SPS healthy or starting to have an issue?

ScottB

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Thanks for the input.

I did some overall cleaning today, pulled some rock out to srub algae and cyno off and then back in. I did restart my GFO reactor about 3 days ago so I'll look at the PO4 to see if I get a slow drop, I'm thinking if I could get to a .18-.21 I'd be in better shape?

I think that ALK is a bit high at 9.5 but not sure how I can pull that down slowly. I can try reducing my kalk dose but then my PH is going to drop as well?

Yeah just go slow and steady on the GFO or you could end up with dinos. Been there and it ain't a fun place.

For PO4, I keep around .1 nowadays, but used to run half that. I don't have algae issues, and my acros prefer the higher levels a bit. I've never run pellets, but they must be an affective NO3 consumer. I keep nitrate around 10, and ALK around 8ish. These are common figures for the coral vendors I deal with; keeps the acclimations smoother I believe.

If you have a home that traps CO2 (which lowers pH) run an airline to the outdoors. Might be able to get off the kalk that way. If you are able to keep 7.8 or better, I would not sweat it too much. I've been through a lot to try and raise my pH, but honestly, my corals can't really tell the difference. My range (with CO2 scrubber hooked to skimmer) is 7.8-8.15.

What dkh does your salt mix to? Again, 9.5 is not bad as long as it stays consistent.
 

hyeclass

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I'm relatively new to SPS but not corals in general. I've got two different SPS a Grine Slimer and Starry night. The Stary night seems to be doing well and for a good while so was this Green Slimer, but in the past few weeks, I notice that a couple of the tips looked red like they had cyno on them? I am battling some cyno on my sand bed and a bit around on my liverock.

Setup and Parms
90g DT, 25g sump
Current LED combined with 2 T5 39w with ATI Blue and Coral Plus

Parms
Salinity =1.025
Temp = 78.4-79.2
PH = 8.05-8.2
KH = 9
CA = 440
MG = 1340
NO3 = 0
PO4 = 0

I've included a couple of pictures that I hope you can see the red color on the tips of a couple of the branches. There is new growth as well so I didn't' think things were terrible. But really want to figure out if I have an issue. This morning I dipped this coral in CoralRx for about 15 minutes to see if that would help.

Close-up.PNG


IMG_5770.jpg IMG_5771.jpg

So hard to keep this parameters perfect my Corlas are dieing

4A250AD2-EF1A-498E-8B55-CB8E76083AF7.jpeg 6B388126-E6E1-4099-AD2A-549CB7D9807F.jpeg
 

hyeclass

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So I did a quick test this morning on ALK and it is higher than just a few days ago. I'm still dosing kalk as always no change there, but I'm wondering if by shutting down the biopellets that has caused the AlK to go up? It's gone up to about 10 now.

6DF2031F-C27D-4706-8E43-8FBFDD855C73.png CF59B81B-17D4-4D09-BA02-4A32FD06A060.png F153F9B9-E9B6-4F09-87E6-E519AA4592B8.png
 
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Dolfan-Mike

Dolfan-Mike

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Yeah just go slow and steady on the GFO or you could end up with dinos. Been there and it ain't a fun place.

For PO4, I keep around .1 nowadays, but used to run half that. I don't have algae issues, and my acros prefer the higher levels a bit. I've never run pellets, but they must be an affective NO3 consumer. I keep nitrate around 10, and ALK around 8ish. These are common figures for the coral vendors I deal with; keeps the acclimations smoother I believe.

If you have a home that traps CO2 (which lowers pH) run an airline to the outdoors. Might be able to get off the kalk that way. If you are able to keep 7.8 or better, I would not sweat it too much. I've been through a lot to try and raise my pH, but honestly, my corals can't really tell the difference. My range (with CO2 scrubber hooked to skimmer) is 7.8-8.15.

What dkh does your salt mix to? Again, 9.5 is not bad as long as it stays consistent.

I've thought about trying to get outside air but given where my sump is it may not be easy for me. You mention getting off the kalk, but why would that be a good path? Kalk is doing a good job to maintain my calcium. One thing I have started to do is to mix my kalk less strong as I don't need to raise only need to maintain. But it does seem like the kalk might be keeping my Alk a bit too high.

I'm not sure of my salt mix DKH, I've not tested that lately.
 

ScottB

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I've thought about trying to get outside air but given where my sump is it may not be easy for me. You mention getting off the kalk, but why would that be a good path? Kalk is doing a good job to maintain my calcium. One thing I have started to do is to mix my kalk less strong as I don't need to raise only need to maintain. But it does seem like the kalk might be keeping my Alk a bit too high.

I'm not sure of my salt mix DKH, I've not tested that lately.

If you wanted to lower your ALK, then dropping kalk is a way of doing so. I run ESV two part on one system, and a big calcium reactor on the other. I have never run kalk. I have nothing against it, just no experience with it.
 

hyeclass

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I've thought about trying to get outside air but given where my sump is it may not be easy for me. You mention getting off the kalk, but why would that be a good path? Kalk is doing a good job to maintain my calcium. One thing I have started to do is to mix my kalk less strong as I don't need to raise only need to maintain. But it does seem like the kalk might be keeping my Alk a bit too high.

I'm not sure of my salt mix DKH, I've not tested that lately.

hook outside air to your skimmers best you can do
 
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Dolfan-Mike

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Well I start my GFO back up about 4 days ago and now the PO4 is at .10 so I'm thinking that is fine if I can keep that there. I think the next step would be the outside air to the skimer but that will take a bit , I have an event all weekend so unless cancelled that will wait.

I also, did a good amount of scrubbing off GHA off of some liverock on Saturday, not sure if that contributed to the drop, wouldn't think so.

I think I can probably dial my kalk back just a bit to try and pull the ALK down a bit.
 
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Dolfan-Mike

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I've tested my ALK levels over the last week and with a slightly lower dose schedule of kalk my level seems to now be settled at 8.8. I've measured at that level over a 5 day period and I would think this is a pretty good place to be on ALK.

But this coral is deteriorating at a fast pace. I'll post pics but I'm afraid this is a losing battle.
 
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Dolfan-Mike

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Picture from today, the lower section has receded so much from where it was months ago! Still hoping to salvage this. I've got some plugs to be delivered tomorrow and was considering to frag the best sections off? Not sure that will help

IMG_5830.jpg
 

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