A Xenia Question

[acrylic300]

Nitrate 20 , PH 7.8-8.0,ALK 250-300, SG 1.024, Temp 80, Cal. 450.
What causes Xenia polyps to become cripled looking...then white...then dead. This starts out slow on one polyp then gains momentum as it wipes the whole coral out.
Its happening to individual pink long stemed pulsing xenias but none of the other varieties. It's not light effecting them as far as I can tell...but could be flow. It seems like the ones in higher flow areas are doing fine.

 

[jmick]

I think your PH is a little low and I’d try to bump it to 8.2-8.4.

 

[clarki]

Originally Posted by Jmick
I think your PH is a little low and I’d try to bump it to 8.2-8.4.

I agree! My ph dropped a while back and I lost all my xenias.... it took me a while to figure out what the problem was and I ended up over compensating and losing a few other things..... if you can get the ph up rather quickly without messing up anything else you'll be fine....

 

[acrylic300]

How can I raise it without raising the Alk to much? Baked Baking Soda?

 

[jmick]

I’d start by doing 10% weekly water changes to replenish your alkaline reserve (this will help keep your PH stable). Also, you may want to do some water top off’s with Kalkwasser (this will help to temporarily increase your PH and Calcium lvl). Also, you need to address why your PH is low to begin with and it may be because of excessive nutrients/die off that ate away at the reserve.

 

[acrylic300]

I guess I'll try the more fequent water change thing. I hate to add kalk because the calcium is perfect. The PH has never been over 8.0 maybe I should use Oceanic intead of IO for water changes.
If there is a good way to raise PH without effecting anything else with the exception of slightly raising ALK I would appreciate hearing about it.