Kat's Ol' Max

[kgoldy]

Oh! I just noticed the proximity of the big green emerald zoanthid colony to the SPS! doh. That one rock has about 6 SPS on it with those zoanthids. I've been meaning to frag the zoanthids but I'm terrified. Anybody have any pointers? Kris?

 

 

Gimme dem King Midas, and we'll talk.

[Spirofucci]

So are you gonna just dose with pure Ca and Alk?

 

Also, have you double checked your test kits to be absolutely sure they are accurate? I'm sure you've already done this, just trying to play devil's advocate.

[Looselyhuman]

So the ca/alk vampire just took a day off.

 

I've had a little shock of my own on this front. My alk is only 7.0 (440 calcium) in spite of consistent kalk and 3-4mL of 2-part per day. There's only one explanation in my case: Halimeda. I have one 2 inch monti frag and some nice coralline but nothing that would do this.

 

This stuff is sucking it up like a crack fiend. It's the first time I've had any significant amount of it and I'm truly flabbergasted.

 

Going to go to 5mL a day and make sure my kalk is completely saturated (may have been a little light). For an extremely lightly stocked 10g that's massive.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Hypsophrys

[metrokat]

So are you gonna just dose with pure Ca and Alk?

Also, have you double checked your test kits to be absolutely sure they are accurate? I'm sure you've already done this, just trying to play devil's advocate.

I'm not sure yet on the dosing. I want to get my hands on the doser and what comes with it before I decide to order from BRS.

Yes the kits are accurate, back on Aug 22, my test results matched Zephs.

 

So the ca/alk vampire just took a day off.

 

I've had a little shock of my own on this front. My alk is only 7.0 (440 calcium) in spite of consistent kalk and 3-4mL of 2-part per day. There's only one explanation in my case: Halimeda. I have one 2 inch monti frag and some nice coralline but nothing that would do this.

 

This stuff is sucking it up like a crack fiend. It's the first time I've had any significant amount of it and I'm truly flabbergasted.

 

Going to go to 5mL a day and make sure my kalk is completely saturated (may have been a little light). For an extremely lightly stocked 10g that's massive.

Do you have the capability of putting the halimeda in another tank or a bucket of saltwater with a light and filter for some time while you monitor the tank to see if it is the halimeda? I wish I could but I don;t have a spare tank or a filter I could throw on a bucket.

[jedimasterben]

Air pump in a bucket.

[metrokat]

Air pump in a bucket.

 

That will work, but need a light too.

[jedimasterben]

Your apartment doesn't have any windows?

[metrokat]

Your apartment doesn't have any windows?

I live in a cave. But no, I actually even have a light, I was commenting more for Ian.

 

My refractometer arrived yesterday. Now I feel all high tech. TDS meter, refractometer. PH meter is next.

In other news, my phosban reactor was supposed to arrive Friday. I did a trade with SushiYum, he took my CPR nano reactor in exchange. USPS has seriously screwed up. First my package to him didn't show tracking details till the evening before he got his package. And his package to me has headed south of us to North Carolina. (Sushi Yum is in MD).

[Looselyhuman]

Do you have the capability of putting the halimeda in another tank or a bucket of saltwater with a light and filter for some time while you monitor the tank to see if it is the halimeda? I wish I could but I don;t have a spare tank or a filter I could throw on a bucket.

 

Unfortunately it's a hitchhiker on 3 of my primary structural rocks, growing out of 15+ spots. Would be a good test though.

[metrokat]

Unfortunately it's a hitchhiker on 3 of my primary structural rocks, growing out of 15+ spots. Would be a good test though.

Then perhaps the experiment is left to me. I have a lot more halimeda than you anyway.

[patback]

If you slice the rock with a razor blade it is surprisingly easy to cut through. I remover 2 hitch hiking Lps this was. After you determine if it's the halimedia or not, you can just glue the rock slivers back on the rock.

[metrokat]

If you slice the rock with a razor blade it is surprisingly easy to cut through. I remover 2 hitch hiking Lps this was. After you determine if it's the halimedia or not, you can just glue the rock slivers back on the rock.

Ian and I have Halimeda that came as HH on our rock. The ID is 100%. The question he raised was whether Halimeda is sucking up calcium faster than say chaeto sucks up nitrates.

[flampton]

Patback was saying instead of removing the rocks to a bucket just take a sliver of rock with the Halimeda to another bucket to see if it is the calcium robber.

[Looselyhuman]

Then perhaps the experiment is left to me. I have a lot more halimeda than you anyway.

Yeah but the same problem too.

 

If you slice the rock with a razor blade it is surprisingly easy to cut through. I remover 2 hitch hiking Lps this was. After you determine if it's the halimedia or not, you can just glue the rock slivers back on the rock.

It would take a lot of slivers.

 

Ian and I have Halimeda that came as HH on our rock. The ID is 100%. The question he raised was whether Halimeda is sucking up calcium faster than say chaeto sucks up nitrates.

I think he was saying: ...whether the consumption is the Halimeda or not...

 

I'm feeling pretty confident about my hypothesis at the moment. But I guess one of us could try pruning it back to almost nothing. Less photosynthetic surface area should mean it would take a long time to reach pre-pruning consumption levels. And since your Halimeda doesn't represent 10% of all the life growing on your rocks I nominate you.

 

Main problem is that you probably want to start dosing too, which would make it difficult to attribute the change to that or the Halimeda. I guess you could start dosing to try to stabilize it at a less unfavorable level, then see if pruning the Halimeda causes the levels to start rising (more quickly)?

[patback]

Patback was saying instead of removing the rocks to a bucket just take a sliver of rock with the Halimeda to another bucket to see if it is the calcium robber.

+1

[Nano sapiens]

Ian and I have Halimeda that came as HH on our rock. The ID is 100%. The question he raised was whether Halimeda is sucking up calcium faster than say chaeto sucks up nitrates.

 

Halimeda can out compete corals for Cal and Alk, so yes, it is a virtual sponge for the stuff as long as it has all the other nutrients that macro algae require in sufficient amounts.

[metrokat]

Date Calcium dKH Notes 1 Notes 2

8/6/2012 470 8.0

8/13/2012 490 8.2

8/19/2012 250 6.1 KALK+2, Part A no WC 10+ days

8/26/2012 300 8.3 KALK+2, Part A

9/2/2012 320 8.2 KALK+2, Part A

9/3/2012 300 8.3 Stopped KALK Corals pissed off

9/5/2012 360 7.0 15 hours after WC

9/6/2012 350 6.1 Before WC

9/6/2012 350 6.4 3 hours after WC

9/7/2012 350 6.4 14 Hours after WC

9/8/2012 350 6.1 1.5 days after WC

9/9/2012 345 5.1 before WC 20% WC percolating

9/9/2012 360 6.4 6 hours after 20% WC

 

It would take a lot of slivers.

+1

 

+1

Sowwy, I misunderstood Pat.

 

Halimeda can out compete corals for Cal and Alk, so yes, it is a virtual sponge for the stuff as long as it has all the other nutrients that macro algae require in sufficient amounts.

I have perfect conditions for macros. You forgot my fancy fuge too quickly.

 

I'm feeling pretty confident about my hypothesis at the moment. But I guess one of us could try pruning it back to almost nothing. Less photosynthetic surface area should mean it would take a long time to reach pre-pruning consumption levels. And since your Halimeda doesn't represent 10% of all the life growing on your rocks I nominate you.

I'm not going to prune it, I'm just going to move the rocks into a bucket for 2 weeks. The only rock I am worried about is the one the brain coral is on, so that might be the one I prune. (I did already but I guess I'll just take it all off.

 

Main problem is that you probably want to start dosing too, which would make it difficult to attribute the change to that or the Halimeda. I guess you could start dosing to try to stabilize it at a less unfavorable level, then see if pruning the Halimeda causes the levels to start rising (more quickly)?

Shucks. Well. Look at the parameters above. I think we have an established pattern of consumption for both Calcium and Alkalinity in my tank. I think If I remove the halimeda today and test water for the next 3 days we can see if the parameters continue to fall at the same pace or change. I could probably put off the dosing for a week at most to see how this plays out.

Edited September 9, 2012 by metrokat

[kgoldy]

I'd say hand them over but they probably have expired.

 

 

Expired kept in the dark, never having been opened and exposed to air? Not likely.

[metrokat]

New FTS

 

 

 

Special note fo Chipp Walters: The frags on the sandbed are for a buddy.

[patback]

Your FTs look so different everytime you take one. Love how full everything is.

Edited September 9, 2012 by patback

[metrokat]

Your FTs look so different everyone you take one. Love how full everything is.

:D I've maintained a FTS progression album. One day I'll post it.

[Looselyhuman]

I'm not going to prune it, I'm just going to move the rocks into a bucket for 2 weeks. The only rock I am worried about is the one the brain coral is on, so that might be the one I prune. (I did already but I guess I'll just take it all off.

Sounds like a plan. A little drastic, but at this point....

 

Shucks. Well. Look at the parameters above. I think we have an established pattern of consumption for both Calcium and Alkalinity in my tank. I think If I remove the halimeda today and test water for the next 3 days we can see if the parameters continue to fall at the same pace or change. I could probably put off the dosing for a week at most to see how this plays out.

I know Yes I was thinking we had that pattern nailed, but I'm still weirded out by it sticking at 6.1 for 36 hours. However if you average it out, it seems like slightly less than 1 dKH per day is a good baseline.

 

Maybe take out the Halimeda, and do one more WC to get it back into the 6.4 (or ideally higher) range then let it go for a week? It will still drop because of your coral but maybe we can say it's happening at a slower rate.

 

Btw I don't know if this will change anything, except perhaps your final dosing plan? Even without Halimeda you will need Kalk and 2-part IMO. But we can maybe figure out how much additional 2-part is needed with Halimeda vs. without it.

[Looselyhuman]

:D I've maintained a FTS progression album. One day I'll post it.

Can't wait. Would be cool to see this intermingled with parameters for those periods when you have them...

[Spirofucci]

Your FTs look so different everyone you take one. Love how full everything is.

 

She changes her scape like her shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously, it looks fantastic in there!!!!!

[metrokat]

You're all very kind. I seem to have a little bit of everything in my little slice of the ocean. The challenge is to keep it all healthy and happy. Lots of people say you can't have it all, the balance is so delicate that either SPS thrive or LPS and softies do. Too many macros, too few macros, the opinions abound.

 

This tank is 8+months old. At the one year mark it may be a time to reflect and celebrate what was accomplished.