Coral Killer- Need Help

[BKLYNREEF123]

Carbon dosing before you stabilize the tank is a recipe for disaster. I think you really owe it to yourself and the tank to do a bunch of research before. Nothing good happens quick in this hobby. And fwiw Kalk is not set it and forget it. At least not a growing thriving reef. Consumption from growth addition of corals and growing coralline will all effect consumption. Evaporation does change contrary to other opinions. 2 part allows you to adjust your levels independently as well. The price of two part isn't really that high either. The large buckets of ESV are like $90 and will last you awhile. The best advice I can give for stability is to test very frequently until your tank is fairly stable and record your results as well as dosages. This way it helps put you on a schedule of testing and you can look back and see how levels changed based on conditions. There are several logs that are digital or you can print out. When I started to practice this method my tank improved drastically. I lost over a year of growth in what was a thriving tank in the beginning of my reef journey. It was because I only dosed Kalk and didn't test. I also used too much GFO at one time. Eventually Kalk couldn't keep up with the demands of my system (and I didn't realize because I wasn't testing) and the GFO overdose just amplified problems. I lost most of my sps and some LPS quickly.


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[lnevo]

I get 4-5 days in the winter compared to 7-9 days in the summer out of my ATO reservoir. Would never consider dosing based on evaporation. 2 part is pretty set and forget.

 

[nycfishy]

sorry, yes I did mean 1 teaspoon/gallon.
my nitrates test low but that with an old API test, waiting on new red sea one to come in.
po4 is not low, had been .17 ppm and then after water change it's .07
starting to get some green hairy algae growth so no doubt my phosphate level could use some help as well.

 

[nycfishy]

@bklyreef123
what's the danger/downside of too much GFO?
I run GRO/carbon mix in an external canister, think I put about 1 cup of each and change maybe every 6 weeks.

 

[theMeat]

Run less gfo and change it more often to get you po4 down faster. Rinsing carbon with tap water isn't much an issue, but always use ro or tank water to rinse gfo media.

 

[nycfishy]

Should I run just GFO in canister so it can tumble (right now I mix carbon and GFO and use sponges so the carbon does not get turned into dust). Maybe throw carbon in a bag and drop in back chamber of the tank.

 

[theMeat]

sounds like a plan. Gfo supposedly will work a bit better if it's tumbling. Carbon anywhere hi flow. Since your readings, except for po4 are low, could give carbon a break for a while too.

 

[BKLYNREEF123]

Running too much GFO can strip the tank of nutrients quickly and cause STN. It is also rumored to drop ALK. The amount of po4 in the tank will dictate when the GFO is no longer working. The only way to know for sure is to monitor the tank po4 level vs the level coming out of whatever you're running the GFO in. If the level is lower in the water exiting the reactor them you know the GFO is still fine. I would start slow and keep an eye on things. It's good that you are monitoring and controlling po4 but from what you have been posting it seems like Alk Ca and Mg need to be brought into line first. If I were you I would focus more on these for now.


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[nycfishy]

OK, so I'm now running less carbon and GFO (going with BRS calculator recommendations) and will change out every 2 weeks. In the past I was running about 4 times that and changing every 4-8 weeks.
PO4 is now down to .07
Ca, Mg and Alk are a bit low when I checked last night so supplemented with some 2 part and Mag mix. Over last 2 weeks I had added kalk to ATO but @ a very low dose (.75 teaspoons per gallon). For now would like to stick with kalk as it's easier for me but I now need to dial in the amount.
All the sticks I added except one had died that first week. the last one is looking pretty sad but hoping it comes back as indication of I am doing things right.


For now thinking I stick with some zoos and LPS (I added a torch over the weekend) and then try again with some SPS again in a few months.


I was thinking of starting to use red sea's po4/x product. Any advice on that? I understand its a bit like a dummies way of carbon dosing.
thanks

 

[nycfishy]

this is the last piece of SPS coral that did not go through RTN when I got them.
The way this coral is going is it possible something is eating it? seems like a strange way for it to be dyeing of, or is this "normal"?

 

[theMeat]

imo not a good idea to add any form of carbon dosing unless that's your plan moving forward as a way to control nutrients permanently or at least long term. As well as only if have an adequate skimmer to remove the converted nutrients.
Your po4 is not at an omg level. You're on your way to ideal levels. Keep up with water changes, good feeding practices, and a good media change schedule, it's working. With a reasonable level as you have now, swings will be more damaging than an ideal level.
With .07 po4, you should be more concerned with getting your cal, all, and mag within range and the all important stable

 

[nycfishy]

so have been tracking alk often with a hanna meter. Results are below.
The 9.5 was after a big dose of alk 2 part, since then just being using kalk in ATO @ 2teaspoon/gallon.
At this rate looks like I will need to start dosing 2-part as kalk not keeping up. My big question is what the hell is using all the alk (and calc) up? tank just has some softies in it, I had killed everything else as per start of this thread.
Coraline has been growing like crazy is it possible that is what is using alk and calc up?




5/16/2016 9.5
5/17/2016 9
5/20/2016 8.3
5/22/2016 8.1
5/25/2016 7.8

 

[theMeat]

Coraline will def consume calcium. Many urchines will eat coraline. Ph and alk work together, make sure it's good, and there's good flow at water surface.
How much water do you go through with ato?

 

[nycfishy]

has less measurement's for calc it's dropping as well
it's 35 gallon tank, go thru 1-2 gallons of ATO/week
think my tank might be too small for urchin
5/15/2016 430
5/22/2016 370

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I dose every day. Looks like you have good coralline growth, you should be dosing daily. To raise your ALK you can use just that part of the 2 part, just double up on it until your ALK is high enough.

Get yourself a Phosban reactor.

How good is your skimmer?
What kind of lighting?
What kind of circulation you have running in your system?
Are you running a controller and is your temperature stable 24/7?

All of these can also contribute to your SPS dying.

Alfred

just dosing a capful of 2 part every 2-3 days

 

[theMeat]

Tank's not too small for an urchin. A pincushion or texedo would work fine. Still, even with coralline, find it curious that Kali is not enough.

 

[nycfishy]

@ Alfredo, I stopped the two part and switched to kalk in ATO but that does not seem to be enough, seems odd as I don't have any real SPS in the tank.
skimmer is biggest I can ft in back of RSM130 a tune 9002
LED lighting in the hood
upgraded the stock return pump and have a mp10
and yes have an apex controller for temp is very stable

 

[nycfishy]

if I'm using BRS two part should the quantities I need to dose of each be the same?
unless my math is wrong I need to dose more calc than alk, would that mean something else is screwed up?

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

No, you want to dose equal parts. But to raise Alk you can increase Alk slightly until it goes up.

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[lnevo]

The margin of error is higher on calcium tests. Alk is a good way to gauge. I dose an unbalanced amount but it's not off by much. Either way go you can by your ak for now.