280g FOWLR Tank Diary

kylev

kylev

Member
Anybody know whats going on with this purple montipora cap in the center where it's white? It still has polyps out everywhere including the white spot. At first I was just thinking it was growing there but the white seems to have gotten bigger. I'm paying closer attention to it now
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
My monti did that a little while ago, during an adjustmen in alk. I finally got my alk straightened out and over night it colored up beautifully.
 
kylev

kylev

Member
How did you manage to get your alk balanced out? I'm having a tough time getting mine where I'd like it and its getting real frustrating
 
prh123

prh123

Member
Any of these with work “if” you increase Magnesium “first”
[list type=decimal]
[*]
Kent Calcium and DKH buffer
[*]
Purple up
Coralline Gro
[/list type=decimal]
That big of a tank, if you can fund it, buy the test kit. Has to be 0 phosphates, 0 nitrates, 1.24 salinity, 78 degrees, then with magnesium which has to be added first calcium and carbonate hardness increases. You need at least the reef master test kit from API and Magnesium test kit. Coral life mentions that you have to increase Magnesium first, wait 10 minutes, then use Coralline Gro (or similar solutions),
The three people I listened to happen to add extra Magnesium to their salt water changes or mix, mentioned that’s the only thing else they increased.
DKH buffer 8-11, Calcium 400-450, Magnesium 1250-1350, Salinity 1.24, PH 8.2, Temperature 78-82,
After all that I also switched to Reef Crystals that mentioned more Magnesium and Calcium. Coralline Algae lime green, and red grows in 8 hours, purple and pink growing faster noticeable each day. (20000K and Actinic 03 4.2 watts per gallon). Clearly blue spectrum is favored by Coralline, everything else is a story.
Night and day (the results).
The PHD types explained it very well on PDF for Coralline Gro on the Red Sea web site. I also read the other PDF's for foundation products first, mentioned sequence, and then just Coralline Gro. By itself got nothing with my conditions, almost a lab, just a 10 gallon 1/2 circle mini reef, 48x-96x flow, 4.2 watts per gallon (20k and Actinic 03) 12 vs 14 hours, and right chemistry.
I use both, (purple up and Coralline Gro) once in a while after 12 hours, the "purple up" leaves a calcium film at the bottom of the tanks and power heads, which coralline grows very quickly on.
 
kylev

kylev

Member
I use reef crystals as well, my magnesium is allready high and all other levels are good except for alk and calc. I have tons of coraline growth and do use a dkh buffer.
 
prh123

prh123

Member
My assumption is since the reef master test kit is for 0 phosphates, 0 nitrates, Calcium, and Carbonate Hardness I don’t test PH or Alkalinity, or Nitrite or Ammonia. The latter is for salt water fish only, the tougher ones to achieve are for a reef.
Coralline Gro and their foundation products spelt out Magnesium level at 1250-1350, DKH buffer 8-11, Calcium 400-450, it matched the recommendation from API test kit. It's a waste of money testing Ammonia and Nitrite after your tank cycled four months ago, and the load on biological filter is the same, and so is maintenance (husbandry).

Anyway, I had to raise, test, Calcium and Carbonate Hardness together, I remember two months back Kent Calcium and DKH buffer did not raise levels without Magnesium also. Same deal with Purple up. Now, I’m doing mostly Coralline Gro and Kent Magnesium it’s a mini reef (10 gallon ½ circle), 1ML maintains ideal levels (funny).

I also can change one gallon of water and its 10%, 3-4 days a week, for the mystery elements (potassium, strontium, Iodine, trace elements) I bought them, read the instructions, I don’t want to test for them, or buy the test kits.
When I winged it the water looked the wrong color and I had to change two gallons. Not sure if that helps, I’m still surprised with Coralline Growing with low alkalinity and calcium. It’s my understanding that’s not possible, you may maintain what you have but not have much new growth. Maybe its just not considered ideal, which means it grows slowly.

In what I stated, red, green, white, coralline algae grows in eight hours at bottom of tank, on live rock you can tell the pink and purple is being maintained, looks a little thicker. (Flow 48x, 96x, surges, 12 and 14 hours 4.2 watts 20000K and Actinic 03) Ideal chemistry salinity 1.24, temp 78-82, 0 phosphates, 0 nitrates, carbonate hardness 11-12, Calcium 480, the later did not need that level so I just cover the cap or measuring cup (about 1 ml a day for ten gallons) Coralline Gro and Magnesium.

Two additives was an improvement, I'm not ever going to run 10 tests, I be there for a hour. Once a week "after" doing the same maintenance I check it (Reef Master Test kit). The other test kits I found from Red Sea but they were not cost effective.
 
prh123

prh123

Member
You are going to hurt yourself because its hard to compare products when they don’t exactly tell you everything in them. I've heard of people adding to the evaporation water for large tanks also, has to be able to mix with fresh water, and you have to circulate it.
 
kylev

kylev

Member
HELP PLZ
I mix some with my top off as well, its in a 55 gallon garbage can with a powerhead.
More problems arrising.
1. My elegance coral is kinda being a pain (picture attached)
2. Do not know what my clove polyps are doing (picture attached)
3. A new zoanthid frag seemed to kinda rot away plus an old patch is slowly diminishing doing the same thing, would something be eating them? but 95% of them are doing great
Any suggestions is much appreaciated. My alk just tested tonight right around 7-8. (it got a slight hint of yellow at 7 on an API test so I'm guessing its right close to 8) and calcium is still around 340-360. Everything else tested good. Nitrates are right around 5-7.
 
kylev

kylev

Member
The clove polyps are looking normal again but my purple monti is slowly getting worse. My alk is back up to 8 but my calc is staying around 340. I havnt seen any rise in calcium since I started dosing the 2 part buffer.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I'm not an expert on these matters, but I think if you PM Bang Guy he might be able to help you out. He has given some pretty useful water chemistry advice.
 
al&burke

al&burke

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kylev http:///forum/thread/374812/280g-fowlr-tank-diary/600#post_3405363
HELP PLZ
I mix some with my top off as well, its in a 55 gallon garbage can with a powerhead.
More problems arrising.
1. My elegance coral is kinda being a pain (picture attached)
2. Do not know what my clove polyps are doing (picture attached)
3. A new zoanthid frag seemed to kinda rot away plus an old patch is slowly diminishing doing the same thing, would something be eating them? but 95% of them are doing great
Any suggestions is much appreaciated. My alk just tested tonight right around 7-8. (it got a slight hint of yellow at 7 on an API test so I'm guessing its right close to 8) and calcium is still around 340-360. Everything else tested good. Nitrates are right around 5-7.

Sorry - What I do works for me - my system is not as big as yours. I think you have to give it some time as you probably know. Good luck I wish I could be more help.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I read through some of this but please excuse me if I can't read through all 31 pages. This is quite the thread

Can you list a few things for me please?
Waterflow (what equipment are you using for waterflow in the tank?)
Phosphate (I'll assume near zero)
Magnesium
Calcium
Alkalinity
Please do the element tests BEFORE you do any tank maintenance, not after.
PH both early morning and just after lights out.
Tell me your procedure for mixing saltwater, in excruciating detail, from start to finish.
I need a complete list of all additives including how much, the method of addition, how often, and why you add them.
Salinity
Water temp range
 
kylev

kylev

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/374812/280g-fowlr-tank-diary/600#post_3406479
I read through some of this but please excuse me if I can't read through all 31 pages. This is quite the thread

Can you list a few things for me please?
Waterflow (what equipment are you using for waterflow in the tank?)
Phosphate (I'll assume near zero)
Magnesium
Calcium
Alkalinity
Please do the element tests BEFORE you do any tank maintenance, not after.
PH both early morning and just after lights out.
Tell me your procedure for mixing saltwater, in excruciating detail, from start to finish.
I need a complete list of all additives including how much, the method of addition, how often, and why you add them.
Salinity
Water temp range
Waterflow- (4) MP40's plus the a 1700gph external pump
Phosphate- 0
Magnesium-Tested last on 8/4 at 1440
Calcium-Today at 340 (this is causing me a lot of headache it used to always test around 460 and now I can't get it to raise at all)
Alk-Today at 7-8 (it showed a slight hint of color change after 7 drops on a API test but fully changed after 8)
PH-currently is 8.6 in the evening and in the morning is around 8.3 ( I use a controller and check it morning and evening daily)
Salinity- 1.025
Water temp range-79-81
Mixing salt procedure- I fill a 55 gallon garbage can with r/o water with a built in TDS meter that has never read anything but 0. Then I add I/O reef crystal salt mixture until I reach 1.025 sometimes this process takes a day or two cause I usually check and adjust as I walked through the garage. After the correct level has reach the salt mixes at least 18 hrs before being used. The garbage can has a power head for flow and a heater to bring the water to temp.
My Current additives are
Kent Superbuffer DKH- I add a couple tablespoons to my ATO water, which is another 55g garbage can with a powerhead, I also dose the whole tank roughly once a week during water changes or as the PH is low. But lately my PH has been creeping on the higher side cause I'm trying to get the Alk up there but yet balance everything out
B-Ionic 2 Part Calcium buffer- I've been testing and dosing this for about a week. The calcium level has stayed steady between 320 and 340. I started dosing 2.5 ounces and have dosed up to 6 ounces of each component with no sign of calcium rise.
Marine Snow/DT's- I dose 6 ounces of each about twice a week.
I thaw and strain all the food I feed which is; spirulina, krill, silversides, squid, and ocean nutrition 1,2,3.
I typically do a 30-40g water change roughly every 5 days.
My lights are two 6x54 ATI powermodules
I will test everything above tomorrow when I am off of work just thought I'd post my recent results now to see if it would help. Thanks a lot Bang Guy for the help and time it is much appreciated cause I'm at a loss right now lol. I'm close to buying a calcium reactor.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Mixing water -
Do you stir the water while you're adding the salt or do you dump a bunch of salt in and let the powerhead mix it?
Is the water cold or heated to temp when you add the salt?
What are the Ca and ALK readings of your saltwater after it's all mixed, warmed, and ready to use?
Calcium -
How many corals do you have in the tank?
It is possible that the reason you're having trouble keeping up with ALK and Calcium is that your corals are consuming the ALK and Calcium faster than you are dosing it. A calcium reactor will turn that around and it may be cheaper in the long run than using B-Ionic. I think B-Ionic is a fine product but it is expensive when you have a large tank.
PH -
PH above 8.4 will make it difficult to maintain Calcium and Alkalinity.
Topoff -
Have you ever considered topping off with limewater? That's not going to help your high PH but it will add Alkalinity and Calcium simultaneously.
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I have a question (which may or may not be relevant) do PH probes have to be periodically calibrated?
 
kylev

kylev

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///forum/thread/374812/280g-fowlr-tank-diary/600#post_3406677
Mixing water -
Do you stir the water while you're adding the salt or do you dump a bunch of salt in and let the powerhead mix it?
Is the water cold or heated to temp when you add the salt?
What are the Ca and ALK readings of your saltwater after it's all mixed, warmed, and ready to use?
Calcium -
How many corals do you have in the tank?
It is possible that the reason you're having trouble keeping up with ALK and Calcium is that your corals are consuming the ALK and Calcium faster than you are dosing it. A calcium reactor will turn that around and it may be cheaper in the long run than using B-Ionic. I think B-Ionic is a fine product but it is expensive when you have a large tank.
PH -
PH above 8.4 will make it difficult to maintain Calcium and Alkalinity.
Topoff -
Have you ever considered topping off with limewater? That's not going to help your high PH but it will add Alkalinity and Calcium simultaneously.
Mixing- I just pour the salt in and let the power head do the mixing, but I probabley do this 3-4 times so the salt isnt added all at once. The water is at 80 degrees when the salt is added. The water just tested at alk 8 and calcium 380 but the salinity was a touch low at 1.022 so I added some more.
Calcium-
Corals are (I should have a full list allready but I havnt been writing it down)
-17 frags with a couple good sized pieces of a variety of sps
-2 small maxima clams, one 4" and two squamosa's one about 6" and the other 4"
-4 brains
-frogspawn
-torch
-dendro
-duncans
-blastoids
-elegance
-trumpet
-two acan colonies
-donut coral
-war coral
-tons of mushrooms and zoanthids and assorted leathers.
I have thought quite a bit about the corals consuming all the calcium but I figured I'd see some rise from the dosing plus I've skipped a couple days here and there to see what the following day would test like and it stays pretty constant.
I havn't ever heard of topping off with limewater but I am very interested. Would this be the same stuff that humans use as a supplement? I would like to try this and then potentially get a calcium reactor in the next week or so. Any reconmendations?
Thanks again for all the help
P.S. I no longer have an achilles tang showing up tomorrow, I got a call from swf today and the fish is no longer with us
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
It's not going to make much difference but I think it will help a little if you mix your new saltwater using cold water and stir it up vigerously while slowly pouring in the salt. The idea is to mix it as fast as possible and then use the powerhead to equalize the gasses with the air. Calcium and Carbonate (ALK) dissolve better in cold water.
Limewater is commonly called Kalk or kalkwasser (German for limewater). I'd suggest 1/2 tablespoon of lime per gallon of RO water to start with. You can go up to 1.5 tablespoons per gallon if needed. You can't oversaturate since only so much lime will dissolve in water.
How much water does your ATO add at a time? Limewater should be added slowly for maximum effectiveness and can cause a PH spike if it's added too fast. It's ideal for a large tank like yours and is even more beneficial when use with a calcium reactor.
There are quite a few threads on limewater and you'll want to read up before jumping in. Dr Randy Holmes Farley wrote an online article called "What your grandmother never told you about lime", it's an excellent read. You can also search for KALK or Kalkwasser.
Sorry about the Tang
 
kylev

kylev

Member
I'll take your advice on the water mixing and start reading into using some kalkwasser in my ATO water and I do think I'm gonna start looking into a calcium reactor also. I'd say my ATO puts in about a .75-1gallon at a time, 1.5 max.
Thanks
 
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