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tank is struggling

post #1 of 17
1/1/11 at 7:39am
Thread Starter 

I am having some trouble with my tank.

here are some of the latest things happening

my mushroom corals are shrinking , a frag I bought a month a ago will no open ( it was open for 2 weeks now nothing}

I also got a star polyp will not open

I have had some test done at the store, ( I feel very good with these guys have been dealing with them for years)  they checked magnesium fine ( don't know the # ) they checked for phosphate nothing salinity was fine I tested for nitrate nothing I tested alk fine the only thing out of wack is PH was 8.5 I have done 2 water changes 20 & a 15 calcium is around 400 (trying to get it up just a little)

I have not changed anything I do in the way of mantince. the lfs wants me to check my bulbs ( I changed them back in 5/06/10)

I even checked my water I was making for the water change  seems fine

is there any thing i am missing

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post #2 of 17
1/1/11 at 7:47am

if your cal is 400 and ph is 8.5 (on the high side) then alc is off and not fine as they said or are you dosing

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post #3 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:00am
Thread Starter 



according to the test kit i have for alk it is right in the fine side.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IBEW41 View Post

if your cal is 400 and ph is 8.5 (on the high side) then alc is off and not fine as they said or are you dosing

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post #4 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:03am

wave.gif

 

Was this a new tank? If not the previous owners may have used copper. I'm just tossing ideas out here.

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post #5 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 


no this is my tank of 3 years
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower View Post

wave.gif

 

Was this a new tank? If not the previous owners may have used copper. I'm just tossing ideas out here.

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post #6 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:11am
Thread Starter 

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post #7 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:34am

Have you got any new live within the last six months??? or used sand???

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post #8 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:51am
Thread Starter 



added a new fish but that was after QT

Quote:
Originally Posted by fish are good View Post

Have you got any new live within the last six months??? or used sand???

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post #9 of 17
1/1/11 at 8:54am

wave.gif

 

The last picture shows a baby mushroom..how old is that picture? I do see the shriveled up one, is that the same one as in the last picture?

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post #10 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:01am

ok what i was thinking was copper but if the only thin you added was a fish then it shouldnt be that. something i would recomend it to buy a poly-pad poly-filter they are amazing you pit it in the water and it will change colors to what you have, blue is copper and brown is just waste and fish poop but it also tests for a bunch of other stuff and it removes large amounts of what ever is in the water
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by u mike View Post



added a new fish but that was after QT

Quote:
Originally Posted by fish are good View Post

Have you got any new live within the last six months??? or used sand???


 
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post #11 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:18am
Thread Starter 


the baby mushroom is about 1 month old the larger mushroom is about 1 year old, the shriveled up pic is the most recent pics of my problem.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower View Post

wave.gif

 

The last picture shows a baby mushroom..how old is that picture? I do see the shriveled up one, is that the same one as in the last picture?

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post #12 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:25am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by u mike View Post



according to the test kit i have for alk it is right in the fine side.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IBEW41 View Post

if your cal is 400 and ph is 8.5 (on the high side) then alc is off and not fine as they said or are you dosing


 


pH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are all intertwined. If you pH is 8.5 and your Ca is 400, something is wrong.

How old are your test kits and what are your Magnesium and Alkalinity readings?

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post #13 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:27am

wave.gif

 

Okay...I asked because if the baby was new then you had some happy life going on. Time to double check everything...You chcked your water and that isn't the problem...

 

So time to check out everything else:

  • The heater, too hot or too cold?
  • Stray voltage (you need a cheap reader to test it)
  • Do you have any Hair algae or other nuisence algae at all, if so  go ahead and change the bulbs.
  • Do a copper test..maybe there is a stray penny ( it happened to a friend of mine)
  • Have you checked for ammonia?
  • Do you feed your coral?
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post #14 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 


the alk test  that I have reads like this 1.7 to 2.8  as normal i fall right in the middle when i test,  the mag reading was done at the fish store dont remember what they said it was. they  said it came back fine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef View Post


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by u mike View Post



according to the test kit i have for alk it is right in the fine side.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IBEW41 View Post

if your cal is 400 and ph is 8.5 (on the high side) then alc is off and not fine as they said or are you dosing


 


pH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are all intertwined. If you pH is 8.5 and your Ca is 400, something is wrong.

How old are your test kits and what are your Magnesium and Alkalinity readings?

Reply
post #15 of 17
1/1/11 at 10:03am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by u mike View Post


the alk test  that I have reads like this 1.7 to 2.8  as normal i fall right in the middle when i test,  the mag reading was done at the fish store dont remember what they said it was. they  said it came back fine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef View Post


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by u mike View Post



according to the test kit i have for alk it is right in the fine side.

Quote:
Originally Posted by IBEW41 View Post

if your cal is 400 and ph is 8.5 (on the high side) then alc is off and not fine as they said or are you dosing


 


pH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium are all intertwined. If you pH is 8.5 and your Ca is 400, something is wrong.

How old are your test kits and what are your Magnesium and Alkalinity readings?


 


Ok, what I'm trying to say is they are all relavtive. Ex, if you're Ca is 400, alk should read around 2, so yes, there you are good. But then you have a high pH reading of 8.5, this, IMO and IME is not good, something is effecting this.

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post #16 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:22pm

I'm in agreement with BLTDreef, the PH is definitely high, and I am really suspicious of when you say numbers check out fine.....I'd bet my next check they are out of whack as suggested.....Ca driven and high PH.....retest the Alk and Mag....What brand kits are you using?

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post #17 of 17
1/1/11 at 9:53pm

Also, check the expiration dates of everything purchased. I have been to several LFS's in the area, and have found multiple expired products available for sale.

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