bfoleyiii
Member
I have a 12g Eclipse tank:
Crushed Coral---yeah yeah I should have read more
15lb live rock
96w PC lighting (about 8" above the water)
RO water is used for top offs and water changes (water for changes is mixed and bubbled for a minimum of 12 hours and as long as 5 days depending on how long my bucket lasts)
Tank has been running for about 8 weeks
1 Perc (false)
Snails
2 Emerald Crabs
Metalic Shrooms
Marble Shrooms
Some Maroon/Dark Orange with a green eye Zoos
Xenia
The Xenia and the Marble Shrooms were added on Monday 12/6. The Shrroms (like my other Metalic shrooms and the Zoos) are doing very well. The Xenia seemed to do ok the first night and morning (Tues) I had it in there. Then Tuesday night I get a call at work from my wife that the Xenia has fallen over and looks *smooshed* --*what should I do* So I had my wife place the Xenia (attached to LR) back rightside up and in a more stable place.
Back story, when I started the tank the LFS saw me coming and I have some sized bottle of the following at home now:
Kent Pro Buffer dKH
Kent Iodine
Kent Liquid Calcium
Kent Liquid Reactor
All of which were being added to the tank (Again not enough reading) in some way. The Iodine about 3-5 drops every other night. The Pro Buffer and the Calcium at about 2 to 3 ml every other day until the purchase of the Liquid Reactor which was given at 2-3 ml every other day and the buffer and the calcium shelved.
I get home about 11:00 pm (4ish hours after my wife called) and the Xenia is still *smooshed*.
Wed morning I get up and same state. (lights on about 2-3 hours since my wife turns them on before she went to work)
I check my levels, PH is low--7.8ish and Ca off the chart over 540. No KH test, Ammonia and Nitrate 0.
Do a 2 gallon water change---
Wed morning the Xenia seems a bit better, not nearly as...full or plump as in the LFS tank, but not all smooshed up.
Wed night about 6pm...the wife calls....the Xenia looks much better. Wed night about 9pm the Xenia is *smooshing* up again.
Thursday Morning (lights on again 2 hours before test)
ph low 7.8, Ca about 580 now, KH is 105-110 mg/l (ppm CaCO3)
I do a 1 gallon water change
Friday Morning (today at time of post)
Xenia looking ok, still not very full or plump...but upright with some extension of arms.
(Wife calls at about 10:30 to let me know the Xenia looked much better this morning)
11:00 I finish a 3g water change.
Xenia doesnt like the disturbance and shrinks up some, but by 12:00 is back upright
readings at 12:20 (water should have mixed pretty well by now)
Specific G 1.0228
Temp 80f
PH 8.1
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0.5
Ca 520mg/L (ppm) Ca2+
KH 105 mg/L (ppm) CaCO3
6:30 pm call....Xenia *smooshed*
I arrive home at 11:30 pm and Xenia not looking good
Lights are off, but not sure how long...guessing 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
readings as of 11:30ish
Specific G 1.0234
Temp 80f
PH 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrites x
Nitrates 0
Ca 620 (ppm) Ca2+
KH 100 (ppm) CaCO3
What I do know:
Xenia is telling me something is wrong (and from what I have read they are a good indicater when something is out of whack)
the Xenia is my wife's favorite and so I need to save it or face the wrathe of a pregnant lady 8 months along (who has a son with my feet kicking the ribs---OUCH)
What I think I know:
My CA is still outta wack from my dosing extravaganza (sp)
What I dont know:
How do I fix it.
Will 15%ish (1g) water changes over time help correct this.
Do I need to test for something else I am not currently (Magnesium)?
If the water changes are going to do it, should I do the 15% every day or is that going to be too often and every other day better.
Or is there something else I can do?
Or am I up a creek and need to distract my wife for a couple of weeks , tell her the Xenia is most likely just *Hiding* in the same place her Fireshrimp is to adjust to the new enviornment, and then when the water levels work themselves out and I put another in.
Thanks,
Bob
ps if you need more information let me know, if I checked it, rememeber it and/or didnt mention it (not likely with my chatty post).
[hr]
Results for Sat. Morning readings:
Test Results
Specific G 1.0234
Temp 78f
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0-5
Ca 540--560mg/l (ppm) Ca2+
KH 105-110 mg/L (ppm) CaCO3
Lights havent been off for about 12 hours. Xenia is more upright with arms out streched. Fingers not open completely but not balled up either. I just pinched in some food for the Perc and Kent Zooplex (2ml)
Bob
[hr]
posted a few pics I can repost if you all like
[hr]
Replay from Bang
You could be correct about the Ca - KH imbalance. But in my experience Xenia doesn't extend its polyps when KH is out of whack with CA.
My opinion is that Iodine is slowly killing it and the imbalance just made things worse. The water changes you've been doing are the solution in my opinion.
I would suggest stopping all dosing and just do water changes until Ca is back in the low 400's. By then your KH should be back up near 150ppm. Once this is accomplished you can dose just enough to maintain that balance.
Just my $0.02 worth.
[hr]
Reply from Sula
I recently got some Xenia, and I noticed that it gets really grumpy if I do a water change with newly-mixed water. I'd make sure your water has been mixing at least 24 hours.
Second, where's that ammonia reading coming from?
And third, don't mess with a pregnant woman! Save the Xenia AT ALL COST!!
[hr]
Ok so water changes it will be (and no more dosing till I read up much more on that).
Should I do the water changes of 15%ish daily or every other day?
Thanks again
Bob
[hr]
Bang helping out
I think every other day would be better.
ode_rule" />
gonna move onto a reply to meet message length guidelines
Bob
Crushed Coral---yeah yeah I should have read more
15lb live rock
96w PC lighting (about 8" above the water)
RO water is used for top offs and water changes (water for changes is mixed and bubbled for a minimum of 12 hours and as long as 5 days depending on how long my bucket lasts)
Tank has been running for about 8 weeks
1 Perc (false)
Snails
2 Emerald Crabs
Metalic Shrooms
Marble Shrooms
Some Maroon/Dark Orange with a green eye Zoos
Xenia
The Xenia and the Marble Shrooms were added on Monday 12/6. The Shrroms (like my other Metalic shrooms and the Zoos) are doing very well. The Xenia seemed to do ok the first night and morning (Tues) I had it in there. Then Tuesday night I get a call at work from my wife that the Xenia has fallen over and looks *smooshed* --*what should I do* So I had my wife place the Xenia (attached to LR) back rightside up and in a more stable place.
Back story, when I started the tank the LFS saw me coming and I have some sized bottle of the following at home now:
Kent Pro Buffer dKH
Kent Iodine
Kent Liquid Calcium
Kent Liquid Reactor
All of which were being added to the tank (Again not enough reading) in some way. The Iodine about 3-5 drops every other night. The Pro Buffer and the Calcium at about 2 to 3 ml every other day until the purchase of the Liquid Reactor which was given at 2-3 ml every other day and the buffer and the calcium shelved.
I get home about 11:00 pm (4ish hours after my wife called) and the Xenia is still *smooshed*.
Wed morning I get up and same state. (lights on about 2-3 hours since my wife turns them on before she went to work)
I check my levels, PH is low--7.8ish and Ca off the chart over 540. No KH test, Ammonia and Nitrate 0.
Do a 2 gallon water change---
Wed morning the Xenia seems a bit better, not nearly as...full or plump as in the LFS tank, but not all smooshed up.
Wed night about 6pm...the wife calls....the Xenia looks much better. Wed night about 9pm the Xenia is *smooshing* up again.
Thursday Morning (lights on again 2 hours before test)
ph low 7.8, Ca about 580 now, KH is 105-110 mg/l (ppm CaCO3)
I do a 1 gallon water change
Friday Morning (today at time of post)
Xenia looking ok, still not very full or plump...but upright with some extension of arms.
(Wife calls at about 10:30 to let me know the Xenia looked much better this morning)
11:00 I finish a 3g water change.
Xenia doesnt like the disturbance and shrinks up some, but by 12:00 is back upright
readings at 12:20 (water should have mixed pretty well by now)
Specific G 1.0228
Temp 80f
PH 8.1
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0.5
Ca 520mg/L (ppm) Ca2+
KH 105 mg/L (ppm) CaCO3
6:30 pm call....Xenia *smooshed*
I arrive home at 11:30 pm and Xenia not looking good
Lights are off, but not sure how long...guessing 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
readings as of 11:30ish
Specific G 1.0234
Temp 80f
PH 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrites x
Nitrates 0
Ca 620 (ppm) Ca2+
KH 100 (ppm) CaCO3
What I do know:
Xenia is telling me something is wrong (and from what I have read they are a good indicater when something is out of whack)
the Xenia is my wife's favorite and so I need to save it or face the wrathe of a pregnant lady 8 months along (who has a son with my feet kicking the ribs---OUCH)
What I think I know:
My CA is still outta wack from my dosing extravaganza (sp)
What I dont know:
How do I fix it.
Will 15%ish (1g) water changes over time help correct this.
Do I need to test for something else I am not currently (Magnesium)?
If the water changes are going to do it, should I do the 15% every day or is that going to be too often and every other day better.
Or is there something else I can do?
Or am I up a creek and need to distract my wife for a couple of weeks , tell her the Xenia is most likely just *Hiding* in the same place her Fireshrimp is to adjust to the new enviornment, and then when the water levels work themselves out and I put another in.
Thanks,
Bob
ps if you need more information let me know, if I checked it, rememeber it and/or didnt mention it (not likely with my chatty post).
[hr]
Results for Sat. Morning readings:
Test Results
Specific G 1.0234
Temp 78f
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0.5
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0-5
Ca 540--560mg/l (ppm) Ca2+
KH 105-110 mg/L (ppm) CaCO3
Lights havent been off for about 12 hours. Xenia is more upright with arms out streched. Fingers not open completely but not balled up either. I just pinched in some food for the Perc and Kent Zooplex (2ml)
Bob
[hr]
posted a few pics I can repost if you all like
[hr]
Replay from Bang
You could be correct about the Ca - KH imbalance. But in my experience Xenia doesn't extend its polyps when KH is out of whack with CA.
My opinion is that Iodine is slowly killing it and the imbalance just made things worse. The water changes you've been doing are the solution in my opinion.
I would suggest stopping all dosing and just do water changes until Ca is back in the low 400's. By then your KH should be back up near 150ppm. Once this is accomplished you can dose just enough to maintain that balance.
Just my $0.02 worth.
[hr]
Reply from Sula
I recently got some Xenia, and I noticed that it gets really grumpy if I do a water change with newly-mixed water. I'd make sure your water has been mixing at least 24 hours.
Second, where's that ammonia reading coming from?
And third, don't mess with a pregnant woman! Save the Xenia AT ALL COST!!
[hr]
Ok so water changes it will be (and no more dosing till I read up much more on that).
Should I do the water changes of 15%ish daily or every other day?
Thanks again
Bob
[hr]
Bang helping out
I think every other day would be better.
ode_rule" />
gonna move onto a reply to meet message length guidelines
Bob
Bob :notsure:
