Originally Posted by Smellslikefish
I would have to get my water tested at my LFS to get specific measures. Should I do anything in the mean time to help? Would the algae bloom be effecting it in anyway?
Thanks everyone,
An algae bloom indicates excess nutrients in the water. Xenia actually prefers excess Nitrate but excess phosphate can cause trouble if it's really high.
Algae can also affect PH. It will cause PH to be higher when the lights are on and cause PH to drop a lot at night. Xenia hates fluctuating PH so that is a definately a possibility.
I don't think your problem is urgent (yet). Next time you get to the LFS buy you own test kits. Calcium, Alkalinity, PH, Phosphate are a good set to start with. If you're feeling energetic, Magnesium and Nitrate are also good.
Raise your salinity! You're below 32ppt and for Xenia the Salinity should never be below 35ppt. Raise salinity gradually by replacing evaporated water with saltwater instead of fresh water. It will climb to 35ppt in about a week or so depending on your evaporation rate. Once in the 35 - 37ppt range go back to using fresh water for topoff.