steely185 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 I went and had my water tested this weekend after noticing a small amount of RTN on some corals. It had been a month since the last water change so I did a 20% change over the weekend before having the water tested. Everything checks out. salinity: 1.025 nitrate: not detected nitrite: not detected phosphate: not detected ammonia: not tested Alk: 10.5 dKH Calc: 380 (going to bring this up a bit using tropic marin biocalcium) Mag: 1550 pH: 8.1 Looking back through old pics it doesn't seem as serious as I originally thought. Any recession may be from the nightly pH dropping to 7.6 -7.5 range. I plan on adding a CO2 scrubber to combat this problem. I also picked up some new frozen food over the weekend that the fish love. I hadn't seen the cardinals eat yet so I needed to entice them with some frozen food. I picked up H2O Life's 50/50 plus food. It's a mix of bloodworms, brine shrimp, and mysis. The second it hit the water the cardinals went crazy for it along with the other fish. Link to comment
tundrashaul Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Are you still running bio-pellets? Ive recently come across some info that was saying bio-pellets can be dangerious on the tank with Alk not between 6-8, I keep mine around ten so maybe thats why Ive lost corals both attempts to run. I'm staying away from them now I thought it was me but now I hear horror stories with them everywhere! Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 I still use biopellets but I don't source them as my problem. I've used them a couple times for 6 months or more each time without any issues. I would look to GFO before biopellets (if being used properly) as a problem. GFO usage is more commonly associated with RTN problems but I'm also using a very very small amount. I think the feedback on biopellets is about 50/50 or 60/40 depending on what you read. I personally like them and the results I've observed. Link to comment
saltwatercoral Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Tank is looking real nice! You have some good size colonies growing there! Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 Thank you. I need to update some shots with a real camera. Things have really taken off. Today I ordered everything I need to set up a CO2 scrubber so hopefully that added stability will help boost growth even more. I sold a few things and have to move a few things in their place. I have an 8-10" pink cap that's hidden behind the rocks. I need to move it where it can be seen and have room to grow. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 While Skimmers raise oxygen levels, they also raise carbon dioxide levels. CO2 accumulates in marine and reef aquariums at higher than ambient levels, causing a drop in pH. The CO2 Scrubber removes carbon dioxide from the air drawn by the skimmer using soda lime as a media , lowering CO2 levels in the aquarium water. As a result, the pH rises and stabilizes naturally at a new higher level. They aren't a necessity by any means but will help in my case because I use a calcium reactor where CO2 dissolves the media releasing calcium carbonate. The solution which drips into the aquarium to raise alk/calcium in equal parts also has higher levels of CO2 which depress the pH levels. Using a CO2 scrubber helps to remove some of the excess CO2 introduced to the system by the calcium reactor. Link to comment
jprime84 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 While Skimmers raise oxygen levels, they also raise carbon dioxide levels. CO2 accumulates in marine and reef aquariums at higher than ambient levels, causing a drop in pH. The CO2 Scrubber removes carbon dioxide from the air drawn by the skimmer using soda lime as a media , lowering CO2 levels in the aquarium water. As a result, the pH rises and stabilizes naturally at a new higher level. They aren't a necessity by any means but will help in my case because I use a calcium reactor where CO2 dissolves the media releasing calcium carbonate. The solution which drips into the aquarium to raise alk/calcium in equal parts also has higher levels of CO2 which depress the pH levels. Using a CO2 scrubber helps to remove some of the excess CO2 introduced to the system by the calcium reactor. Science! Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 CO2 scrubber should be arriving today. I will hopefully get this online this weekend. I've also been testing out some of Ultralife Reef Aiptasia & Majano remover. It seems to work. I haven't used it as directed yet (haven't boiled any water to mix with the powder used). It seems to do a better job for me than kalk past has done. The few small areas I have treated haven't returned. I'm going to keep using it on new areas to see if it will cut back on the population. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 So I just hooked up the CO2 scrubber. Here is the before pH data. I will post an update after a couple days use to illustrate any change. Before: Link to comment
Genj Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I think I see a lower limit on the right side now being raised by 3/10th of a point? Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 Funny. Normal swings with bottom of the top off water being saturated with more Kalk. Link to comment
Genj Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 No, not funny, just dumb on my part due to the deep red drink in my glass. lol Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 The majano remover seems to work well. I have learned the side effect of using more than directed. It extremely depresses your pH. I used more than directed this morning while lights were out and it dropped the pH from 7.77 to 7.26. I quickly added some kalk saturated top off water to get the pH up. It's back at safer levels now but I will use it in small doses next time. The drop in pH didn't last more than 20 minutes but made me nervous. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 The scrubber has been doing its job. My pH has averaged a 0.2 increase. While at the store today I picked up an ORA grube's gorgonia. They aren't the most colorful but super hardy, fast growing, and photosynthetic. I just need to pick a final spot for it. Looks nice though. I need to order some new radiums. I just realized my bulbs are 14 months old Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 I finally got a house under contract after many failed attempts (nothing I did wrong) over the last 14 months. That being said I will have to take on the task of moving this beast in July. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm sure there will be many a broken coral and hopefully no fish losses. I dread moving the tank after my previous partial tank crash when upgrading to a 150. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 I'm kind of frustrated at the moment. I believe some of the lingering effects of pH swings have taken their toll on my corals. My 8" birdsnest is dying from one side to the other. I fragged away the sickly portion last night and it's continued on this morning. I'm probably going to frag what's left of the healthy portion to save it. I lost a battered plum crazy frag and a separate piece of my setosa in recent weeks. Water parameters check out fine. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 My birdsnest colony is dead or at least will be by morning. The parts I fragged last night are dead now. I have a small frag that was separated a few months ago that is still kicking. I also sold my frogspawn today so more space to be had with two large colonies gone. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Before CO2 scrubber: pH data after using the CO2 scrubber The dip down to 7.26 was after heavy use of the ultra life majano/aiptasia remover. It drops pH extremely. I attribute the loss of my birdsnest colony to the probable alk swing when the pH was corrected by larger doses of kalk. The stress likely took a couple days to really hit the coral and push it past it's tipping point. I have a small frag of the 8" colony left that survived so I can grow it out. It is a bummer after growing it from a 2" frag to an 8" round colony from August to May. I guess I will just have to do it all over again. My new gorgonia has taken it's place for now. I may put my bird of paradise in it's place where it can be seen better. Link to comment
Wizzy Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Do you think that employing macro algae instead of a Co2 Scrubber would've had the same result? Or would the amount of macro algae required be too much? -Wizzy Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 I can't really say for sure. It wasn't much of an option for me because of how I handle nutrients. I generally run pretty low nutrient using biopellets and GFO to remove any remaining phosphates. I would think that running lower nutrient would prevent the macro from growing very well. I also don't have the room to run a refugium. I am hoping to see an improvement in CO2 levels in my new home when I move in a little over a month. I would think that CO2 levels may be somewhat diminished when taking the same number of people/dogs and placing them in a much larger sq ft home vs a 700 sq ft apartment. The new home also has more windows allowing fresh air to circulate the home more than the apartment. Link to comment
Wizzy Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 I can't really say for sure. It wasn't much of an option for me because of how I handle nutrients. I generally run pretty low nutrient using biopellets and GFO to remove any remaining phosphates. I would think that running lower nutrient would prevent the macro from growing very well. I also don't have the room to run a refugium. I am hoping to see an improvement in CO2 levels in my new home when I move in a little over a month. I would think that CO2 levels may be somewhat diminished when taking the same number of people/dogs and placing them in a much larger sq ft home vs a 700 sq ft apartment. The new home also has more windows allowing fresh air to circulate the home more than the apartment. That makes sense. Thanks for explaining that for me and nice tank -Wizzy Link to comment
sean151 Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Rehype ran just a refugium with tons of macros and a decent amount of nutrients, but still had a bigger PH swing than when he turned on his CO2 scrubber. Link to comment
steely185 Posted May 24, 2012 Author Share Posted May 24, 2012 Thanks, Yeah the biopellets and space really prevent from running a refugium with macro to help CO2 levels. The pH swing itself doesn't bother me as much as the lower levels. My system also differs because I use a Calcium reactor which is fueled by CO2 injected to dissolve the media. This results in CO2 entering the system so without a fuge the scrubber is my main option. Link to comment
Arkayology Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Lots of ups and downs here. Sorry to hear about you losing your plum crazy. Ph swings can be a beech. Are you planning on changing anything up with the move in July? Link to comment
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