Params Keep Dipping

[Wandering Albatross]

Morning all, I'm having a bit of a fight right now and thought maybe someone could offer ideas. Been dealing with gha lately, which is unsightly but fine, as I used it to fight dinos. I've since been trying to lower my nutrients slightly to starve the gha out, and the dinos are now trying to come back. I've been adding bacteria for days now, live phyto, and I recently added more pods, though that was for my pod eaters more than anything. Running skimmer near constantly again trying to bring stuff down, when the dinos started showing up. My alk has been running low and so is ph, and I can't imagine that's helping.

Current parameters (as tested today)

Nitrate 2-5
Phos .08-.1
Ph 7.6
Alk 5
Temp 78
Sal 1.026 (leaning towards 1.025)
Tank 150g (probably 170-175 total volume)

All fish are totally fine, snails are hit and miss but shrimps and crabs are fine, clam is doing okay, but only 2 corals have survived, a toadstool and a whisker. Even my favia that was colored up and doing well started stn a day or so ago and I can't stop it. Of course, I'm trying to beat back both algae's, but I can't seem to keep alk high, even dosing kalkwasser daily. I've got a gallon pitcher of it made up now, how much is needed to raise my alk to 8-9? Is there anything else I could be doing to help boost alk or ph, or keep it from dropping as much? Running skimmer more or less? More surface agitation? Reducing lights that I had up for corals that kept not making it? Dosing something else, or adding media? Thoughts?

This is really frustrating you guys, this is meant to be a reef tank, and the fish would look so much better swimming through coral branches. I know the tank isn't at the 6m mark yet, but there has to be something I can do to stabilize these again. I don't want to give up on coral, but its expensive getting it shipped here, just to lose it.

 

[eggie]

I wouldn't lower it. I would look in my RO water, your parameters look fine lowering it would worst it. I have 20 Nitrates with no algae issues and clean sand. try adding a fox face that could control the algea and reduce on feeding if your heavy feeding

 

[KronicReefer]

Hey take this with a grain of salt as im sure someone with more knowledge may have a different opinion. Dose sodium bicarb to raise your dKh. Look into bolus. Whatever your alk source(s) are theyre not enough. Phosphates are within range however nitrates are low for that range you are in. 8-10+ nitrates would be a more appropriate ratio. Losing life suck sorry to hear that. Focus on stabilizing alk and pH should follow.

 

[KronicReefer]

If your concerned your water is compromised an icp test would tell you alot

 

[Wandering Albatross]

It was much higher before, this is actually the lower side for nitrate and phosphate. I have a couple tominis that barely touch anything and 3 blennies, maybe 4. I feed 3x a day because of the amount of fish I have, I’d worry about everyone getting enough if I cut it back much more. What about the alk though?

 

[KronicReefer]

Are you using only kalk for your alk?

 

[Wandering Albatross]

If your concerned your water is compromised an icp test would tell you alot

What’s the turn around time on those?

 

[KronicReefer]

If your concerned your water is compromised an icp test would tell you alot

What’s the turn around time on those?

Week or so through fauna marin

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Are you using only kalk for your alk?

Kalk mainly, and there may be a little in the microbelift all in one supplement, though it’s mainly cal, mag, and trace elements.

 

[KronicReefer]

What is your Ca and Mg testing at

 

[CHSUB]

Trying to dial in inorganic nutrients based on highly inaccurate hobby testing is a “fools errand”. Reef tanks naturally more towards excess nutrients, that is why we use filters and do WC. Dosing more kalk at night with a dosing pump will solve all your problems, I dose nearly all make up water with fully saturated kalk. It keeps ph up and binds po4. You can correct Alk with a WC or some baking soda and dose kalk to maintain levels.

 

[eggie]

It was much higher before, this is actually the lower side for nitrate and phosphate. I have a couple tominis that barely touch anything and 3 blennies, maybe 4. I feed 3x a day because of the amount of fish I have, I’d worry about everyone getting enough if I cut it back much more. What about the alk though?

Your Alk is low but that has no effect on the Algae problem but it could affect your corals

 

[CHSUB]

Your Alk is low but that has no effect on the Algae problem but it could affect your corals

Julian Sprung says one of the best ways to control nuisance algae is to evaluate pH and Alk by using Kalk, which also binds po4 a fuel for algae.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Your Alk is low but that has no effect on the Algae problem but it could affect your corals

I’m most interested in things being coral friendly, the algae much as it sucks, I can rip out until coralline gets going to help crowd it out.

 

[eggie]

Julian Sprung says one of the best ways to control nuisance algae is to evaluate pH and Alk by using Kalk, which also binds po4 a fuel for algae.

There is no relation he already uses Kalk and stillmanage to have Algae . Finding the source thats fueling the algae which could be the RO water source, to much feeding or not to much flow in the tank are the things that could cause the algae to grow

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Trying to dial in inorganic nutrients based on highly inaccurate hobby testing is a “fools errand”. Reef tanks naturally more towards excess nutrients, that is why we use filters and do WC. Dosing more kalk at night with a dosing pump will solve all your problems, I dose nearly all make up water with fully saturated kalk. It keeps ph up and binds po4. You can correct Alk with a WC or some baking soda and dose kalk to maintain levels.

I currently top off daily by hand, can I do that using RODI saturated kalk? Would a gallon or so in the sump swing it to fast, or will I need to spread it out throughout the day until my auto topoff is set up?

 

[eggie]

I’m most interested in things being coral friendly, the algae much as it sucks, I can rip out until coralline gets going to help crowd it out.

Like I said the Alkalinty level that low is affecting your corals as well as low Nitrates to low will sink and Dinos will come back. Bring the Nirates up and Alk And keep them steady

 

[KronicReefer]

Im assuming your coral livestock has mostly diminished. So your demand for alk,Ca and Mg will be much less. I would abandon the kalk and stabilize your water before doing anything else. I would use two part balling from fauna or tropic marin. As well as a Mg supplement if you notice that falling out of your range. Water changes will indeed help correct your imbalance but will not alone be enough. Once your alk is closer to sea water 7.5 let the water stabilize. Monitor your parametes as much as you feel necessary. pH should rise with the balance of alkalinity.

 

[Wandering Albatross]

Im assuming your coral livestock has mostly diminished. So your demand for alk,Ca and Mg will be much less. I would abandon the kalk and stabilize your water before doing anything else. I would use two part balling from fauna or tropic marin. As well as a Mg supplement if you notice that falling out of your range. Water changes will indeed help correct your imbalance but will not alone be enough. Once your alk is closer to sea water 7.5 let the water stabilize. Monitor your parametes as much as you feel necessary. pH should rise with the balance of alkalinity.

The whole reason I was using kalk in the first place was to raise alk… are you saying it’s worthless for this purpose..?

 

[KronicReefer]

Im assuming your coral livestock has mostly diminished. So your demand for alk,Ca and Mg will be much less. I would abandon the kalk and stabilize your water before doing anything else. I would use two part balling from fauna or tropic marin. As well as a Mg supplement if you notice that falling out of your range. Water changes will indeed help correct your imbalance but will not alone be enough. Once your alk is closer to sea water 7.5 let the water stabilize. Monitor your parametes as much as you feel necessary. pH should rise with the balance of alkalinity.

The whole reason I was using kalk in the first place was to raise alk… are you saying it’s worthless for this purpose..?

Im saying there are more effective ways to raise your dKh and have them stay level than using kalk for your situation. If you had a dosing pump or an ato that was constantly dosing kalkwasser then yes you could have stable alk. Like i said first post some people will disagree this is just how i would confront your situation personally.