Kat's Ol' Max

[metrokat]

Are you doing equal parts of the solutions or a lot more alk? Try dosing more of both and see where it gets you.

I was dosing equal when the Dec 5 result happened.

Now I'm dosing more of the ALK and it is dropping further.

[Looselyhuman]

Try some silly basic salt like Oceanic, Kat. Obviously your WC water is not at the levels you want, which is not a good starting place. Feels like we've been through this before. You tested your WC water at some point? After 24-36 hours of mixing?

 

And again, stick with (equal or whatever the BRS equivalent is) parts unless calcium goes over 500 and you're still not happy with Alk. Don't know why that's so hard for folks (you're definitely not the only offender).

 

Edit: You may indeed get some swings, for whatever unique metabolic reasons your reef has, but I bet calcium is affected too and just lags in the indication. If you can get it to range between 8.3 and 8.9 in these swings, with calcium in the 450-500 range, you're in good shape.

Edited December 9, 2012 by Hypsophrys

[RayWhisperer]

You are using a 2 part dosing system, correct? If so, just try stirring up the alk solution and running it through to get freshly stirred solution in there. A lot of those commercially available products just seem to settle out over time.

[metrokat]

Try some silly basic salt like Oceanic, Kat. Obviously your WC water is not at the levels you want, which is not a good starting place. Feels like we've been through this before. You tested your WC water at some point? After 24-36 hours of mixing?

 

And again, stick with (equal or whatever the BRS equivalent is) parts unless calcium goes over 500 and you're still not happy with Alk. Don't know why that's so hard for folks (you're definitely not the only offender).

 

Edit: You may indeed get some swings, for whatever unique metabolic reasons your reef has, but I bet calcium is affected too and just lags in the indication. If you can get it to range between 8.3 and 8.9 in these swings, with calcium in the 450-500 range, you're in good shape.

Switched to ESV. I'll test the next batch right after mixing and a day or 2 later to see what happens with this salt.

Just upped both ALK and CAL equally. I'll test tomorrow.

 

You are using a 2 part dosing system, correct? If so, just try stirring up the alk solution and running it through to get freshly stirred solution in there. A lot of those commercially available products just seem to settle out over time.

I actually made a fresh mix just yesterday.

[Looselyhuman]

Switched to ESV. I'll test the next batch right after mixing and a day or 2 later to see what happens with this salt.

Just upped both ALK and CAL equally. I'll test tomorrow.

Cool, I'll check back in. Ray's thoughts on the BRS Alk settling out are interesting. I bet MeanGreenEyes has the scoop on the best magnetic stirrers out there. Dunno the dimensions of your vessel but maybe this would work underneath it? http://www.amazon.com/Hanna-Instruments-Ma...e/dp/B002OSX2Q0

[metrokat]

My containers sit behind the tank in a skinny little space. I shake them once in a while. I suppose doing it more often will not hurt.

[tailes]

I'm taking crappy cell phone pictures now. I still have two other cameras but I'm lazy right now to break those out. New frags were glued down. Old were re arranged. I like the placement, we shall see how they need to be changed to accomodate growth. All areas got a little re-do or addition but here is the picture of the crowning glory rock.

New corals on here include a forest fire digitata, orange millepora, JF Setosa (re-located) and an unglued elkhorn stag.

 

I've received lots of PMs about my actinic light. You can see a reflection of it in this picture above. It is mounted by suction cups to the front glass wall. The slim profile and that it is waterproof and submersible makes this possible and it does not hinder the view of the tank.

 

 

I can't decide which is my favorite: the bird's nest or the blue mess on the left. It's the perfect shade of blue

 

And I discovered last night that Ivory Soap tastes good. Or so Max tells me. I guess we wait to see if he 'produces' bubbles?

[metrokat]

I can't decide which is my favorite: the bird's nest or the blue mess on the left. It's the perfect shade of blue

 

And I discovered last night that Ivory Soap tastes good. Or so Max tells me. I guess we wait to see if he 'produces' bubbles?

Or he could bark and be a barkingbubbleblowing dog?

[jedimasterben]

I can't decide which is my favorite: the bird's nest or the blue mess on the left. It's the perfect shade of blue

Blue? That's an ORA green birdsnest.

[Veng]

turquoise?

[Euphyllia]

I don't have any kids Euphy but thanks.

 

Oh... Was it your sister's kids then or am I mistaking you for somebody else? Do you live with anyone under the age of 18? Eymae be wrong.

[metrokat]

Oh... Was it your sister's kids then or am I mistaking you for somebody else? Do you live with anyone under the age of 18? Eymae be wrong.

Euphy, personal questions on a public forum don't sit well with me. Okay sweetie?

 

If you're offering to come baby sit any children I may have in my household, PM me.

 

turquoise?

It looks turquoise yes in that crappy cell phone picture but it si orange flesh with electric green polyps.

Here's a pic under actinics

 

Blue? That's an ORA green birdsnest.

That picture is pretty accurate!

[metrokat]

You've mentioned your kids or kids before though. Just adding my 2c.

I don't have kids, Euphy knows this we exchanged PMs about this a while back when he insisted on posting my personal and private information on the forum. And I don't like to be asked personal questions on a public forum. What I volunteer is my prerogative. I would appreciate if you dropped the subject as well.

Edited December 10, 2012 by metrokat

[metrokat]

Babeh clam.

[patback]

Hmm. Paly is bigger than your clam.

[markalot]

Trying to catch up with this crazy thread. Sorry about your clam loss a few pages back.

 

Once I get my 40 livable again I want one of those ORA birds nests.

[metrokat]

Hmm. Paly is bigger than your clam.

yeah. Everything is bigger than that clam.

 

Trying to catch up with this crazy thread. Sorry about your clam loss a few pages back.

Once I get my 40 livable again I want one of those ORA birds nests.

Thanks, that was a gorgeous little squamosa.

The ORA green bird I have is one of the most hardiest corals I have ever seen. Even when I pull out the colony for fragging the polyps stay extended. The little bits that get accidentally fragged and fall on the sand stay alive for weeks right on the sand. Inevitably the pistol drags it off to shore up his burrow.

[jedimasterben]

Hmm. Paly is bigger than your clam.

[metrokat]

[Spirofucci]

I'm taking crappy cell phone pictures now. I still have two other cameras but I'm lazy right now to break those out. New frags were glued down. Old were re arranged. I like the placement, we shall see how they need to be changed to accomodate growth. All areas got a little re-do or addition but here is the picture of the crowning glory rock.

New corals on here include a forest fire digitata, orange millepora, JF Setosa (re-located) and an unglued elkhorn stag.

 

I've received lots of PMs about my actinic light. You can see a reflection of it in this picture above. It is mounted by suction cups to the front glass wall. The slim profile and that it is waterproof and submersible makes this possible and it does not hinder the view of the tank.

 

Freaking incredible Kat!!!! Looks to me like your tank loves the Alk swingers club!

Edited December 10, 2012 by Spirofucci

[metrokat]

Freaking incredible Kat!!!! Looks to me like your tank loves the Alk swingers club!

It is extremely frustrating to say the least Mark! I am only thankful that the level is not going from 7 to 11, but stays within 1dKH which is way more stable than before. I'm okay with it staying low and working towards getting it up by dosing more, it was the extreme swings which stressed out the SPS.

[beebes]

 

Awww. I miss having a kitty.

[MikeTR]

My guess is that the alk is dropping faster because the corals actually have more usable bicarb to combine with calcium to make their calcium carbonate skeletons. Problem is simple, if you're dosing and alk is still falling, then you're not dosing enough to meet the demand. Just add a few seconds to your ON time in your apex. The other problem is that maybe you are calibrating your refractometer with RO water and salinity is low, which I found is a no no.. I am guilty as charged, and found my sg was at 1.023.

Edited December 10, 2012 by MikeTR

[markalot]

The ORA green bird I have is one of the most hardiest corals I have ever seen. Even when I pull out the colony for fragging the polyps stay extended. The little bits that get accidentally fragged and fall on the sand stay alive for weeks right on the sand. Inevitably the pistol drags it off to shore up his burrow.

 

Yea, I think I will try and stick with ORA for the future as the tank bred corals seems to be much hardier. That blue polyp stylophora that survived my tank mishap is tank bread, supposedly an older ORA variety that they stopped selling in favor of the purple polyp stylophora. All my other SPS are random frags from unknown sources.

[metrokat]

My guess is that the alk is dropping faster because the corals actually have more usable bicarb to combine with calcium to make their calcium carbonate skeletons. Problem is simple, if you're dosing and alk is still falling, then you're not dosing enough to meet the demand. Just add a few seconds to your ON time in your apex. The other problem is that maybe you are calibrating your refractometer with RO water and salinity is low, which I found is a no no.. I am guilty as charged, and found my sg was at 1.023.

Mike, the salinity may be an issue I have not looked into. Thank you for the clue.

Yes I am calibrating using RO water per the instructions which said use RO or distilled. Will nothing other than calibration fluid work? Will Distilled work? Thanks.