer and the two sps.
Yesterday, I did my regular, weekly 5-gal water change. This is the first water change since adding the last three frags. The two brains don't give a damn. They appear to be growing slowly and color is pretty good. The hammer looks great. Tentacles well-inflated. The monti cap looked fine. Color is great but it pretty much just sits there. But the stylo was pissed...
Its tiny green polyps had all been fully extended. But after the water change, it pulled in about half of them completely, and the other half were only part-way extended. Finally, a day after the water change, most of the polyps are back out, but not as fully as they were.
Was my water change too large? I ordered Red Sea parts A (Ca) and B (alk). I plan to keep with the weekly water changes but decrease the volume from 5 gallons to maybe 2.5? And dose Ca and alk daily.
Does this sound like an effective solution to the aforementioned symptoms?
AFrederick
Active Member
A little bit of tank chemistry trouble to report...
On 3/10 I measured Ca at 355 ppm and Alk at 7.7 KH. The stylophora did not seem happy (half of its polyps were partially or completely retracted). While I didn't think KH was too low, the Ca did seem too low. So I ordered Red Sea Calcium and Alkalinity supplements.
On 3/12 I did a 5 gal water change with Red Sea Coral Pro salt. I think this was too much of a shock to the stylo. The bucket advertises Ca at 450 and Alk at 12.2. Unfortunately I did not test the tank until two days after the water change. On 3/15 I tested Ca at 375 and Alk at 8.2 KH.
On 3/20 I tested again and got Ca at 375 and Alk at 7.6 KH. That same day, the Red Sea supplements arrived. The bottles said 10mL of Ca and 10mL of Alk was the maximum safe daily dose for my tank. So that's what I added on 3/20. I added 10mL of each again on 3/21. And I was out of town on 3/22 but I asked my wife to add 5 mL of each on 3/22. My wife reported the water looked a little cloudy and the corals did not look so good (especially the hammer).
I got home from the trip late on 3/23 so I got up early and tested the morning of 3/24 at about 7:30am. Ca at 420 and KH at 8.4. These numbers seemed good to me but the corals looked bad. I did not dose anything that morning. I tested again on 3/24 at about 9:30pm. Ca at 390, Alk at 8.8KH, and Mg at 1200. The corals do not look very good. The stylo's polyps are mostly retracted, the hammer is not very extended and looks a little wilted, and one of the brains looks a little shriveled.
I think I tried to boost Ca and Alk too quickly. I know I need to get things stable. Is my Ca dropping so rapidly because I have a small tank and the little frags are using it? Or is it precipitating out because my Mg is too low? I ordered some Red Sea Mg to try and get my tank up from 1200 to about 1300. I will go more slowly from here on out.
I hope my corals make it.
On 3/10 I measured Ca at 355 ppm and Alk at 7.7 KH. The stylophora did not seem happy (half of its polyps were partially or completely retracted). While I didn't think KH was too low, the Ca did seem too low. So I ordered Red Sea Calcium and Alkalinity supplements.
On 3/12 I did a 5 gal water change with Red Sea Coral Pro salt. I think this was too much of a shock to the stylo. The bucket advertises Ca at 450 and Alk at 12.2. Unfortunately I did not test the tank until two days after the water change. On 3/15 I tested Ca at 375 and Alk at 8.2 KH.
On 3/20 I tested again and got Ca at 375 and Alk at 7.6 KH. That same day, the Red Sea supplements arrived. The bottles said 10mL of Ca and 10mL of Alk was the maximum safe daily dose for my tank. So that's what I added on 3/20. I added 10mL of each again on 3/21. And I was out of town on 3/22 but I asked my wife to add 5 mL of each on 3/22. My wife reported the water looked a little cloudy and the corals did not look so good (especially the hammer).
I got home from the trip late on 3/23 so I got up early and tested the morning of 3/24 at about 7:30am. Ca at 420 and KH at 8.4. These numbers seemed good to me but the corals looked bad. I did not dose anything that morning. I tested again on 3/24 at about 9:30pm. Ca at 390, Alk at 8.8KH, and Mg at 1200. The corals do not look very good. The stylo's polyps are mostly retracted, the hammer is not very extended and looks a little wilted, and one of the brains looks a little shriveled.
I think I tried to boost Ca and Alk too quickly. I know I need to get things stable. Is my Ca dropping so rapidly because I have a small tank and the little frags are using it? Or is it precipitating out because my Mg is too low? I ordered some Red Sea Mg to try and get my tank up from 1200 to about 1300. I will go more slowly from here on out.
I hope my corals make it.
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Dosing can be very tricky to get a hang of at first. Some tanks can really get screwed up someone starts dosing w/o really understanding what is going on in their tanks (chemical level-wise).
I'd say that your may have had an issue by just dosing the max that the bottle said and not based on what your tank levels are.
For someone who isn't a chemist, it can take some time to wrap your head around the relationship of Ca, Mg, Alk and pH. They all interact with each other in your tank. And there is a balance with each that you will want to maintain in the tank.
This is what I'd do moving forward, first off I'd do several larger water changes for several days in a row to get the chemistry in the tank back in balance and back to levels that they should be. This is the easiest way I find to do this. Alternatively, you can keep testing and adding chemicals until it all balanced out at levels where you want, but this can sometimes really through the system out of whack if you are precise with what you are adding.
Next you need to find out how much your tank is consuming in a week's time of Ca, Alk and Mg. In this time don't dose anything or do water changes. Just monitor daily (if you can) or every other day, how much the levels are falling. I'd recommend testing for Mg as well. Don't worry about pH. With weekly water changes you shouldn't be having any issues with pH.
Now that you have a better understanding of how much your tank in consuming. Do a water change. Test before and after the water change. Did the water change bring the levels back to where they need to be? Are you a little low on Ca, Alk, or Mg? Answering this will help you determine what to do next.
If you find that your levels are low, then you can start to figure out your dosing regime. I'd do another water change to get your levels back to where you want them. Once you have the levels where you want them, you are gonna want to maintain the levels. To do this you are gonna dose small amts of Ca and Alk on a daily basis.
To find out how much to use, I use an online calculator for the two part dosing I use from BRS. Choose two-part instructions and recipe instructions for bulk package materials. Go ahead and make a couple of days additions and then test. If you find the levels are dropping this means you need a lgr daily dose, if going up, use slightly less. Most people can hone in on their tanks consumption and daily dose needs in around three series of tests. Want to add slowly and in a high flow of tank. Important for Alk portion, b/c does raise pH. Sometimes it is easier to add pH at night, when the pH levels naturally fall a little. I have my doser dose Alk in the middle of the night.
Listed below is my go to list when I need to read up on any issues with Ca, Alk, pH, and Mg.
Dosing Calcium and Alkalinity
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 1: The Salt Water Itself http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php
Aquarium Chemistry: The Chemical and Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/chemistry
Chemistry and the Aquarium: Calcium http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/3/chemistry
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/3/chemistry
Calcium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2002/chem.htm
A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php
Calcium Carbonate as a Supplement
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2002/chem.htm
Purity of Calcium Chloride
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2004/chem.htm
The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm
What is Alkalinity?
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2002/chemistry.htm
The Chemical & Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification in Corals
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/chem.htm
Articles on how to keep Ca and Alk in balance:
When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm
Calcium and Alkalinity Balance Issues
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.htm
Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
Additional details on how each are used are provided in these articles:
Comparison of Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Methods
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
Calcium carbonate/carbon dioxide reactors
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm
Limewater (kalkwasser)
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm
Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Systems
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
A Guide to Using Calcium Reactors
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm
The following calculator and articles will help guide aquarists through the process of fixing calcium and alkalinity imbalances in reef aquaria using these types of supplements:
Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
BRS Aquarium and Reef Calculators
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator
Electronic Calcium Monitoring
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.htm
I'd say that your may have had an issue by just dosing the max that the bottle said and not based on what your tank levels are.
For someone who isn't a chemist, it can take some time to wrap your head around the relationship of Ca, Mg, Alk and pH. They all interact with each other in your tank. And there is a balance with each that you will want to maintain in the tank.
This is what I'd do moving forward, first off I'd do several larger water changes for several days in a row to get the chemistry in the tank back in balance and back to levels that they should be. This is the easiest way I find to do this. Alternatively, you can keep testing and adding chemicals until it all balanced out at levels where you want, but this can sometimes really through the system out of whack if you are precise with what you are adding.
Next you need to find out how much your tank is consuming in a week's time of Ca, Alk and Mg. In this time don't dose anything or do water changes. Just monitor daily (if you can) or every other day, how much the levels are falling. I'd recommend testing for Mg as well. Don't worry about pH. With weekly water changes you shouldn't be having any issues with pH.
Now that you have a better understanding of how much your tank in consuming. Do a water change. Test before and after the water change. Did the water change bring the levels back to where they need to be? Are you a little low on Ca, Alk, or Mg? Answering this will help you determine what to do next.
If you find that your levels are low, then you can start to figure out your dosing regime. I'd do another water change to get your levels back to where you want them. Once you have the levels where you want them, you are gonna want to maintain the levels. To do this you are gonna dose small amts of Ca and Alk on a daily basis.
To find out how much to use, I use an online calculator for the two part dosing I use from BRS. Choose two-part instructions and recipe instructions for bulk package materials. Go ahead and make a couple of days additions and then test. If you find the levels are dropping this means you need a lgr daily dose, if going up, use slightly less. Most people can hone in on their tanks consumption and daily dose needs in around three series of tests. Want to add slowly and in a high flow of tank. Important for Alk portion, b/c does raise pH. Sometimes it is easier to add pH at night, when the pH levels naturally fall a little. I have my doser dose Alk in the middle of the night.
Listed below is my go to list when I need to read up on any issues with Ca, Alk, pH, and Mg.
Dosing Calcium and Alkalinity
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 1: The Salt Water Itself http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php
The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php
Aquarium Chemistry: The Chemical and Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/chemistry
Chemistry and the Aquarium: Calcium http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/3/chemistry
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/3/chemistry
Calcium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2002/chem.htm
A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php
Calcium Carbonate as a Supplement
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2002/chem.htm
Purity of Calcium Chloride
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2004/chem.htm
The Relationship Between Alkalinity and pH.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2002/chem.htm
What is Alkalinity?
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2002/chemistry.htm
The Chemical & Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification in Corals
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/chem.htm
Articles on how to keep Ca and Alk in balance:
When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm
Calcium and Alkalinity Balance Issues
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.htm
Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
Additional details on how each are used are provided in these articles:
Comparison of Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Methods
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
Calcium carbonate/carbon dioxide reactors
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm
Limewater (kalkwasser)
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm
Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Systems
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
A Guide to Using Calcium Reactors
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm
The following calculator and articles will help guide aquarists through the process of fixing calcium and alkalinity imbalances in reef aquaria using these types of supplements:
Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
BRS Aquarium and Reef Calculators
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-calculator
Electronic Calcium Monitoring
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.htm
Last edited:
AFrederick
Active Member
Hey Sully! Thanks for asking.
Things are going all right. Clowns are great. Corals are ranging from very good to struggling. Here are a couple FTSs:
Sorry they are so blue. These were taken near the end of the tank's sunset last night.
As I mentioned in my post on 3/25, I think achieving stability of Ca, Alk, and Mg is my biggest challenge right now. About a day after that post I decided to stop supplementing and try doing 1 gallon water changes every day. My theory was that this strategy would supplement Ca, Alk, and Mg in the correct proportions and slowly bring the tank parameters to where they needed to be. I think it is working.
The goniastrea that was looking shrivled after my initial crude supplementing attempts is looking better. In fact, he has colored up better than even when I first got him. I mentioned a few posts ago his purple was fading. Now it is vibrant again. And he seems to be growing two new polyps.
No change in the platygyra. Seems healthy though.
The hammer survived the over-supplementation too. He got very shriveled when I dumped all that Alk and Ca in a couple weeks ago. But now he is extending his tentacles like normal.
The monti seems to be doing very well. He has a couple millimeters of new growth all the way around.
But the stylo is struggling. Only about 1/4 of his polyps really extend. Some tissue necrosis in several spots. Some algea is starting to grow on him which seems like a very bad sign. A few days ago, the acro crab that was living in him bailed out. I guess he didn't want to go down with the ship. Here are pics of the stylo from the day that I put him in the tank (3/8/16) and today:
and today:
I am not giving up on him. About three days ago, I realized he was in a comparitively low-flow area of my tank and he probably needs the most flow of any of my corals. So that was a dumb mistake, but I moved him to a much higher flow area.
Any other suggestions? Should I dip him in something? Or just leave him alone and keep striving for stability with the daily water changes?
The tank really is doing better for the moment so here's a picture of our hammer to end on a good note:
Things are going all right. Clowns are great. Corals are ranging from very good to struggling. Here are a couple FTSs:
Sorry they are so blue. These were taken near the end of the tank's sunset last night.
As I mentioned in my post on 3/25, I think achieving stability of Ca, Alk, and Mg is my biggest challenge right now. About a day after that post I decided to stop supplementing and try doing 1 gallon water changes every day. My theory was that this strategy would supplement Ca, Alk, and Mg in the correct proportions and slowly bring the tank parameters to where they needed to be. I think it is working.
The goniastrea that was looking shrivled after my initial crude supplementing attempts is looking better. In fact, he has colored up better than even when I first got him. I mentioned a few posts ago his purple was fading. Now it is vibrant again. And he seems to be growing two new polyps.
No change in the platygyra. Seems healthy though.
The hammer survived the over-supplementation too. He got very shriveled when I dumped all that Alk and Ca in a couple weeks ago. But now he is extending his tentacles like normal.
The monti seems to be doing very well. He has a couple millimeters of new growth all the way around.
But the stylo is struggling. Only about 1/4 of his polyps really extend. Some tissue necrosis in several spots. Some algea is starting to grow on him which seems like a very bad sign. A few days ago, the acro crab that was living in him bailed out. I guess he didn't want to go down with the ship. Here are pics of the stylo from the day that I put him in the tank (3/8/16) and today:
and today:
I am not giving up on him. About three days ago, I realized he was in a comparitively low-flow area of my tank and he probably needs the most flow of any of my corals. So that was a dumb mistake, but I moved him to a much higher flow area.
Any other suggestions? Should I dip him in something? Or just leave him alone and keep striving for stability with the daily water changes?
The tank really is doing better for the moment so here's a picture of our hammer to end on a good note:
AFrederick
Active Member
Hey Oxy! Thanks for the info. I saw your post after I submitted mine because I started it last night but didn't finish until just now.
I have read a couple of those first few articles you cited and they and the Randy Holmes-Farley one on balancing Ca, Alk, and Mg and were very helplful.
I was testing and aiming for specific targets; I think i just tried to do it too quickly.
Here are my parameters as of 7:30 pm last night:
temp: 77.7 F
salinity: 1.024 sg
Ca: 415
Alk: 8.5 KH
Mg: 1400
pH: 8.3
One more question: I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt. Should I switch to the regular Red Sea salt? The Alk in this one seems pretty high and there is a big difference between the Alk in my freshly mixed salt water and the water in the tank, even though I have been doing small changes every day for about two weeks now. So, buy another bucket of coral pro? Or regular?
I have read a couple of those first few articles you cited and they and the Randy Holmes-Farley one on balancing Ca, Alk, and Mg and were very helplful.
I was testing and aiming for specific targets; I think i just tried to do it too quickly.
Here are my parameters as of 7:30 pm last night:
temp: 77.7 F
salinity: 1.024 sg
Ca: 415
Alk: 8.5 KH
Mg: 1400
pH: 8.3
One more question: I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt. Should I switch to the regular Red Sea salt? The Alk in this one seems pretty high and there is a big difference between the Alk in my freshly mixed salt water and the water in the tank, even though I have been doing small changes every day for about two weeks now. So, buy another bucket of coral pro? Or regular?
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear that almost all your corals are doing better. I'd say that the daily water changes are working out well for you. As for the stylo the more light would probably do it good. They also like a good amount of flow as well. It may just need time to recover. It still has its color, so that is good.
As for switching types of salt, I also use the RS pro w/higher alk and have been for many years now. I don't necessarily keep my alk params in the tank this high as the salt. I allow it to slowly and I mean slowly lower until my next water change. Don't get me wrong here, I dose alk and ca every day. I just don't keep it that high all the time. It works for me and my sps haven't complained. For me it is not about keeping the ca and alk at an exact number (or chasing numbers) I allow for a little fluctuation as long as the fluctuation isn't fast or over a 24 hr period. As long as my params are within the ranges below, then I'm fine with it.
Alk: 2.5 - 4 meq/L or 7 - 11 dKH or 125 - 200 ppm
Ca: 380 – 450 ppm calcium ion or 950 - 1125 ppm
It is more watching the balance of Ca and Alk then keeping the numbers at an exact level.
With higher amounts of Ca and Alk you will see faster growth as there is more for the corals to take in to grow.
As for switching types of salt, I also use the RS pro w/higher alk and have been for many years now. I don't necessarily keep my alk params in the tank this high as the salt. I allow it to slowly and I mean slowly lower until my next water change. Don't get me wrong here, I dose alk and ca every day. I just don't keep it that high all the time. It works for me and my sps haven't complained. For me it is not about keeping the ca and alk at an exact number (or chasing numbers) I allow for a little fluctuation as long as the fluctuation isn't fast or over a 24 hr period. As long as my params are within the ranges below, then I'm fine with it.
Alk: 2.5 - 4 meq/L or 7 - 11 dKH or 125 - 200 ppm
Ca: 380 – 450 ppm calcium ion or 950 - 1125 ppm
It is more watching the balance of Ca and Alk then keeping the numbers at an exact level.
With higher amounts of Ca and Alk you will see faster growth as there is more for the corals to take in to grow.
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AFrederick
Active Member
Thanks again Oxy! I have learned a lot from your tank thread.
I have Steve's LEDs. Right now I have them at 60% on blue and 37% on whites. I will crank them up a little.
I will also turn up the mp10 a little. It's at about 60% on reef crest mode at the moment but I will turn it up a bit and see if the hammer can handle the extra flow.
I have Steve's LEDs. Right now I have them at 60% on blue and 37% on whites. I will crank them up a little.
I will also turn up the mp10 a little. It's at about 60% on reef crest mode at the moment but I will turn it up a bit and see if the hammer can handle the extra flow.
AFrederick
Active Member
I think flow is part of the solution too, Oxy. Now, I have a single mp10, along with the stock return for flow. I keep telling myself that should be sufficient for such a small tank, mainly because I am dreading the aesthetic effect of sticking another powerhead to the opposite side of the tank. The tank is in the corner of the kitchen, so viewing is from the front and the right side. I stuck the mp10 to the left side, that is blocked from viewing by the wall.
Anyway, I just moved my mp10 from one side to the other side of the tank and it immediately kicked up a bunch of junk that hadn't been blown around in a while.
I have my mp10 on reef crest which varies the speed of the pump randomly but it cannot change direction. I guess I need to take the financial and aesthetic hit and just buy another powerhead...
Anyway, I just moved my mp10 from one side to the other side of the tank and it immediately kicked up a bunch of junk that hadn't been blown around in a while.
I have my mp10 on reef crest which varies the speed of the pump randomly but it cannot change direction. I guess I need to take the financial and aesthetic hit and just buy another powerhead...
AFrederick
Active Member
I am beginning to think the algae in my tank is more than just ugly. I think it might be toxic. I have read dinos are toxic to snails and maybe other things. Now I am thinking several previously unexplained deaths in the tank are from this algae.
First, when this algae started covering the rocks, two snails mowed a path all the way up the rockscape. A few days later they both died. At the time, I blamed the hermit crabs. Now, I think the snails died and then got eaten.
Next, I lost a cleaner shrimp. At the time, I theorized it was because my skimmer cup overflowed into the sump and poisoned the water. But now I have read that dinos are specifically toxic to crustaceans.
Here is the algae:
It is brown. It looks fuzzy but feels slimy.
It's time to get rid of it. I cannot detect any nitrate with my red sea test kit. I figure the algae sucks it up as soon as it's available. I have chemipure elite and purigen in the media rack. I feel like I am feeding lightly. I only give the two clowns a pinky nail size chunk of Rod's food once every 2 or 3 days.
I have been reading up on different strategies for tackling this algae. I am about to try carbon dosing with Red Sea NO3/PO4-X. I read that regular doses are very important to prevent collapse of the bacteria populations created, so I ordered a BRS dosing pump. Any advice or suggestions?
Also, I read that it can be dangerous for corals to dose carbon while maintaining high alkalinity. Right now I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt. It mixes up to a dKH of about 11. I am about to need another bucket of salt. Should I switch from Red Sea Coral Pro to the regular Red Sea blue bucket?
First, when this algae started covering the rocks, two snails mowed a path all the way up the rockscape. A few days later they both died. At the time, I blamed the hermit crabs. Now, I think the snails died and then got eaten.
Next, I lost a cleaner shrimp. At the time, I theorized it was because my skimmer cup overflowed into the sump and poisoned the water. But now I have read that dinos are specifically toxic to crustaceans.
Here is the algae:
It is brown. It looks fuzzy but feels slimy.
It's time to get rid of it. I cannot detect any nitrate with my red sea test kit. I figure the algae sucks it up as soon as it's available. I have chemipure elite and purigen in the media rack. I feel like I am feeding lightly. I only give the two clowns a pinky nail size chunk of Rod's food once every 2 or 3 days.
I have been reading up on different strategies for tackling this algae. I am about to try carbon dosing with Red Sea NO3/PO4-X. I read that regular doses are very important to prevent collapse of the bacteria populations created, so I ordered a BRS dosing pump. Any advice or suggestions?
Also, I read that it can be dangerous for corals to dose carbon while maintaining high alkalinity. Right now I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt. It mixes up to a dKH of about 11. I am about to need another bucket of salt. Should I switch from Red Sea Coral Pro to the regular Red Sea blue bucket?
Antics
Active Member
How frequent and what amount is your current water change schedule? What kind of water is it? The amount of food you listed shouldn't cause the kinds of problems you seem to be having with excess nutrients. I've used NoPox but never as a solution to eliminating a strong algae, so I can't really comment on the effectiveness of that. I don't think your salt mix is causing issues, but maybe the RODI TDS could be higher than you're thinking?