Let me Pick your brain... sps,algae, param wierdness. (1 Viewer)

[zeek]

Ok so lately I dwelled into sps and finally got some pieces, slowly over the past 3 months I've added 7 pieces total of SPS, I started with one and waited a month and it did very well so I went crazy at the frag swap and got a bunch more, my tank is doing great only because of YOUR help, thank you very much in advance I duno where I'd be hehe.

Anyway here we are what two months after the swap and they are all doing great, great colors so on but now I have a few questions if I could pick a few brains.


1a. Alkalinity/calcium drops suddenly at times???

1b. And salinity dropping as well???
I mix my salt at 1.025 and I went about two weeks without testing it, I tested last week and it was at 1.021, I have an ato and I did change salt brand about 3 weeks ago to reef crystals, I do 10g water change once a week. I've slowly raised it back to normal just asking in case it may help determine my alk/calc drops.

I am dosing calcium+3 only per directed and it has helped, can 7 small frags of sps really make my calc go from 440ish to 360 in one week? is that normal??

2. This webby bubble algae growing ONLY on my sps pieces as of the last few weeks.

3. something is killing my gobys! any ideas? I've stopped after the third same thing happened, there such great sand cleaners tho but im done murdering them.

The least I've had a fish is 5 months they are ALL doing great, and growing fast but every goby I put it only lasts about a week and they don't show any signs of stress there happy doing their thing then suddenly next day there missing or stuck on a pump rotting away.

I have two dwarf angels, purple firefish, basslet and cardinal.


Tanks is very stable cept for alk/cal, and stays at:

Amo/n/n all 0 skimmer barely pulls much waste out either.
Salinity 1.025
Calc 420
Alk 7

 

[Ostentum]

What test kits are you using. Are you using a refractometer or hydrometer to test salinity. I have about 40 sps in my tank and I only drop about 20 ppm a week. DO you have clams? If so that could be what is causing a quick drop in calc and alk. They utilize about 3x as much calc as sps. Sps skeletons are porous clams are not. 10g change on what total water change? On my 110g I change 21g once a month. I am close and can always come by one day after work. Also your always welcome to bring by a water sample and I will test it for you to see if your kits are ok.

 

[Slayer311]

+1, need more info. I would be suspicious of the test kits and if you are using a swing arm hydrometer they are pretty inconsistant, refractometer all the way. Also are you dosing anything? I would not until you know for certain what your parameters are doing.

 

[tmgrash]

I would be suspicious of your test kits as well. On the other hand my tank rarely uses equal amounts day to day. As far as the usage amount, every tank is different, mine uses about 20-30 ppm calc a day and about 1.5 dkh daily. Dont under estimate how much coraline algea uses, so yours very well could be using that. Salinity dropping, hmm, unless you have some serious salt creep or are skimming very wet I would assume your testing method is inaccurate.
Webby bubble algea on sps and gobie death, you got me??

 

[zeek]

Thanks for replies, I use the API test kits and a swing arm for salinity test, I skim about a half a cup a day max.

I'll get my water tested tomorrow and compare results to check my testing kit.

About my salinity. I used to purchase 2 pre-mixed for change and 2 fresh for top offs in between before I started mixing my own water. Maybe I at some point I might used fresh water during a water change.

 

[soymilk]

1a. Those shouldn't drop suddenly. When in doubt test more often. Test your water once every day for a week and log the results. This way you can more efficiently plan a dosing regime.

1b. 1.025 and 1.021 is rather a big difference. How long do you let your water mix before testing it? Also as others stated, try to pick up a refractometer.

2. Can you take a picture of this "webby bubble algae"? Sounds like cyano to me. If cyano is growing on your sps, it could mean your sps is not doing well.

3. dunno about that one.....

 

[FragsandMore]

also Zeek, if it is in fact cyanobacteria/slime algae, how old are the bulbs you are using over the tank?

also, I too would recommend a refrac rather than a swing arm hydrometer

 

[CBBSteve]

Hi, zeek.
What kind of gobies? Please keep in mind that the sand sifters are not really "sand cleaners". They're not after the detritis, they're after the pods and other kinds of microfauna that live in the sand.

I tried the sand sifting gobies - rainford's - in the past with no success. They would suddenly perish just like yours. In retrospect, I believe they were starving because my tank was new with a very immature sandbed without any kind of microfauna for the gobies to eat. While they did eat flake foods, I believe they just were'nt getting the proper nutrition.

good luck,
Steve

 

[RR-MAN]

Alk 7

There is no room for error when DKH is @ 7. I think that is low. I don't allow my Alkalinity to drop below 8. So what you need to do is raise Alkalinity to 8.5-10 range so even if it does drop a little, still in an acceptable range.

 

[zeek]

I tested today, a day after dosing the calcium +3 and my calcium is 420 and alk 8. I will test tomorrow again, The webby stuff over sps is also growing on other corals I noticed today, and developing bubbles, so I apparently am getting a break out of bubble algae.

I have been super busy at work so I could not get my water tested, but tomorrow I will have my wife test our water and then take it to All about fish and compare results.

 

[soymilk]

Do you dose alkalinity? If not, then there is really no way your calc can be that low.

I would review your testing methods and follow the instructions perfectly. I noticed I was doing my magnesium test wrong just the other month. I fail at reading.

 

[zeek]

Do you dose alkalinity? If not, then there is really no way your calc can be that low.

I would review your testing methods and follow the instructions perfectly. I noticed I was doing my magnesium test wrong just the other month. I fail at reading.

HOLY smokes I fail at typing, my dyslexia kicked in, switch the 2 and 4 lol 420 I meant, my bad....

 

[soymilk]

alk 8 and calc 420 is fine. Just take 5 mins a day to do water test and write them down in a notebook. Keep a close eye on Alk, it drops a LOT faster than calc. I would stop dosing all together and test the water daily for a week. Then when you see how much they both drop in a week, start dosing accordingly.

 

[zeek]

alk 8 and calc 420 is fine. Just take 5 mins a day to do water test and write them down in a notebook. Keep a close eye on Alk, it drops a LOT faster than calc. I would stop dosing all together and test the water daily for a week. Then when you see how much they both drop in a week, start dosing accordingly.

Ok so now im freaking out, my alk dropped to 6 today... Calc still 420

PLEASE HELP?

 

[rxonco]

This is why I don't test for anything.

 

[flexrac]

how big is this tank?
how many corals do you have in it?

 

[RR-MAN]

Ok so now im freaking out, my alk dropped to 6 today... Calc still 420

PLEASE HELP?

Can you get a Salifert test kit for Alkalinity (more precise)? You have to test consistently to figure out the Alk/Cal demand for your tank. I know it's frustrating but once you get it, it's a piece of cake.

If you are not too far from me, bring your water and I will test it for you.

 

[zeek]

Im going to get a salifert, the tank is a 46 bowfront, I have 7 sps frags, 5 fish, maybe 10 softies, 8 lps. And 1 clam.

 

[soymilk]

your tank shouldn't be taking up that much alk.

I have a similar tank set up with 4-5 sps colonies, and 10-12 big sps frags. 3 clams (one of them about 6 inches) and several decent sized lps colonies.

My tank drops .5 dKH a day. I dose about 40mL daily to keep it stable. I really don't see your livestock sucking up 2dKH a day. Must be something wrong with your test kit...

 

[zeek]

your tank shouldn't be taking up that much alk.

I have a similar tank set up with 4-5 sps colonies, and 10-12 big sps frags. 3 clams (one of them about 6 inches) and several decent sized lps colonies.

My tank drops .5 dKH a day. I dose about 40mL daily to keep it stable. I really don't see your livestock sucking up 2dKH a day. Must be something wrong with your test kit...

Well I think so too, we'll find out tomorrow, I do see a few sps guys that are whitening out at the tips, that is new I had never seem them do that... maybe I'm just paranoid now? I keep wanting to blame changing salts, everything was fine until I changed salts maybe just timing... I duno anymore lol.