squirrelieygrrrl Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 hey tron, it would make sense that your ph is a tad low considering you had a bit of a nutrient spike. the organics when the decompose and go through the nitrogen cycle create acids and c02 as a byproduct. though it isnt excessively low, 7.5 would be time for concern. running the fuge on a reverse photoperiod from the display can help mimize ph swings. a worthwhile read on the subject of ph. http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php ultimately, i think the easiest fix for your prob would be to start using ro/di and salt, there are considerable variances for nsw params when it comes to location. hence why certain species have evolved and adapted to certain locales. if thats easier said than done you can certainly try to tinker a bit with the mg, in hopes of achieving a more stable consistent alk,and indirectly it will have impact on the ph as well. though 9 is also not excessively low. <7 and i would worry. im not keen on chasing params, its never worked out well for me in the past. as far as the bop, dosnt look too crazy to me. my birdsnests get messed up tips occasionally. they are pretty hardy sps. if its looking like its spreading frag it off well below the line of demarcation. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 So squirrel, banjo... Reef Crystals for sure? I can order tomorrow just to start on the "no variable" track anyways. Link to comment
TheWAND Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Yes, BOP looks fine. If it was alk burn you'd be seeing it on the other SPS first. pH usually won't cause anything like that, so it might just be PO'd. I never really saw I'll effects of pH down to 7.6 which is probably why I only test pH once every month, and I think even then I wouldn't need to. It's a parameter that will usually keep itself in check if everything else checks out. Link to comment
squirrelieygrrrl Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 +1 i also hear good things about coral pro, and coralife. reef crystals is the most economic though. ive tried coralife and didnt care for it, i felt like i had to dose more to compensate. never tried coral pro so i have no feedback there. i also gave tropic marin a shot and didnt think it was worth the money. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Seems like salt is like what brand of ketchup do u like lol... I'll give reef crystals a shot...try the $8 box a shot... What u think bout the stock bc14 pump to mix it...? Also, thx for replies on BoP, u can see all that blue it's fuzzy and extended, except for that green branch, (at least it's not white n bleaching lol) Owell, weird ass corals... Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 So today: 1) Reef Crystals Salt shipped today from MarineDepot - ordered last night! 2) I officially trashed my API kits.... garbage, pfffft... 3) upped my doses a bit to compensate for the newer, more accurate tests! Dosing changes: Bionic Alk: 5ml, up from 2.5ml / Calc: 7ml, up from 5ml Kent Tech-M Mag: 4ml, up from 3ml here is what i have tracked so far.... Link to comment
Banjo Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Good stuff definitely on the road to the perfect parameters. Keep them stable and all is well! The only thing that is low is pH, but if it stays at that range and doesn't go further, you're fine. What time of day (night) did you test those numbers? Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 Around 12, when I woke uP... Lights turn on at 2. I am bumping alk to try n raise pH... It's always been low tho... Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 while API showed 0-10, couldve been yellow or orange... salifert is even harder to tell whether its 0, 2, or 5... Link to comment
chucktdbm321 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Bet if you tested your ph Mid day or before your lights go out it would be around 8 Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 I'll test it tonight when I get home around lights out. I switched to a 12-12 reverse fuge light period to see if it helps instead of 24/7... If my display is 2pm-1030pm, is 12Am-12pm ok or 11pm-1pm better for fuge lights? Link to comment
chucktdbm321 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Only a 2 hour difference shouldn't make too much of a change. But i didn't know you already had a fuge with reverse lighting. I'm interested to see how much your ph flucs then. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 It was on 24/7, not reverse Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 reverse Fuge lighting, a slight bump in Alk... still a crappy pH... Link to comment
basser1 Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 SFT..... As you are already finding out, SPS are not for the faint of heart. While some may tell you that keeping SPS is easy and not that hard, that's probably because they either have experience in keeping them or their tank has stable water conditions. And unlike softies and LPS corals they are not as forgiving as sps. One thing gets out of whack, and there's problems. IMO, a 14 gallon tank may be too small to maintain stable water conditions. Not trying to be a downer, but stating facts as you are already finding out. As far as testing water, see if your LFS will test a sample for you and compare your results. I have begun to scrap my test kits for the new Hanna checkers. No more counting drops and looking at color charts. It does it for you. I use their Alk, and P04 and soon their Cal checkers when they start to ship (right now I'm using the Seachem Cal test kit). I also use Seachems' Mag test kit. Like squirlleygirl was saying earlier, I buy my water, RO/DI and SW, from my LFS. It's not that big of a deal to take my 5 gallon jugs in every couple of weeks to have them filled. And the saltwater does fine until I need it. FWIW, my LFS uses D-D H2O salt. My corals have never looked better with insane PE, color and growth! Good Luck and hope you get a handle on the tank. You have some great looking pieces! Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 30, 2011 Author Share Posted July 30, 2011 thanks man, for the most part, it wasnt maintaining the params, they stay constant, its just tweaking them here and there. and as you stated, i WAS.... using API kits... garbage, they were so far off from the new saliferts i got......and adding magnesium ive already seen much better PE in most corals.... the LFS uses NSW and im making the switch, ordered the Reef Crystals for my first trial run lol, but perhaps will try D-D H2O salt after the corals are growing, in just over a month or 2, all of them have outgrown the plugs and planted onto the live rock... coraline is popping up all over the tank as well.... im just happy the coral beauty finally croaked from starvation (never ate any foods supplied) and i suspectd him of coral nipping and possibly irritating the acros. im confident once i start using RODI Saltwater, all pieces are in place to succeed... Link to comment
BOMBreef Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I'm thinking about switching to Reef Crystals too....I'm using RSCP right now I like it a lot but I want to see what else is out there. keep me updated and LMK how it goes... +1 on the Hanna checkers! Best piece of equipment I bought other than my doser. They make is so easy and I actually trust the reading instead of trying to decipher colors. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 I figure once these saliferts run out in a few months I'll switch to Hanna checkers for the big ones Ph Calc Alk Salt arrives Wednesday, I'm not sure how it will affect my Dosing. Link to comment
Banjo Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 I haven't used the Hanna checkers, but I've heard great things about them. Just a little too much money for me at $50 per kit that only comes with like 25 tests. I stick to Salifert, as they have always been accurate for me. I'll try the Phosphorous checker in the future, as that is the main one that interests me. Your pH is low, but your params are overall very stable. Just keep them like that and you should be fine. As far as the Salifert nitrate test above, looks 0 to me. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 It's def not 0... Slightest tint of pinkish purple, I'm just horrible at matching em, either 2 or 5... On the low range I would at least the ph one (Hanna) Link to comment
Banjo Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 It looks no where near 5 according to the picture. Either way, it's so low that it's irrelevant. Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 That's a relief either way.... My main concern is getting that salt to remove variables, & figuring out that pH situation whether it stays 7.8 or not....lol I mean, at least it doesn't fluctuate AT ALL, but still low for my taste. I'd like to see at least 8.0 Link to comment
yoshii Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 while API showed 0-10, couldve been yellow or orange... salifert is even harder to tell whether its 0, 2, or 5... If it looks like it's below 5, look at the vial against the card the other direction, like you do with API test kits Nice tank btw Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Thanks yosh, and ya, I do check it against the side. That's how I get the slight pinkish color that I can't differentiate lol....... Y couldn't it have been the needle with a piston haha PS: new FTS to come this week guys n girls Link to comment
SouthFlorida_Tron Posted August 2, 2011 Author Share Posted August 2, 2011 Sooooo.......... Greeeeeeeeeennnnn attempting to re-color the Acro Pearrrrrrrrrrlllberrry Garden? not yet... enjoy these for now kiddies i gots extras if you wish! Link to comment
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