Tank not looking too good

[Chlorinated]

Hi everyone,

Over the last few months my tank has been on a steady decline. I have been busy with work and the little guy, so the tank has taken a bit of a back seat the past 2 years. I have kept up with water changes. About 30% every 2 weeks. Change out the floss weekly, carbon every 2 weeks with water change.

Parameters are mostly in line:

Salinity 1.026
Temp 76-80 depending on day
Call 400
Alk 7-8. Drops low sometimes between changes and no dosing
Mag 1300

I test after water changes then dose soda ash or calc to being things in line. I dont have test kitsch for nitrate or phosphate, but my bio load is pretty light, just 2 clowns and a couple snails in an IM 20.

Various corals...leathers, Los, zoos, sps.

Basically leathers and a few lps have been fine (hammer, Duncan, wellso), while other lps have been suffering (frogspawn, second hammer, candy canes) and losing tissue. Sps have been relatively ok actually.

In the last 2 weeks I have noticed the wellso going south and showing skeleton (has not been fully open in months, but not alarmingly so) and dunkin which has been growing and looking awesome since the day I added it to the tank is now losing heads.

I have had problems keeping alk up, even using red sea pro salt. I think my mag is close enough in range where it should be a non issue.

My only other thought was the leathers and chemical warfare. I do use BRS rox0.8 carbon...about 2Tb. It's a small tank so that it would be enough, but maybe not?

I am at a loss at this point. Things are going south fast and all my test kids say things are fine. So any thoughts or suggestions would be extremely welcome.

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[tommy6905]

First What’s your water source? Second u need to get some test kits, and last your salinity is a tad higher then needed but not your issue. I keep my tank .024

 

[Chlorinated]

I'm currently buying gallons of distilled at the store and mixing with red soap coral pro. Let it miss an hour or so before using. As for test kitsch I test alk mag calc pH and salinity regularly with water changes. I realize nitrate and phosphate would be good to have as well.

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[tommy6905]

I'm currently buying gallons of distilled at the store and mixing with red soap coral pro. Let it miss an hour or so before using. As for test kitsch I test alk mag calc pH and salinity regularly with water changes. I realize nitrate and phosphate would be good to have as well.

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Yes def test if u can, what are you using for nutrient export? Refugium, gfo?

Nothing wrong with distilled water I used it for awhile on previous tanks years back. Do u use a ato? Fluctuations in salinity could play a role as well

 

[mvallee]

have you calibrated what you are using for salinity testing, I had some weird things happen in my tank with most of my SPS dying out, nems splitting, elegance melting etc... turns out my salinity had creeped way high, my refractometer had gotten out of whack in 6 months, I have since bought calibration fluid and check it regularly.

 

[gurumasta]

That salinity level is fine.

What is your pH? What is the daily range on that?

Those alk swings and dosing chunks of whatever at time of water changes will cause issues for sure. Stability is the most important measurement in this hobby. Your alk should be stable and move maybe only move .2 in either direction on a daily or even permanent basis.

Your mag being at a proper level will not mean that your alk can drop or swing. Mag is a balance between Ca and Alk to keep things level.

Sounds to me like you should setup a dosing pump and get accurate measurements for your systems daily needs.

 

[vinny]

I didn't notice if you mentioned how old your lights were. I was just going through the same with testing and water changes and adding this and that when all the parameters were just fine, but my corals were slowly declining not opening all the way and some where shrinking. I finally realized that the lights haven't been changed and they were over due.
Good luck

 

[dz6t]

I think you need to dose more frequently then just adjust the levels after water change. Are you using Kalk in your ATO water?


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[Chlorinated]

I'm currently buying gallons of distilled at the store and mixing with red soap coral pro. Let it miss an hour or so before using. As for test kitsch I test alk mag calc pH and salinity regularly with water changes. I realize nitrate and phosphate would be good to have as well.

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Yes def test if u can, what are you using for nutrient export? Refugium, gfo?

Nothing wrong with distilled water I used it for awhile on previous tanks years back. Do u use a ato? Fluctuations in salinity could play a role as well

Nutrient export is regular water changes, about 2 tablespoons of carbon changed every 2 weeks and a bag of purigen changed every few months. Floss in the overflows changed at least once a week, sometimes more time permitting.

No ATO at the moment, but I top off twice a day. Not enough evaporation where salinity would change very much at all.

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[Chlorinated]

have you calibrated what you are using for salinity testing, I had some weird things happen in my tank with most of my SPS dying out, nems splitting, elegance melting etc... turns out my salinity had creeped way high, my refractometer had gotten out of whack in 6 months, I have since bought calibration fluid and check it regularly.

I calibrate my refractometer every month or so. I actually checked it yesterday and it was spot on.

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[dz6t]

I just notice you are using Red Sea coral pro salt. This salt has very high alk level, If you need to raise the all level after water change, your alk level before water change must be very low.
These type of alk swing can cause issues.
Another thing is your test kit, what kind is it?


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[Chlorinated]

pH stays pretty solid 8-8.2 from what I have seen while testing.

And I realize mag doesnt not prevent alk drops or swings. My point was that if I am doing a 30% water change with water that us at all 11 and adding it to a tank with all at 6.5. When I test an hr after the water change, I expect my alk to be higher than 7 but it's not. Maybe unrealistic expectation on my part?

And I dont have high swi ge in the tank from what I have seen. After a water change I dose to being calc up to 400 if need be and all to 8...usually over 2 days as to not shock anything. Then, over 2 weeks by water change time its hovering in the 6-6.5 range.

I try to dose between water changes, but life is busy working 2 jobs and having a little guy at home. And unfortunately a dose is out if the budget for now.

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[Chlorinated]

I didn't notice if you mentioned how old your lights were. I was just going through the same with testing and water changes and adding this and that when all the parameters were just fine, but my corals were slowly declining not opening all the way and some where shrinking. I finally realized that the lights haven't been changed and they were over due.
Good luck

Lights are T5 and 8mo old. Usually go 12 and change.

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[Chlorinated]

I just notice you are using Red Sea coral pro salt. This salt has very high alk level, If you need to raise the all level after water change, your alk level before water change must be very low.
These type of alk swing can cause issues.
Another thing is your test kit, what kind is it?


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Hi Dong,

I bought that salt for that very reason. Since dosing is an issue, I figured if I kept alk high, and replenished with water change, dosing would not be as big an issue.

My tank has a few digi's and 1 encrusting moni. The rest is all lps, a couple leathers and some zoos. Nothing high demand at all. And I've never had very much coraline algae so its not the culprit of alk consumption. With most corals on the decline I expected parameters to be more stable since things are declining not growing.

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[Chlorinated]

And no, I am not putting kalk in the top off water. I could try adding some and see how it works out though.

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[dz6t]

Do you test the alk level before water change? What alk you get just after water change and before dosing?


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[Chlorinated]

I dont regularly test before and after a water change. When I have alk has been 6ish. After its usually 6.5-7 and I dose up to 8-8.5. I am going to do a big water change tomorrow. I will test alk before nd report back.

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[dz6t]

If alk allows to go below 7, some lps will have issue with it. An automatic dosing pump is recommended.


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[Reefer508]

I agree with dz6t. Use a doser and test for alk at the same time every day you can to dial it in.

 

[Chlorinated]

Dose is unfortunately out of the budget at the moment.

Did a 30% water change tonight
Water prior to change has an alk is 7.2. New water alk of 12.5. After change alk of 9. Last time I did a change same size my alk was only up to 7 from 6.5.

Anyway...pH 8.3, calc 450, mag 1300, salinity 1.026.

I also pulled all of my pumps and cleaned them, replaced floss as usual and changed out gac and did a double dose just incase there's something in the water.

Wait and see how it goes. Will do my best to test/dose as often as I can.

I appreciate all the input everyone, I will keep you updated.

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