ReefKeeper666
Active Member
Hi. So I know my question is probably a broad subject. So I will start with some background. as well as what my issue is to see if someone can help me key in.
background: I’ve had my tank about a year and a half. It is my first tank. It’s a 55 gallon 2nd hand tank. I have a refugium style filter with live chaeto on one side and live rock and a carbon bag on the other. I have 2 jaebo wave makers one on each side of the tank. My lights have just been up graded to AI 32 HDs 2 months ago.
my tank is a mix of softies And LPS(mostly) 3 SPS corals(birds nest, burning banan, and a plante type one with a bunch of tiny lil polyps) and 4 encrusting type corals. All corals including the SPS corals are doing well. But my 4 encrusting corals are not(they are 2 favias, a montiporia, and one I don’t remember the name of but it’s a bright orange yellowish color). The problem is these 4 pieces are turning purple on 3 of them and the one favia has black spot at the top and white spots on other parts of it. I first thought my issue was phosphates but I changed from feeding frozen food and do weekly water changes. My phosphates now seem to be in check right around 0.025-0.030.
But my alkalinty seems to climb during the week.if I check my ALK about 24 hours after a water change On Saturday AM I’m getting 7 usually sometimes 8(Sunday AM).But if I check daily the number rises for 7/8 to up 10/11 by By Thursday. I’m really beginning to think this alkalinity upswing is what’s affecting my encrusting corals.
so the question is what can I do(what do I need to invest in) to keep my alkalinity consistently on one number?
thanks for listening.
background: I’ve had my tank about a year and a half. It is my first tank. It’s a 55 gallon 2nd hand tank. I have a refugium style filter with live chaeto on one side and live rock and a carbon bag on the other. I have 2 jaebo wave makers one on each side of the tank. My lights have just been up graded to AI 32 HDs 2 months ago.
my tank is a mix of softies And LPS(mostly) 3 SPS corals(birds nest, burning banan, and a plante type one with a bunch of tiny lil polyps) and 4 encrusting type corals. All corals including the SPS corals are doing well. But my 4 encrusting corals are not(they are 2 favias, a montiporia, and one I don’t remember the name of but it’s a bright orange yellowish color). The problem is these 4 pieces are turning purple on 3 of them and the one favia has black spot at the top and white spots on other parts of it. I first thought my issue was phosphates but I changed from feeding frozen food and do weekly water changes. My phosphates now seem to be in check right around 0.025-0.030.
But my alkalinty seems to climb during the week.if I check my ALK about 24 hours after a water change On Saturday AM I’m getting 7 usually sometimes 8(Sunday AM).But if I check daily the number rises for 7/8 to up 10/11 by By Thursday. I’m really beginning to think this alkalinity upswing is what’s affecting my encrusting corals.
so the question is what can I do(what do I need to invest in) to keep my alkalinity consistently on one number?
thanks for listening.
