I hate test kits. High low or False results RTN/STN Maybe Aquamedic or Triton online?

[s_kelley]

I very rarely test now a days, but when I'm concerned I bring water to my lfs and have it tested there. They do a bunch and always use fresh kits. Might cost a few bucks but worth it in my opinion

 

[daves-reef]

Did u test alk standard, with the salifert kit

Not using the Salifert this time for ALK. Red Sea this time.

 

[nemodan]

If you need Mg I have Bionic unopened bottle. I can give you some untill you get yours.

Let me know.

 

[daves-reef]

If you need Mg I have Bionic unopened bottle. I can give you some untill you get yours.

Let me know.

Thanks for the offer. Mg arrived today, going to try raising it about 50ppm a day until I get it back to around 13-1400. At 1100 today. Started making water today for another 10% water change. I did the same about two weeks Ago. Just after things started and my Mg falsely tested high. But that probably bolstered things.

 

[daves-reef]

Also just to be clear. It's is possible that low ALK or high ALK swing started the whole RTN issue a month ago. But for the last three weeks I have been testing ALK and Ca regularly and that has been stable. confirmed with similar numbers Sunday at the LFS. Same as today's numbers. It's Mg that was testing wrong. High and low depending on test.
I don,t think we can be sure any test is spot on even the ALK and Ca. but besides RTN/STN I lost color in other SPS. also still loosing SPS to STN. maybe all related, Maybe residual, or maybe I still have an issue unless Mg is the cause.

 

[STiTCH87]

Well then let me ask you this, what are nitrate and phosphate levels? That could play a roll. At least in color loss.

Also, if you did have a swing, and it started a RTN/STN process, even if it stabilized after, it's extremely difficult to stop the process once it starts. I myself have never been victorious on that front.

 

[daves-reef]

Nitrate and phosphate are both undetectable (LFS tested).

I guess that anything that existed in the tank at the time of stress what ever that was. Is going to be susceptible to residual problems and may still STN. Not sure how to tell when it may be over and stable I guess. Not by test kit anyway.

Heck I am sure I have had other swings over the last 6 - 9 months. The system is approaching 1 year anniversary. Lost frags along the way to various cycles. Algae and the worst was cyno that I finally cleared up 3 months ago.

That's when I cranked up the flow as one of the fixes. Which I thought may have contributed to some issues with birdsnest and pocillapora but maybe not. They seem most sensitive. The RTN all started with a ORA green birds nest frag.

Since I turned down the flow my BTA and Frog spawn have never looked so good. In this tank.
But it's SPS I just can't seem to succeed with.

 

[CoralJunkie]

Anyone using the Hannah checkers? I've been using the red sea for a while which is pretty accurate as long as you don't use the colored syringe tips or the test bottle holder thing. The color syringe tips on mine all had tiny cracks on the sides so half of the fluid came out of the cracks and the other half came out where it was suppose to.

 

[STiTCH87]

FWIW I had a very healthy 40g with SPS growing awesome until I too added a green birdsnest that got RTN, and fully died. Then my 1 year old birdsnest colony died. Then my other. Then the rest of my SPS, then my chalices, and eventually every single stony coral died and the tank crashed. There was some bacteria infection that I had brought in and wiped out my entire tank with except my gorgonian and my clam. Maybe that's what you are experiencing?

What happened to me sounded similar to a vibrio infection, but at the same time, different.

 

[daves-reef]

There was some bacteria infection Maybe that's what you are experiencing?
What happened to me sounded similar to a vibrio infection, but at the same time, different.

I am starting to think that a bacterial infection may be my issue. But how could I tell? How do you know its gone? And why some corals are rapidly affected and others appear fine.
At this point I have lost all the corals that initially seemed affected. Yet none of the Montipora frags seemed affected. All but one of the acro bit the dust.
The remaining frag still does not look fully recovered.

Since the initial problem I have added several acro and a couple of monti frags and they all look good BUT..............
I have tried three times to re introduce including last Friday a green birdsnets frag and a pocillapora. they look good for a day or two but today they both started to RTN.
My guess they will be dead tomorrow.

So back to testing.
Yah Yah I Know its always Alk Frank. But based on two different in-home testing kits and LFS. It ant Alk. ALK, CA, and now MG are all good. So how could it be ALK.

I got the results of Triton Labs test today. But how do we know that is reliable either. After I order my triton labs test I ran across this article that calls into question reliability / accuracy of their testing method. http://www.reefsmagazine.com/mag.php?do=wp_post&articleId=159

So is there any reliable way to test? I am going to post the results. Need to make pics.

 

[daves-reef]

Based on the results from Triton labs. I say my water looks pretty good. Nothing is red except P and P04 and not red in the way you might think?
There is a couple of yellow. Mg is only slightly high now since I was dosing to push it up. I don't think thats an issue. Still does not match elos which reads 1250 .
Iodine is a little low but I don't believe that affects SPS or contributes to my RTN issue. I may dose a little as I do have a lot of macro and coralline Algae.
Is bromine an issue. Not sure I have heard of bromine dosing.

So here the red item question. Can you have too little phosphate? I think high phosphate might cause RTN. But Low?
Here are the triton test results. Any Ideas if chemistry has anything to do with my SPS problems. Or should we lean bacterial. If so what to do about it.

 

[Fish Drive Me Crazy]

Do you know anyone that lives near you who would test your water? That way hopefully there measurements will help you determine if it's user error or if you got a bad test kit I use Red Sea and my leaves all stay stable and read same ever week key is to be consistent with your water levels and not changing them constantly and also being consistant with your test kit testing doing it the same way every time for example I always make sure when I suck up the additives into the seringe that it goes to the same line cause some times it will be a half a ml off