Acro help!

[schooleyosis]

So those of you who are dosing KALK. Are you also dosing anything else to keep your ALK and CAL levels up? Or will the KALK handle the demand?

 

[greg0385]

True, i did get in new alk reagent yest. It tested at 8.34dkh, i will test again tomorrow to see where its at. I also checked Cal at 430(1.5ml on the salifert test).
I did think more about this last nite and thought, what difference does it make if i use 2part or kalk?

As long as my levels are where they need to be, then can the corals tell the difference between kalk and 2part?

As everyone can see, when it comes to this dosing stuff, i dont know much. So i really do appreciate everyone's help.

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[schooleyosis]

I'm learning from your questions as well Greg, so keep them coming!

 

[bknapp]

I only run kalk on my tank and my sps love it all I do is add a cup is brs kalk on my 35 gallon brute trash can ato reactor lol. And it works great my parameter stay stable. I'm thinking about upgrading to a 44 gallon trash can or bigger

This maybe the first (and probably last) time I have ever seen the words upgrade and trash can in the same sentence. Lol

 

[greg0385]

After my last question gets answered i would love to change topics from dosing to reasons acros die.

For example, my aqua sd rainbow milli was doing well, then it lots its flesh at the tip and slowly peeled away down to the base. Why is that?
It wasnt at the top of scape(too much light), it was in good flow.
Was it due to the alk spike of 8.7dkh?
Was it due to stress?
Was it due to nutrients?
Was it due to PH?
I have lost a few acros over the pass 3months while others are doing well. So im still struggling to understand what make some acros live, while others die right next to it.
Any thoughts?

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[Dowtish]

After my last question gets answered i would love to change topics from dosing to reasons acros die.

For example, my aqua sd rainbow milli was doing well, then it lots its flesh at the tip and slowly peeled away down to the base. Why is that?
It wasnt at the top of scape(too much light), it was in good flow.
Was it due to the alk spike of 8.7dkh?
Was it due to stress?
Was it due to nutrients?
Was it due to PH?
I have lost a few acros over the pass 3months while others are doing well. So im still struggling to understand what make some acros live, while others die right next to it.
Any thoughts?

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If someone could truly answer that question they would be a GOD in the reef aquarist industry. No one can definitively answer why acros die. There could be a 100 reasons or just one. And the one reason might never be known. Welcome to the mysterious, frustrating, wonderful world of keeping Acropora.

 

[greg0385]

Let me reword that, what are some things to check when:
Recedes from tip down
Recedes from base up
No polyps
Faded color
Skin peeling
Not encrusting
Not growing
STN
RTN

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[cee]

Kalk is CaOH, so it tends to raise pH quite a bit. 2-part calcium supplement is CaCl which can increase salinity but not pH. Baking soda (most 2-part) doesn't move pH but baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) raises pH. Baking baking soda releases CO2 which is why cookies, etc., "swell" up.

Let me reword that, what are some things to check when:
Recedes from tip down
Recedes from base up
No polyps
Faded color
Skin peeling
Not encrusting
Not growing
STN
RTN

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Tip down is usually alkalinity in a ULNS. Base up and/or peeling can be many things, STN, RTN, even invasive sponges. Lack of PE is often some form of pest. Some others not mentioned are pale colors in montis is usually lack of potassium. Pastel colors is likely too low in nutrients. And there are other conditions too lengthy to get into here.

 

[greg0385]

Kalk is CaOH, so it tends to raise pH quite a bit. 2-part calcium supplement is CaCl which can increase salinity but not pH. Baking soda (most 2-part) doesn't move pH but baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) raises pH. Baking baking soda releases CO2 which is why cookies, etc., "swell" up.



Tip down is usually alkalinity in a ULNS. Base up and/or peeling can be many things, STN, RTN, even invasive sponges. Lack of PE is often some form of pest. Some others not mentioned are pale colors in montis is usually lack of potassium. Pastel colors is likely too low in nutrients. And there are other conditions too lengthy to get into here.

Interesting, but can a acro tell the difference in
8.3dkh/430cal- dosed by 2part
Vs
8.3dkh/430cal-dosed by kalk?

Im trying to understand why some are saying i should dose kalk instead of 2part.


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[cee]

Yes. Kalk raises pH, maintains alk (but won't raise it) and precipitates po4.

 

[greg0385]

Yes. Kalk raises pH, maintains alk (but won't raise it) and precipitates po4.

Okay now im really confused :(
Kalk maintains alk but wont raise it? 1/4tsp/gallon maintain my levels, but if i did anymore than 1/4tsp/gallon it would raise my levels?

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[pickupman66]

Yes. Kalk raises pH, maintains alk (but won't raise it) and precipitates po4.

I've never heard that it will precipitate po4. And thought one used a kalk. Solution to raise alkalinity.

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[jdccroad]

Iiluisii is right. Par meters have a tough time with LEDs. The issue I see with people that switch from MH to LEDs is that they want the tank to look the same as it did with halides so they over light it. SPS react differently to LEDs than MH and don't require as much light as you see with you eyes or a par meter. I had the same issue. Over lit my tank and had no growth or color. Par meter said I didn't have enough light so I added more and just exasperated the problem. Now I run about 50% and have great growth and color. Reduce your photo period and turn your lights down for a couple days and see what happens. Stop chasing a meter. Your corals will tell you what they like.

 

[Dowtish]

Iiluisii is right. Par meters have a tough time with LEDs. The issue I see with people that switch from MH to LEDs is that they want the tank to look the same as it did with halides so they over light it. SPS react differently to LEDs than MH and don't require as much light as you see with you eyes or a par meter. I had the same issue. Over lit my tank and had no growth or color. Par meter said I didn't have enough light so I added more and just exasperated the problem. Now I run about 50% and have great growth and color. Reduce your photo period and turn your lights down for a couple days and see what happens. Stop chasing a meter. Your corals will tell you what they like.

That definitely isn't the problem. If anything he nerds to turn the lights up. He hss been running the pretty low to acclimate for a while now.

 

[cee]

I should clarify: kalk won't directly raise alkalinity but when it reacts with CO2 in the atmosphere it will form carbonates which do raise alkalinity. Search for Randy Holmes-Farley's articles on alkalinity for a better explanation.

 

[Dowtish]

I should clarify: kalk won't directly raise alkalinity but when it reacts with CO2 in the atmosphere it will form carbonates which do raise alkalinity. Search for Randy Holmes-Farley's articles on alkalinity for a better explanation.

But however you want to look at it, It can raise it whether directly or indirectly doesn't really matter.
More times than not I have seen my calcium levels rise much more from kalk than my alk but if thrre is too much evaporation in my tank then it can raise my alk as well.

 

[greg0385]

Just so that im clear, it reallys boils down to with the proper amount of dosing:
KALK Pros
-Kalk will keep my levels in check + potenially raise my PH
(good to dose at nite to check PH stable)
KALK Cons
-have to dose a larger amount of fluid than 2part
-alk/cal are in the same solution so -no way to raise one level without raising the other

2part Pros
-can dose seperate solution amount for alk & cal to raise each independantly.
-concentrated solution so it takes less to dose to check levels up.

2part Cons:
-PH swings from day and nite


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[Dowtish]

With your current amount of demand which is very minimal, you can maintain all your levels with with kalk. Kalk is much cheaper than 2 part, and its like crack for SPS. I'm telling you, once I added the kalk to my system my acros exploded with growth. If you ever saw Bart's 185 at its peak you know he had some amazing colonies, and all he ever did is what Luis described. He dumped a cup of kalk into a brute and let it top off and just set his controller to stop dosing it once his ph was above 8.5. He swears by this method.

 

[poolkeeper1]

None of your demand makes sense to me, After seeing your tank that has been set up for quite some time and is stocked with more coral than my new tank is (just over 2 months) yet you have very little demand to maintain them while i am already using 50ml of 2 part daily to keep my Alk@ 8KH with around 20 or so small SPS Pcs and a total of 50 different mushrooms,zoas,chalices,sps Etc.
My Current levels
PH 8.0- 8.2
Alk 8
Ca 450
Po4 0.00
Nitrate Undetectable
Are you sure your test kits are accurate and your procedures correct in the way you are testing ? Are they outdated ? What brands ? How Often you Test ?
Just seems odd that you have so little demand in your system and IMO something in your testing is amiss.
Not anything more than trying to help not criticize
Bill!!

 

[greg0385]

I agree Bill, something doesnt add up to the demand vs the amount of acros i have. They arent using alk/cal so they arent growing.

Test kits- i think im using them correctly but maybe not.
Alk-hannah checker, brand new reagent
Cal-salifert, bought new 2months ago
Mag-salifert, bought new 2 months ago
Phosphate- hannah checker ppm, new reagent i should get today
PH- pinpoint monitor- new probe and calibrated with 7 &10 solution

I dont have the room or the quality of house(rent) to have a club meeting, but once i get the par meter. I will pay for a small group of people(mtrc members) gas and buy them lunch if needed to come down and do a 100% check of my system. From testing all the params, adjusting flow, testing par, EVERYTHING!!
I really truly dont understand what the issue is, so im asking for all the help i can get.

ONCE AGAIN I REALLY DO APRRECIATE ALL THE ADIVCE EVERYBODY HAS GIVEN.

PLEASE DONT STOP WITH SUGGESTIONS!!
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