Jump to content
Cultivated Reef

High Parameters?


scrappy34

Recommended Posts

I just got a new test kit and I realized my parameters are much higher than I thought. I've been manually dosing reef fusion 1, fusion 2 and fusion trace for a few weeks (last dose was last week)

 

Calcium: 480-490

Alk: 9-9.5

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 20

PH: 7.8-8.0

 

My corals:

-Rics are doing well

-Zoas aren't showing their skirts

-LPS all look good

-My only SPS (Monti) could be better, barely showing polyps. 

 

I'm not sure if my problems are due to my water, I do have some little red/brown flatworms but not a lot that I can see. My main concern is my Zoa's so I ordered some flatworm exit hoping that would do the trick. I don't see any other pests. 

 

IMG_20190522_113254.thumb.jpg.6c97a1258db4a59c25799f62bda82a28.jpg

 

IMG_20190509_200529.thumb.jpg.02422c86037e96fa3fb201ff420dc8c1.jpg

 

IMG_20190502_201248.thumb.jpg.6cce1dc9136cdc4764a180e4da19e5de.jpg

 

IMG_20190511_191014.thumb.jpg.a2a0d02998cbf2e6542e5addd8ffbaf3.jpg

Link to comment
4 minutes ago, Queenofreef said:

I second the water change!

 

2 hours ago, seabass said:

Water changes will help balance it out.

 

I'll do a water change to bring my parameters down for now, however my Zoa's have been giving me problems for a couple of months now and water changes haven't helped. My Zoa's used to be so pretty lol 

 

Link to comment
Queenofreef
Just now, scrappy34 said:

 

 

I'll do a water change to bring my parameters down for now, however my Zoa's have been giving me problems for a couple of months now and water changes haven't helped. My Zoa's used to be so pretty lol 

 

Hmmm. Any other changes made recently? Powerheads or something of that nature? 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
8 minutes ago, scrappy34 said:

My Zoa's used to be so pretty

It certainly could be the flatworms (or possibly some other irritant or predator).  Could even be a lack of phosphate (didn't see that you are testing for that).

 

10 minutes ago, Queenofreef said:

Hmmm. Any other changes made recently? Powerheads or something of that nature? 

Could also be that; or even lighting.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
19 minutes ago, seabass said:

It certainly could be the flatworms (or possibly some other irritant or predator).  Could even be a lack of phosphate (didn't see that you are testing for that).

 

Could also be that; or even lighting.

 

30 minutes ago, Queenofreef said:

Hmmm. Any other changes made recently? Powerheads or something of that nature? 

 

The only notable change is that some LED's in my Kessil seem to have burnt out. Roughly 80% are still working though, so I thought that it wouldn't hurt because the a360we is already quite large for my 25g tank. 

 

I need to get a new test kit for phosphate, forgot about that one.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment

Your ca is a bit high but alk is fine at 9-9.5

 

 

Nitrates a bit high. Waterchanges will help reduce it as long as the water source is good 

Link to comment
blasterman

This is a classic textbook problem with zoas / palys exasperated by low gas turnover  / poor aeration. I see it all the time; they are either curled up and/or have skirts that look stunted or literally burnt on the edges.  The stunted skirts are because they are literally being burned by the pH difference between their soft tissue and tank water. Some research I'm reading indicates it's because zoanthids / palys can't export oxygen, but what I do know is heavy nightly aereation or kalk dosing helps...a lot.

 

Personally I wouldn't bother with the water change because calcium at 480 is not a big deal. It will come down on its own, and as long as you don't let your alk climb higher you are fine. The peanut gallery here likes to solve everything via water changes and it's BS. Go ahead....do a 50% water change every day for the next month and the issue won't get better because R/O or distilled water almost always has lower pH and higher C02 levels than open tank water.  If you're using Reef Crystals are any other amatuer salt calcium is going to end up at 420'ish and dKH 11-12. Big deal....but go ahead and do the water change if it makes you feel better 🙂

 

If you have a spare air pump or water pump with a venturi try blasting the tank at night with as much air as you can. Anything to get some heavy surface agitation at night when gas turnover is the most critical. Try this for a week and you should start to see an improvement.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
23 hours ago, blasterman said:

This is a classic textbook problem with zoas / palys exasperated by low gas turnover  / poor aeration. I see it all the time; they are either curled up and/or have skirts that look stunted or literally burnt on the edges.  The stunted skirts are because they are literally being burned by the pH difference between their soft tissue and tank water. Some research I'm reading indicates it's because zoanthids / palys can't export oxygen, but what I do know is heavy nightly aereation or kalk dosing helps...a lot.

 

Personally I wouldn't bother with the water change because calcium at 480 is not a big deal. It will come down on its own, and as long as you don't let your alk climb higher you are fine. The peanut gallery here likes to solve everything via water changes and it's BS. Go ahead....do a 50% water change every day for the next month and the issue won't get better because R/O or distilled water almost always has lower pH and higher C02 levels than open tank water.  If you're using Reef Crystals are any other amatuer salt calcium is going to end up at 420'ish and dKH 11-12. Big deal....but go ahead and do the water change if it makes you feel better 🙂

 

If you have a spare air pump or water pump with a venturi try blasting the tank at night with as much air as you can. Anything to get some heavy surface agitation at night when gas turnover is the most critical. Try this for a week and you should start to see an improvement.

 

 

 

 

 

What about tanks where pH drops to 7.7 or 7.8 from 8.2 and zoas do well? Or are you thinking his pH is even lower than this? 

 

Got any sources? 

 

I believe the OP already has a skimmer running so not sure what a bubbler would do that a skimmer isn't unless he runs the intake outside.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...