Squirrel's 40g CAD, my dream build
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squirrelieygrrrl
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After observing for a few days I'm pretty sure it was isolated to that one frag, I'm wondering if the others that I got from that seller on eBay were wild acros as well, plus they were all fresh cuts. None of them seem very happy.
The Alk level with the esv salt is something I've been thinking about, it's very high for zeovit. I've read comments from the manufacturer that you can't reduce the Alk because it also contains necessary trace elements. I may be forced to switch salt once I reach ULNS, as I can't figure out how to automate 2 part and use it.
Switch salts would be my first response. I can not run my alk past 9 without noticing an issue and I am not running full zeo.
With that said, there isn't one long time hobbyist that still does not loose the occasional frag to STN. I just lost a Miami Orchid frag from ORA, it just never did well or took off when other acropora did, oh well. Opens up another spot for something I might also like in the acro department. If everything else in my tank is happy, coloring up well and growing I am not going to worry too much over one frag, especially in a young system.
Once something goes south I test everything and usually nothing is out of the norm.
With that said, there isn't one long time hobbyist that still does not loose the occasional frag to STN. I just lost a Miami Orchid frag from ORA, it just never did well or took off when other acropora did, oh well. Opens up another spot for something I might also like in the acro department. If everything else in my tank is happy, coloring up well and growing I am not going to worry too much over one frag, especially in a young system.
Once something goes south I test everything and usually nothing is out of the norm.
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squirrelieygrrrl
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I'm going to tinker with reducing the Alk and Ca components for the salt as I have 2 50g boxes of it, and then probably switch. It's a bummer because I really like how clean and fast it mixes. With full Zeo you end up supplementing so much of the trace elements any way I'm hoping I can compensate for any difference. I'm trying to find the thread on RC where reducing the 2 part component of the salt was discussed.
I've been testing pretty much every day for 2 weeks now and literally nothing seems out of whack, and all fairly consistent with very minor declines. So I could only attribute the rtn to high no3, at roughly 15ppm. I haven't started dosing 2 part yet because I'm waiting for the Alk, Ca and Mg to come down a bit.
I've had my fair share of inexplicable rtn and stn incidents with single corals. It's definitely flukey (if that's a word).
LILBUDDHA
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+1 . Alk over 9 causes issues with carbon dosing . A local hobbyist with a very nice zeo-tank has had a heartbreak with with Red Sea blue salt . He stated the lack of support made him switch gears .
He then tried TM Pro with another botched bucket of salt . TM confirmed the batch was off and promptly is sending him a good bucket . (now that's how support should be ) .
I have yet to find a thread on lowering the alk with B-ionic . Yes I personally spoke to Bob Stark n he says it can be done but will leave you with a mix that is ionically imbalanced (lack of trace elements = same smell )
Figuring out two part is easy . PM or email me . I'd be happy to walk you thru it .
I have already had to start dosing with Balling Salts . I do not use the sodium bicarbonate since it makes my dhk rise higher than 9 .
Kalk in the top off seems to keep this on an even keel for me . I am losing 60 ppm of ca n mag a week .
He then tried TM Pro with another botched bucket of salt . TM confirmed the batch was off and promptly is sending him a good bucket . (now that's how support should be ) . I have yet to find a thread on lowering the alk with B-ionic . Yes I personally spoke to Bob Stark n he says it can be done but will leave you with a mix that is ionically imbalanced (lack of trace elements = same smell )
Figuring out two part is easy . PM or email me . I'd be happy to walk you thru it .
I have already had to start dosing with Balling Salts . I do not use the sodium bicarbonate since it makes my dhk rise higher than 9 .
Kalk in the top off seems to keep this on an even keel for me . I am losing 60 ppm of ca n mag a week .
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squirrelieygrrrl
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I had a problem with Red Sea as well in the past, I lost a number of corals during what I call the great sg snafu of 2012. I'm going to hit the zeovit forum and see what I can dig up surrounding salt. I've heard TM recommended on the kz forum a couple of times.
Surrounding the esv salt that info you said Bob told you was the same I've run across, some one on the KZ forum did run the calculations to lower it, though their mixing ratios seemed drastically altered from what you're supposed to use.
I've got no problem in figuring out 2 part if my salt and tank maintain the same values. What I couldn't wrap my head around was how to plot dosing on a tank that lets say runs at 7.5 dkh, and ca at 420, mg at 1300, and a fresh mixed batch at 9.6, 500, and 1410. Seems to me if I did wcs of say 15-20% it would slightly elevate my target values and throw an otherwise normal dosing schedule off. Long term the 3 would elevate, albeit minimally each time. I suppose it's probably a non issue as we have to constantly tweak dosing as things grow and consumption rates change. It's just another variable I didn't want to have to consider.
Surrounding the esv salt that info you said Bob told you was the same I've run across, some one on the KZ forum did run the calculations to lower it, though their mixing ratios seemed drastically altered from what you're supposed to use.
I've got no problem in figuring out 2 part if my salt and tank maintain the same values. What I couldn't wrap my head around was how to plot dosing on a tank that lets say runs at 7.5 dkh, and ca at 420, mg at 1300, and a fresh mixed batch at 9.6, 500, and 1410. Seems to me if I did wcs of say 15-20% it would slightly elevate my target values and throw an otherwise normal dosing schedule off. Long term the 3 would elevate, albeit minimally each time. I suppose it's probably a non issue as we have to constantly tweak dosing as things grow and consumption rates change. It's just another variable I didn't want to have to consider.
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squirrelieygrrrl
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In other news I've been dealing with chronically low ph, I attribute it to a new home that's well insulated. I'm lucky if I hit 7.75 on my apex probe(newly calibrated and cross checked with a salifert ph kit). Lows of 7.59. I've had to invest in a co2 scrubber for the air intake on my skimmer, it should be here Monday.
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squirrelieygrrrl
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Here's a thought on the esv salt I just had, if I reduce both parts equally wouldn't the resulting mix still be ionically balanced? The ca is also a bit too high for my liking, so this seems like a viable solution.
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