Andys Fluvial 13.5

[afcajax73]

Ca: 210ppm

Mg: 1380

Salinity 1.025

NO3: 0

NO2: 0

pH: 8.1

dKh: 5.1

PO4: 0.01

 

so!! @mcarroll, apologies for the delayed reply... I've managed to get new Ca and Mg test kits, and I've re-tested everything (results above). Good call on the dKh test being out of date, it is... BUT! only by three days. So; I'm assuming it should still be okay, and my other results probably indicate it's accurate?!

 

looks like my Calcium is really low and mag high too. Looks like my water params are all over the place! I'm not OVERLY concerned, as my corals, fish etc are alive and seemingly doing well... but having said that, I do have some nuisance algae and would also like to get things to a better position. 

[mcarroll]

Considering the rest of the numbers, I'm not sure how your pH is so high or how specific gravity is dead-on....or how your corals wouldn't be tweaking at least a little in some way.

 

Can you test some freshly mixed saltwater and see what you get for ca, alk and mg?  Make sure it's at the same specific gravity as the tested sample above?  (pH too if you want).  Begin testing anytime after the water clears.  👍

 

Your nutrient levels appear to be low too....which isn't good....but I don't know how much weight to put on these test results yet.

 

Can the LFS double check some or all of these numbers if you take in a water sample?

[afcajax73]

19 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Considering the rest of the numbers, I'm not sure how your pH is so high or how specific gravity is dead-on....or how your corals wouldn't be tweaking at least a little in some way.

 

Can you test some freshly mixed saltwater and see what you get for ca, alk and mg?  Make sure it's at the same specific gravity as the tested sample above?  (pH too if you want).  Begin testing anytime after the water clears.  👍

 

Your nutrient levels appear to be low too....which isn't good....but I don't know how much weight to put on these test results yet.

 

Can the LFS double check some or all of these numbers if you take in a water sample?

@mcarroll, Thanks for the reply... again! 🙂

 

I had my LFS test everything for me around 3 weeks ago, they got the same I did, i.e. 0 N02, N03, P04, Salinity and pH. Their recommendation was to feed a bit more to try and get my levels up.. which I've been doing, but not getting any good results. 

 

I'm going to do another full round of tests tonight but, I don't mix my own water so can't test that... 😞

 

I'll post some more results up a bit later on

[afcajax73]

good evening all... 

 

@mcarroll, I've done some more tests tonight, the results of which are as follows;

 

Temp: 26'C

NO2: 0

NO3: 0

PO4: 0.01

Ca: 140

Mg:1470

kH: 3.5

pH: 8.1

NH3/NH4: 0

 

Which probably raises more questions than it answers!! 

 

I think maybe I need to go and get some different test kits... although, as I said earlier, I had the LFS test for me a few weeks ago, (NO2, NO3, PO4, pH) all of which were what I'm still getting now. 

 

Either way, with the results I'm getting, is it worth dosing some Calcium and KH/Alkalinity or am I at risk of doing more damage than good if my test kits are off/wrong?!

 

23 hours ago, mcarroll said:

 ...or how your corals wouldn't be tweaking at least a little in some way.

 

 

 

In terms of this point;

 

Corals crowing like crazy and fully open are; hammer, torch, 1x nem (larger of the two), 5x kenya trees (recently fragged off 1x), green star polyp, 5x mushrooms

Corals not doing so well/partially closed most of the time are; 1x nem (tiny one) 1x Duncan

 

Also, my cleaner shrimp, two x clowns and 1x royal gramma are all doing well and seem healthy, and generally feed well. 

 

I'm really at a loss, and do appreciate the continued help/support! 

 

 

 

 

[Murphs_Reef]

You got much surface movement? I would say carbon dioxide... 

[afcajax73]

plenty of surface movement, I've got my RFG pointing towards the surface/along it, and a powerhead circulating the lower/middle areas of the tank. 

[Murphs_Reef]

It's an odd problem to have. I tend not to bother with monitoring pH and look only at Ca, Mag and dKH mind you. My dKH is always around 8 or 9 and pH the last time.i checked was in the low 7's but that's mainly cause I don't like a ton of surface movement and the lid is covering the full tank top with only a small gap at the back 

[afcajax73]

I've never (until now) had an issue with dKH, my params have always been fairly good, except for being a little low on PO4 and NO3 which I've always struggled to increase a bit. 

 

I think I'll just have to do a couple of water changes, dose a bit of Ca and KH and maybe get some other test kits/tests done.

 

my only one thing I'm grateful for is that although I've got some nuisance algae, the tank isn't a complete state and everything seems generally quite healthy. 

[Murphs_Reef]

Wouldn't worry then dude.. water changes will sort it out 👍🏼

[afcajax73]

3 minutes ago, Grimes said:

Wouldn't worry then dude.. water changes will sort it out 👍🏼

I hope so... but I'd like to get my params sorted, livestock and coral look well, but! as is often the case, things tend to bite you all in one go if params are off.

[Murphs_Reef]

12 minutes ago, afcajax73 said:

I hope so... but I'd like to get my params sorted, livestock and coral look well, but! as is often the case, things tend to bite you all in one go if params are off.

Yeah that's the truth. Can't go wrong watching a few hundred quid melting  in front of your eyes 🤣

[Murphs_Reef]

[afcajax73]

haha... 😄 result!! 

[Murphs_Reef]

Off to cellar marine 8n Saturday mate .. got a sale on a lot of LPS and soft coral 

[afcajax73]

10 hours ago, Grimes said:

Off to cellar marine 8n Saturday mate .. got a sale on a lot of LPS and soft coral 

Awesome... I called in last night when I was in the area. My lad had to be at Fenton manor for 5:30, and we were 20 mins early, so just nipped in. Bought a few snails to bulk up my cuc again. I didn’t get chance look at what he had in, but it did see they were setting an evo up. They’ve got some cool ‘pre-shaped’ scapes/rock which look an ideal size for a nano.

 

have you got your your eye on anything in particular? 

[Murphs_Reef]

11 minutes ago, afcajax73 said:

Awesome... I called in last night when I was in the area. My lad had to be at Fenton manor for 5:30, and we were 20 mins early, so just nipped in. Bought a few snails to bulk up my cuc again. I didn’t get chance look at what he had in, but it did see they were setting an evo up. They’ve got some cool ‘pre-shaped’ scapes/rock which look an ideal size for a nano.

 

have you got your your eye on anything in particular? 

Fancy another duncans mate. Yeah my daughter is at Fenton manor on a Friday night but looks like that will stop for a while so will pop in on Saturday. 👍🏼

[afcajax73]

3 hours ago, Grimes said:

Fancy another duncans mate. Yeah my daughter is at Fenton manor on a Friday night but looks like that will stop for a while so will pop in on Saturday. 👍🏼

awesome.. 🙂 keep me posted... I'd like to nip over but I'm not sure if I'll get time or not. 

[Murphs_Reef]

I'm holding out for some LA Lakers to come back in to stock

 

https://www.cellarmarinestore.co.uk/collections/softies-1/products/la-laker-zoa-frags

 

[afcajax73]

1 hour ago, Grimes said:

I'm holding out for some LA Lakers to come back in to stock

 

https://www.cellarmarinestore.co.uk/collections/softies-1/products/la-laker-zoa-frags

 

they look awesome... I used to have a decent Zoo patch when I first started to get corals, but It got overrun with algae and I gave it away! 

[afcajax73]

Just thought I'd give a bit of an update... 

 

Nothin has really changed, I'm testing my water every other day, and everything is still low and generally not where I want it to be. further to that, one head of my torch has completely closed up, and has been for about 4 days now. No idea why, nothing seems to have annoyed it and the other three heads are open and as big as ever.. perhaps it's getting ready for some sort of growth??? 

 

Still got nuisance algae, and still fed up! 😄

[Murphs_Reef]

1 hour ago, afcajax73 said:

Just thought I'd give a bit of an update... 

 

Nothin has really changed, I'm testing my water every other day, and everything is still low and generally not where I want it to be. further to that, one head of my torch has completely closed up, and has been for about 4 days now. No idea why, nothing seems to have annoyed it and the other three heads are open and as big as ever.. perhaps it's getting ready for some sort of growth??? 

 

Still got nuisance algae, and still fed up! 😄

What a pain in the ass. Its the nightmare if the hobby mate.. my corals are doing brill but got hair algae and Cyano so don't know wtf to do.. 

 

I I thing your torch will be fine though dude.. as long as the heads aren't melting off..  

[afcajax73]

16 minutes ago, Grimes said:

What a pain in the ass. Its the nightmare if the hobby mate.. my corals are doing brill but got hair algae and Cyano so don't know wtf to do.. 

 

I I thing your torch will be fine though dude.. as long as the heads aren't melting off..  

I’ll post a picture a bit later but it’s well and truly closed up 

[afcajax73]

Looking at it again... I reckon it is melting! 😭

Top picture is two days ago, bottom is now 

[Murphs_Reef]

Hard to tell under the blues but yeah it's definitely retracted loads... Can't see any flesh damage though from that picture mate. 

Maybe a quick RO or iodine dip to rule out anything irritating it?

[afcajax73]

I think it’s a ‘gonner’ 

 

i did see my gramma pecking at it earlier so can’t be a good sign. Might have to hack it off