Trying to get stabilise KH, think it may be affecting sps frags

[PaulE61]

Hi
I've a waterbox 60.2 been running for a year now, until recently I just did water changes and dosed Red Sea NoPox & reef energy plus.
apart from the first 4 months the phosphate and nitrate have both been pretty high ranging from average Phos 0.55 and Nitrate 48ppm without any apparent ill effects, so I decided to stop the NoPox as it didn't appear to be doing anything, but during a weekly test noticed the KH had dropped from 8.8 - 9.2 to 7.2 so I started dosing Red Sea KH/Alk to get back to 8.8 and I also started running GFO to lower the Phosphate, the problem is The 3 sps frags I had have or are in the process of bleaching, was wondering if its because of the dosing?, I recently added a small toadstool could this be the problem.


Params yesterday at 9pm
salinity - 35ppt
PH - 8.0
Calcium - 430
KH - 8.4
Phosphate - 0.39
Nitrate - 49.4

 

[Devisissy]

Hi
I've a waterbox 60.2 been running for a year now, until recently I just did water changes and dosed Red Sea NoPox & reef energy plus.
apart from the first 4 months the phosphate and nitrate have both been pretty high ranging from average Phos 0.55 and Nitrate 48ppm without any apparent ill effects, so I decided to stop the NoPox as it didn't appear to be doing anything, but during a weekly test noticed the KH had dropped from 8.8 - 9.2 to 7.2 so I started dosing Red Sea KH/Alk to get back to 8.8 and I also started running GFO to lower the Phosphate, the problem is The 3 sps frags I had have or are in the process of bleaching, was wondering if its because of the dosing?, I recently added a small toadstool could this be the problem.


Params yesterday at 9pm
salinity - 35ppt
PH - 8.0
Calcium - 430
KH - 8.4
Phosphate - 0.39
Nitrate - 49.4

You are making a lot of changes in quick success think you are doing more harm than good.

 

[PaulE61]

You are making a lot of changes in quick success think you are doing more harm than good.

Thank you for the reply
I made these changes over several weeks, and only small changes, what sort of timeframe would you suggest to raise the KH, the red sea KH says no more than 1dkh per day, I'm dosing 3ml a day to maintain it at about 8 - 8.2

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The alk at the moment is fine and I doubt the alk change was the issue.

How long did you have those frags?

 

[PaulE61]

Since mid August last year

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure what the issue is. Sometimes we never know, but I would not assume it was the alk changes.

 

[BAMatter]

How is lighting, flow, and most importantly what has alk been testing at as a trend? You said water changes? How many, how large? Same salt as always? Did salinity match your tank water? Lots of variables for SPS, hard to blame it on a single alk reading, however.

 

[PaulE61]

I'm not sure what the issue is. Sometimes we never know, but I would not assume it was the alk changes.

I recently added a toadstool, and only just found out they give off toxins, I've had 2 Kenya trees for 10 months, I knew about the toxins but they didn't seem to affect anything all softies and euphillia are fine, as were the monti's and stylo, is it possible the toadstool toxin is the problem?.
Btw I run 200gms of activated charcoal which I change once a month.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I recently added a toadstool, and only just found out they give off toxins, I've had 2 Kenya trees for 10 months, I knew about the toxins but they didn't seem to affect anything all softies and euphillia are fine, as were the monti's and stylo, is it possible the toadstool toxin is the problem?.
Btw I run 200gms of activated charcoal which I change once a month.

It's possible, but probably unlikely if you are also using GAC. Wouldn't hurt to change it after 2 weeks and see if anything is better.

 

[PaulE61]

It's possible, but probably unlikely if you are also using GAC. Wouldn't hurt to change it after 2 weeks and see if anything is better.

It's possible, but probably unlikely if you are also using GAC. Wouldn't hurt to change it after 2 weeks and see if anything is better.

Thank you I will give it a try

 

[PaulE61]

How is lighting, flow, and most importantly what has alk been testing at as a trend? You said water changes? How many, how large? Same salt as always? Did salinity match your tank water? Lots of variables for SPS, hard to blame it on a single alk reading, however.

lighting & Flow unchanged, water changes last 2 months 20% weekly.
I've attached my spreadsheet, if you can see anything in it, (apart from Nitrate and Phos) I would appreciate the feedback

 

[BAMatter]

lighting & Flow unchanged, water changes last 2 months 20% weekly.
I've attached my spreadsheet, if you can see anything in it, (apart from Nitrate and Phos) I would appreciate the feedback

Your alk is bouncing a bit. Most notably end of Dec… the 6.7 up to 9.3 “might” have been an event. Did something happen that you noticed? Mag is low historically. What and how do you dose?

Though Randy said it’s likely not the alk, so I’d run with that.

What lights and setting, and what pumps?

Any pics of the corals?