problems UNDER DA' SEA

[Dirt4dinner]

I am having some weird stuff going on. I had a snail die about a week ago, then I noticed my green digi hasn't had normal polyp extension for a few days, another coral that is a softie is dieing off slowly also. Then to boot, my flame scallop looks as if it died today...or is on it's last leg at best! I can't figure it out. ALK is 6.8 again (down from 8.4 a day ago), calcium is at 390, nitrates read 2 ppm, nitites and ammo zero. Salinity is 1.25 and temp is always 76-77. Any ideas. Bring on the suggestions...perhaps my water is just getting old. I have only done one water change since I started the tank a long time ago. But, the reason for that is that my readings where always good. It has just slowly started getting bad. I also have a bad red algea out break again...which I had fought off for awhile.

[RWalston]

Dirt

I hope you meant Salinity is 1.025. Have you tested for magnesium. Even if you add buffer your alk will drop on a daily bases. That is why people dose everyday when they use 2 part. Mag will help reduce the rate that the alk drops. When your alk drops fast and dramatic like it is it will stress out your coral because you are loosing your pH buffer as well. Try doing a pH reading when you have your tank were you want it and one when the alk drops to 6.

Rich

[Dirt4dinner]

I have never done anything with magnesium...never tested it either. I have been dosing Kalk...but I am trying to get the dose right....maybe I am just stressing the tank out big time!

[RWalston]

dosing kalk does not raise things like you want it to it will help maintain things IMO ca more than alk. Try using a good alk buffer with mag in it. I know they sell it aqua touch because I would buy mine there all the time before I went with a ca reactor. Once you get your alk in check then use turbo ca to bring your ca up. then monitor it for a week and test every couple of days to see what type of demand you have on alk and ca then adjust your kalk drip to the demand.

[mutts]

a water change couldnt' hurt either dirt, with stuff dieing its only a matter of time before you perfect zero levels go up

[davejnz]

Flame scallops have a poor survival record in captivity so don't feel bad.Your temp is low IMO,80 degrees is much more natural to maintain a reef tank.Monitor your PH when dosing kalk,I suspect your precipitaing alk/calc.When useing kalk,start off with a weak dosage,say <1tsp per gal.I've been useing kalk for yrs,it has always maintained the big 3(alk,PH,calc) for me at idea levels.If useing a seperate alk buffer,make sure to add a balanced amount of calcium with it.1tspn of buffer is balanced by 15ml of Kents Liquid Calcium.

[Dirt4dinner]

I am using a Kent Dosing bag for Kalk, pretty slow drip, then I have been adding Kent Liquid Calcium, and Kent Pro Buffer daily to bring up the levels. I will keep a close eye on it. I am not real happy with my Kent dosing bag because I noticed that it clogs with a little tiny bit of kalkwasser paste and then the drip stops....I need to figure out a better way. I would love to do a calcium reactor, I have the room for it, but they are EXPENSIVE!

[perpetual98]

I just got a Coralife Ca reactor for a good price. The reactor isn't the most expensive part of my setup, it's the CO2 system and the pH controller. :)

[RWalston]

Just read this in the monthly reefkeeping.com

Magnesium's primary importance in reef aquaria is its interaction with the calcium and alkalinity balance. Seawater and reef aquarium water are always supersaturated with calcium carbonate. That is, the solution's calcium and carbonate levels exceed the amount that the water can hold at equilibrium. How can that be? Magnesium is a big part of the answer. Whenever calcium carbonate begins to precipitate, magnesium binds to the calcium carbonate crystals' growing surface. The magnesium effectively clogs the crystals' surface so that they no longer look like calcium carbonate, making them unable to attract more calcium and carbonate, so the precipitation stops. Without the magnesium, the abiotic (i.e. non-biological) precipitation of calcium carbonate would likely increase enough to prohibit the maintenance of calcium and alkalinity at natural levels

to read the whole article

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

[Dirt4dinner]

Flame scallop was done this morning. However the water smells much better than it did yesterday, and the corals don't look any worse.

Can magnesium be added by itself? The buffer I am using is Kent Pro...does that have magnesium in it?

[Dirt4dinner]

I just was reading the side of my salt bucket and it says in the first bullet point that it has the correct calcium and magnesium amount to simulate natural sea water....

I just retested my water and cal is at 390 and ALK is at 7.4. I added more buffer and more liquid calcium. I will check again this evening.

[RWalston]

Seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium™

Seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium™ is a concentrated (80,000 ppm) optimized blend of magnesium, chloride, and sulfate salts designed to restore depleted levels of magnesium with minimal impact to the ionic ratios found in natural sea water. Reef Advantage Magnesium™ contains no ammonia! This is a common contaminant in every liquid magnesium supplement on the market. Severely depleted levels of magnesium (below 800 mg/L) can cause depressed pH levels and an inability to maintain proper calcium levels. Magnesium depletion is commonly associated with the use of kalkwasser. 600 g treats 10,000 L (2,500 gallons).

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_additives_seachem_reef_supplements.asp?Ca rtId=

[Whoyah]

Before dosing any magnesium (or anything for that matter) I would recommend you buying a test kit. Between your salt and the other things you are dosing, you might be fine.

[at]

I use the Kent 2 part calcium + alk and 1 galon of kalk a day. My calcium levels are great 430-450 but my ph is constantly low 7.9 8.0. Could this be a magnesium situation also?

[lReef lKeeper]

good reading in the links Rich, thanx.

[Dirt4dinner]

Thanks RW, I am going to give this another week and see if I can get this kalk/ buffer/ calcium equation worked out. If I am still have trouble I will pick up a magnesium test kit and some magnesium to add to the system. I will keep you posted!

on another note...DSFDButterfly is going to be stopping by my place tomorrow to see my tank...you should get in touch with me too if you ever out in West Mesa, I like getting other people's take on it.

[davejnz]

THats a good point about MAgnesium,although i dont suspect that is what is causing your troubles.DRop me a PM Tyler about this and i can give you some ideas for a DIY kalk/auto top-off system

[lReef lKeeper]

im game for the DIY auto top off system David Jones. give me a call to talk about it. i will be home all day Sunday.

[Dirt4dinner]

I already have auto top off....it required a HOLE in my wall...so it stays! I think my system is going to work...just needs adjustments.

[lReef lKeeper]

yeah, if it requires a hole in the wall ... it stays. 100%

[RWalston]

Tyler Just do it. Buy the reactor you will never go back. I work in Tempe 48th st and University so I am out that way alot

[dakar]

Before committing huge amounts of $$$ into a calcium reactor, look around at some of the DIY routes, with minimal skills they can be built for < $100, the PH contoller and CO2 bottle/ valves are a bit more than that, but they too would be have to be purchased separately for most commercial reactors.

[davejnz]

Tyler,the auto topoff would stay the same,the only difference is you would plumb your RO line to a kalk dosing reservoir instead of to the float-valve in sump.From the kalk dosing reservoir,the limewater is gravity fed to the float valve in sump.This will require another float-valve for your kalk reservoir though.
BTW.my DIY kalk/auto top off cost $17 to do.

[Dirt4dinner]

Thanks Dave(s). I just tested my levels again and FINALLY got it to where it should be. I am going to keep toying with my present set up and see if it is going to work. If it doesn't I will have to get more creative.