Coral disappearing...

[Jakepen]

Okay so I don't actually have any coral vanishing. My tank does seem to get more bare over time, anybody else feel this way? I'll add a few pieces, and my tank looks so busy, so much coral everywhere. After a month or so, I start to only see empty space that must be filled! I do however tend to lose color. I'll get coral (lps sps) from WWC, that glow the day I put them in my tank. A week later, they don't glow like they did that first week. Any one care to take a guess why that is?

30 gallon set up for ten months
Dkh 9
Cal 420
Mag 1380
Nitrates 5ppm
PO4 undetectable (I know it's present, algae growth lately)

FTS as of now. Sorry for the poor lighting, iPhone...


Frag of some caps I got tonight

 

[Diesel]

Got to say the # you post are all in range.
What about Strontium and Potassium?

 

[Jakepen]

Got to say the # you post are all in range.
What about Strontium and Potassium?

No idea. Haven't thought to get a test for those. Kind of assumed that a quality salt would supply the right amount.

 

[Diesel]

No idea. Haven't thought to get a test for those. Kind of assumed that a quality salt would supply the right amount.

Not all the time, and your corals are using it as well, critters, coralline algae, shrimp and snails all are using some of the elements.
For you is the trick to understand how much you need to dose.
Doing that is to find out how much your tank with everything in will consume.
You have to realize that at @WWC they do top notch maintenance around the clock and all test kits will be rolled out on a daily schedule if not twice a day.
Elements will be correct as necessary and 24/7 water changes.
Only then you get your stuff looking good as you come again a step closer to the natural environment which corals like so much.

 

[Jakepen]

Not all the time, and your corals are using it as well, critters, coralline algae, shrimp and snails all are using some of the elements.
For you is the trick to understand how much you need to dose.
Doing that is to find out how much your tank with everything in will consume.
You have to realize that at @WWC they do top notch maintenance around the clock and all test kits will be rolled out on a daily schedule if not twice a day.
Elements will be correct as necessary and 24/7 water changes.
Only then you get your stuff looking good as you come again a step closer to the natural environment which corals like so much.

So wise to invest in a kit to test strontium and potassium? Possibly order those elements to dose as well?

 

[Diesel]

So wise to invest in a kit to test strontium and potassium? Possibly order those elements to dose as well?

You might as well do a triton test.
It's just wise to know where you at overall.
You spend a lot more on coral than a test will cost ya but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Since starting constant 24/7 waterchanges all my WWC frags have returned to their original vibrance. I think it's singlehandedly the most effective tool I've used in reefkeeping.

 

[andrew james]

What are those lights are you corals getting enough? I had what i thought was enough like but as i got more corals i ended up needin more light and more flow. Whats good for smaller frags sometimes isnt good for mature corals. I cranked up the last light and flow over time and while i cant grow some lps any longer my sps is going crazy.

 

[reeferfoxx]

What kind of alk/calcium consumption are you getting?
Are you auto dosing?
You may have algae growing, but it maybe be out competing your coral, or vise versa. If the latter, 9 dkh is sufficient. Otherwise, trying slowly dropping alk to 7-8dkh range.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Since starting constant 24/7 waterchanges all my WWC frags have returned to their original vibrance. I think it's singlehandedly the most effective tool I've used in reefkeeping.

What is a 24/7 water change? This sounds intriguing.

 

[Rick.45cal]

What is a 24/7 water change? This sounds intriguing.

Constant waterchanges 24 hours a day 7 days a week

 

[reeferfoxx]

Constant waterchanges 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Thru automation or in a more literal context of every minute, hour and day of the week?

 

[Rick.45cal]

I set up a DÕS for my Apex and it is set to change the equivalent of a 10% weekly waterchange. It just changes a small amount all day long. It maximizes my saltwater usage. Fresh new saltwater with fresh new elements dribbling in all day long all the time. :)

 

[reeferfoxx]

I set up a DÕS for my Apex and it is set to change the equivalent of a 10% weekly waterchange. It just changes a small amount all day long. It maximizes my saltwater usage. Fresh new saltwater with fresh new elements dribbling in all day long all the time. :)

Is the water mixed weekly or daily? Would you keep the water circulated with a pump or not? I've some what heard about auto changes but was never interested until now. Lol

 

[Rick.45cal]

Is the water mixed weekly or daily? Would you keep the water circulated with a pump or not? I've some what heard about auto changes but was never interested until now. Lol

I set up a large saltwater mixing station (150 gallon) it has a float valve that is fed by my RODI unit, I plumbed it with a very large external waterpump for mixing the actual salt. The return pipe runs back to the bottom of the container and ends with a 45 that directs the flow into a vortex so the entire container swirls in a big spiral (fun right.). Needless to say no salt can sit on the bottom. (I only run that pump when I mix the new saltwater). Then ziptied to the downpipe is an airstone and the line for the DOS (which extends with a ridgid piece of airline tubing to the very bottom of the reservoir.).

I use 16 gallons a week, so if I decide to make 100 gallon batches of saltwater at a time, then I don't have to mix saltwater for 6.25 weeks :)

Mixing saltwater for me equates to filling the vat with DI, turning the pump on, opening bags of salt and dumping them in the vat. A couple hours later I test parameters, make adjustments in ALK CA and Mg (if neccisary).

Switching the system on or off is as simple as flicking two virtual switches on my APEX dashboard.

Pretty slick, and singlehandedly the best thing I have ever done in reef keeping.

 

[reeferfoxx]

I set up a large saltwater mixing station (150 gallon) it has a float valve that is fed by my RODI unit, I plumbed it with a very large external waterpump for mixing the actual salt. The return pipe runs back to the bottom of the container and ends with a 45 that directs the flow into a vortex so the entire container swirls in a big spiral (fun right.). Needless to say no salt can sit on the bottom. (I only run that pump when I mix the new saltwater). Then ziptied to the downpipe is an airstone and the line for the DOS (which extends with a ridgid piece of airline tubing to the very bottom of the reservoir.).

I use 16 gallons a week, so if I decide to make 100 gallon batches of saltwater at a time, then I don't have to mix saltwater for 6.25 weeks :)

Mixing saltwater for me equates to filling the vat with DI, turning the pump on, opening bags of salt and dumping them in the vat. A couple hours later I test parameters, make adjustments in ALK CA and Mg (if neccisary).

Switching the system on or off is as simple as flicking two virtual switches on my APEX dashboard.

Pretty slick, and singlehandedly the best thing I have ever done in reef keeping.

I apologize if I've hijacked this thread. Thank you for explaining this to me. Sounds amazing!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Here's the reservoir/mixing container. The little legtank is DI water for top off of the main display. The mixing tank is also plumbed into the main system for adding fresh saltwater during manual waterchanges too.

I apologize if I've hijacked this thread. Thank you for explaining this to me. Sounds amazing!

You're welcome! I'm not sure you have hijacked the thread. I honestly have never seen such a rapid and dramatic change in coloration/growth with any one singular change. The amazing thing is it really only took a few days to start seeing the effects. Everything got brighter, the electric neons got even more electric. All my tiny frags all turned vibrant colors and have started going crazy in growth. It's all just a win win. It was a lot of work to get it set up, but now there is very little work involved at all. Definitely worth every cent.

The best part is the vat is full of Instant Ocean, the cheapest stuff you can get, and everything looks better than ever! :D

 

[Jakepen]

You might as well do a triton test.
It's just wise to know where you at overall.
You spend a lot more on coral than a test will cost ya but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

I've heard of a triton test, don't exactly know what it is though?

What are those lights are you corals getting enough? I had what i thought was enough like but as i got more corals i ended up needin more light and more flow. Whats good for smaller frags sometimes isnt good for mature corals. I cranked up the last light and flow over time and while i cant grow some lps any longer my sps is going crazy.

Two kessil 360s (need to get my hands on a par or lux meter, trying to see if I can borrow one locally).

What kind of alk/calcium consumption are you getting?
Are you auto dosing?
You may have algae growing, but it maybe be out competing your coral, or vise versa. If the latter, 9 dkh is sufficient. Otherwise, trying slowly dropping alk to 7-8dkh range.

Alk consumption is around 1dkh per 12 hours, I dose twice daily. Calcium I believe is around 25ppm every 12 hours.

I apologize if I've hijacked this thread. Thank you for explaining this to me. Sounds amazing!

I actually encourage thread hijacking (as long as my questions get answered first hah) the more information the better I feel.

Constant waterchanges 24 hours a day 7 days a week

This sounds awesome, unfortunately I do not have the space or resources to execute this. Is there a thread that goes more in depth on it?

 

[Rick.45cal]

There are a couple threads I have found on Reef2Reef regarding peoples Auto water change (AWC) systems. Not a whole lot.

I'd probably do a series of triton tests. Basically you order a test kit, it has two vials you fill with water you mail those to the lab in the UK, they do an ICP test to determine the atoms in the sample and then you log online to their website and get your results. ICP testing can determine very accutrately minute quanitites of elements. So most trace elements they can detect (not all but some)

 

[Jakepen]

There are a couple threads I have found on Reef2Reef regarding peoples Auto water change (AWC) systems. Not a whole lot.

I'd probably do a series of triton tests. Basically you order a test kit, it has two vials you fill with water you mail those to the lab in the UK, they do an ICP test to determine the atoms in the sample and then you log online to their website and get your results. ICP testing can determine very accutrately minute quanitites of elements. So most trace elements they can detect (not all but some)

Oh alright, thank you. Is that the wisest way to go? If I am low on certain elements and want to dose them, won't I need continuous testing to monitor the numbers?