Coral problem.

[Bradley Crocker]

Fish are all good. Snail unknown. His door is closed and I haven't seen movement since yesterday morning.
Tests today...
Ph - API 8.3
Salifert 7.8
Nitrate - API 0
Salifert 25
Phosphate -1.0
Alkalinity - 14.5
Magnesium - 1140

I hate the difference between the two tests.

Triton test going out tomorrow.

The api kits are expired, aren't they? If so, you should take the salifert results as true. Nitrate is going down, so that's good. Magnesium is fine, so there goes that theory....

If the snail hasn't moved in 24 hours, then maybe you should take it out so it doesn't add to the problem.

 

[TinaMarie026]

The api kits are expired, aren't they? If so, you should take the salifert results as true. Nitrate is going down, so that's good. Magnesium is fine, so there goes that theory....

If the snail hasn't moved in 24 hours, then maybe you should take it out so it doesn't add to the problem.

The Nitrate is good to 2020, but the others are expire. I just threw them out. I'm still getting used to the salifert tests and my results would be more consistent as I do more.

 

[cmcoker]

The Nitrate is good to 2020, but the others are expire. I just threw them out. I'm still getting used to the salifert tests and my results would be more consistent as I do more.

Are you shaking the crap out of the api nitrate reagent? If not it will give a false low result

 

[TinaMarie026]

Are you shaking the crap out of the api nitrate reagent? If not it will give a false low result

I am but maybe not enough. The Salifert doesn't mention anything about shaking like the API does, but I have been anyway.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Are you shaking the crap out of the api nitrate reagent? If not it will give a false low result

I did not know that. Is it all nitrate kits, or just api, or all kits in general? I shake mine but, like salifert, the red sea kits don't say they need it.

 

[cmcoker]

I did not know that. Is it all nitrate kits, or just api, or all kits in general? I shake mine but, like salifert, the red sea kits don't say they need it.

Just the api, AFAIK.
Gotta shake it hard for a good 30 seconds

 

[nl5882]

Some of you guys got this poor person all over the place. First of all I've had 7.6 to 7.8 on my sps dominated tank with thousands of dollars worth of sps from RR, CC , etc etc etc. PH isn't her problem right this moment. PO4 is way to high, mag is to low if, you get up up to around 1350 and stabilized ur KH will thank you. PH can be due all kinds of variables, fix your MG and po4s, don't worry about anything else. Where's your triton results? Are you skimming wet or have no skimmer can't remember.

Fish are all good. Snail unknown. His door is closed and I haven't seen movement since yesterday morning.
Tests today...
Ph - API 8.3
Salifert 7.8
Nitrate - API 0
Salifert 25
Phosphate -1.0
Alkalinity - 14.5
Magnesium - 1140

I hate the difference between the two tests.

Triton test going out tomorrow.

 

[justingraham]

Ok so I read it all

How do u test ur salinity? And when is the last time u calibrated it?
Snails die fast in high salinity

Everything else seems fine to me and like the guy above me said ur chaseing something that means nothing let's hit the reset button it's something stat has been over looked.

Or it's something we have never heard of

 

[domination2580]

I've never heard of animals or inverts dying due to high phosphates. If anything they like it because it grows nuisance algae on which they feed on....so yes, phosphates are high, but it shouldn't be killing, it just should be making nuisance algaes...

 

[nl5882]

I've never heard of animals or inverts dying due to high phosphates. If anything they like it because it grows nuisance algae on which they feed on....so yes, phosphates are high, but it shouldn't be killing, it just should be making nuisance algaes...

That might be true but let's fix the big problem.

Ok so I read it all

How do u test ur salinity? And when is the last time u calibrated it?
Snails die fast in high salinity

Everything else seems fine to me and like the guy above me said ur chaseing something that means nothing let's hit the reset button it's something stat has been over looked.

Or it's something we have never heard of

Exactly......

 

[TinaMarie026]

My triton test went out in the mail today. They should have it by Thursday.
I was told to keep my salt on the high side of the scale as corals prefer that. I use a hydrometer which seems to give the same results as the LFS' s give me. Was my reading high enough to kill my snail. It is dead. Is it the same for shrimp?

 

[TinaMarie026]

Some of you guys got this poor person all over the place. First of all I've had 7.6 to 7.8 on my sps dominated tank with thousands of dollars worth of sps from RR, CC , etc etc etc. PH isn't her problem right this moment. PO4 is way to high, mag is to low if, you get up up to around 1350 and stabilized ur KH will thank you. PH can be due all kinds of variables, fix your MG and po4s, don't worry about anything else. Where's your triton results? Are you skimming wet or have no skimmer can't remember.

What's the steps I shortens to fix my Mg and PO4? More aggressive water changes or additives?

 

[TinaMarie026]

So did your tds meter show up today as well?

And you did a magnesium test last week, which looked fine, but have you retested it? Was this one of your new salifert kits, or the lfs/api? Next time you test all the other stuff, check this again just for giggles.

My TDS meter came today. I tried it in my RO and it read 31ppm. Is thst OK? My other bucket read 190, but I think there is a little salt in that one

 

[domination2580]

My TDS meter came today. I tried it in my RO and it read 31ppm. Is thst OK? My other bucket read 190, but I think there is a little salt in that one

No...it should read 0.

 

[TinaMarie026]

No...it should read 0.

Bad RO? Is that a problem?

 

[TinaMarie026]

Just thinking.... I mix my salt in the bucket of RO. When it's empty, I get it refilled, so there could be a small am out of salt in it from that.

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Bad RO? Is that a problem?

That very well could be the problem. Do you make your own, or get it from the lfs? If it's your RO system, when's the last time all your filters/membrane were replaced? Do you use ro/di, or just RO?

 

[Bradley Crocker]

Some of you guys got this poor person all over the place. First of all I've had 7.6 to 7.8 on my sps dominated tank with thousands of dollars worth of sps from RR, CC , etc etc etc. PH isn't her problem right this moment. PO4 is way to high, mag is to low if, you get up up to around 1350 and stabilized ur KH will thank you. PH can be due all kinds of variables, fix your MG and po4s, don't worry about anything else. Where's your triton results? Are you skimming wet or have no skimmer can't remember.

This is going to be long winded, even worse, not productive or helpful in any way. So I apologize to the OP and everyone who's trying to help her figure this out.

First, @nl5882, phosphate levels of 0.5 are not going to kill every invert she puts in the tank. I'm glad you got yours in check, but just because that was your problem, does not mean it's the cause of everything remotely similar.

Second, ph is an issue (at very least, a side effect of whatever is causing the problem). It was lower until her last wc, which brought it up slightly. I know 7.6-7.8 isn't highly abnormal, but with the accompanied high alkalinity, there is definitely an underlying problem that should be addressed.

Low magnesium could absolutely cause the low ph and high alk, but we're talking severely low levels in order to have this large of an impact. It's not much lower than natural seawater. If low magnesium was that big of a problem, the high alkalinity and a calcium level would cause a blizzard of precipitate in her tank. 1140 is low, for a highly dependant system, but not for one with near zero demand for it.

I can only speak for myself, maybe others will agree, maybe not, but it doesn't matter how much you've spent on coral, or where you bought them from. It's the same logic as saying "I drive a nice car, so you should listen to my mechanic advice." It's not the first time you've mentioned you're pricey collection, and I fail to see how it pertains to this thread at all.

I know parts of this are childish, but your initial comment was offensive and implies that we don't know what we're talking about and we're just giving bad advice. With how involved I have been, I take this personally, and I feel that other members should as well. The only bad advice I've seen here is telling her to ignore everything until she gets po4 and mg in check.

Everyone involved is trying to help, you included. A lot of members who have contributed to this thread are well known, reputable, and trusted members of R2R. I have not been a member for long at all, but I definitely don't lack experience and I wouldn't offer my 2 cents if I didn't feel like I could help the situation.

If po4 ends up being the cause of all this, then I will sincerely apologize, but until then, try to offer more help than just your handful of posts about your jf homewrecker and how you're positive the cause and solution is phosphates.

 

[nl5882]

Sorry you took offense to my post but her po4 is 1.0 and not .50. Get your facts right before posting. It could well be a lot higher than that. Couldn't comment on the high tds entering the system, never had that problem.

That very well could be the problem. Do you make your own, or get it from the lfs? If it's your RO system, when's the last time all your filters/membrane were replaced? Do you use ro/di, or just RO?

This could be a major part of it. And would be considered as the source of the po4 problem as I stated.

 

[TinaMarie026]

I get my RO form my LFS's I alternate between 3 sources. Should I check each with my nrw TDS meter to see which is the best supplier?