Help is my bubble tip dying

[Jakewoods]

10 hours ago, seabass said:

I agree; that's likely what this is (given the relatively depressed levels compared to most salt mixes).  Jakewoods, that's not necessarily bad, even though the hobby does tend to target higher levels.

 

Reef Parameters:

	Recommended Reef Tank Parameters
	Parameter:	Recommended Reef Tank Values:	Typical Ocean Reef Values:*
	Temperature	76 to 83° F (up to 84° F)	83 to 86° F
	Salinity	34 to 35 ppt sg = 1.025 to 1.026	34 to 36 ppt sg = 1.025 to 1.027
	Ammonia	Less than 0.1 ppm	Less than 0.1 ppm
	Nitrite	Less than 0.2 ppm	Below 0.0001 ppm
	Nitrate	3 to 10 ppm (up to 20 ppm)	Below 0.1 ppm
	Phosphate	0.03 to 0.10 ppm (up to 0.20 ppm)	0.005 ppm
	pH	7.8 to 8.3 (up to 8.4)	8.0 to 8.3
	Alkalinity	2.5 to 4 meq/L 7 to 11 dKH 125 to 200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents	2.5 meq/L 7 dKH 125 ppm CaCO3 equivalents
	Calcium	380 to 450 ppm	420 ppm
	Magnesium	1250 to 1350 ppm	1280 ppm
			* Ocean Values provided by Randy Holmes-Farley

 

 

If natural seawater (NSW) is a good price, and mixing your own saltwater isn't convenient or economical, then be prepared to test and dose to replace consumption of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.  Maintain stability trying not to drop below typical ocean values.

 

One exception to this is nutrient levels.  Ocean values are very depressed compared to recommended reef tank values.  This is due to the differences in available food, as well as the intensity of the sun.  Plus, levels remain stable, so they rarely bottom out like they can do in our tanks.

 

A salt mix would probably make dosing alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium unnecessary, at least until you start adding stony corals.

So what your saying that if I mix my own salt water I wouldn’t have to dose those elements. I might get a test done on the water I am buying to see what values there water is actually at 

[seabass]

3 minutes ago, Jakewoods said:

So what your saying that if I mix my own salt water I wouldn’t have to dose those elements

Without stony corals, water changes (using most salt mixes) are generally enough to keep parameters within the recommended ranges.  However, as you add stony corals, or even get a substantial amount of coralline algae, there might be enough consumption to warrant dosing of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

 

Many people with soft coral tanks don't even test for these elements because their salt mix replenishes what little is consumed.

[Jakewoods]

5 minutes ago, seabass said:

Without stony corals, water changes (using most salt mixes) are generally enough to keep parameters within the recommended ranges.  However, as you add stony corals, or even get a substantial amount of coralline algae, there might be enough consumption to warrant dosing of alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

 

Many people with soft coral tanks don't even test for these elements because their salt mix replenishes what little is consumed.

Yeah ok cool and how often and how much water should I be changing each week. And will phosphate eventually start to produce itself 

[Tamberav]

Here is a list of test kits I like:

 

Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker (Saltwater) - Hanna Instruments

HI782 Marine Nitrate High Range Checker - Hanna Instruments

 

Calcium: Salifert or Red Sea

Magnesium: Salifert or Red Sea

 

Refractometer + Calibration fluid for salinity 

[Jakewoods]

5 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Here is a list of test kits I like:

 

Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker - Marine Water

HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker (Saltwater) - Hanna Instruments

HI782 Marine Nitrate High Range Checker - Hanna Instruments

 

Calcium: Salifert or Red Sea

Magnesium: Salifert or Red Sea

 

Refractometer + Calibration fluid for salinity 

This is what I have so far. I am going to the shops today to get some more testing stuff 

[Tamberav]

Just now, Jakewoods said:

This is what I have so far. I am going to the shops today to get some more testing stuff 

 

looks good so far 🙂

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

As promised, here are two schedules on two ADA 60P’s. They are 17 gallon tanks. 
 

SPS Dominant - using two AI Prime HDs. 

 

And here is an AI Hydra HD 26, over a mixed reef. (Notice significantly less white, and no red/greens.) 

[Jakewoods]

3 minutes ago, NoOneLikesADryTang said:

As promised, here are two schedules on two ADA 60P’s. They are 17 gallon tanks. 
 

SPS Dominant - using two AI Prime HDs. 

 

And here is an AI Hydra HD 26, over a mixed reef. (Notice significantly less white, and no red/greens.) 

Thanks heaps for that. As far as my tank goes witch one would better suit my tank 

[Jakewoods]

3 minutes ago, Jakewoods said:

Thanks heaps for that. As far as my tank goes witch one would better suit my tank 

And how long should the lights be on for each day 

[NoOneLikesADryTang]

1 hour ago, Jakewoods said:

Thanks heaps for that. As far as my tank goes witch one would better suit my tank 

I would work off the second one, the mixed reef. You can always make adjustments to suit your liking visually. 
 

1 hour ago, Jakewoods said:

And how long should the lights be on for each day 

We run ours for twelve hours, but there’s a ramp up and ramp down included in that. I’d say you should shoot for at least 8 hours a day. 

[seabass]

4 hours ago, Jakewoods said:

Yeah ok cool and how often and how much water should I be changing each week.

I used to suggest changing a certain percentage every week; but lately I've been recommending that you just replace what is lost during weekly maintenance.  However, if you were using water changes to replenish consumed elements or export excess nutrients, then you might wish to change out more water.

 

I'll stick with recommending that you just replace the water which is lost when siphoning out detritus from your tank.  Then dose enough elements to bring levels back up to where they used to be.  Use dosing for stability, not to achieve what you might consider a more ideal value.  If you aren't happy with the parameters of your replacement water (either NSW or a salt mix), then switch salt mixes.

 

In the case that nutrient levels are getting too high (phosphate over 0.10ppm and/or nitrate over 10ppm), then you might consider changing out more water in order to export the excess nutrients. Note that if you are dosing alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium to the level of your replacement water, then the amount of water changed won't affect these levels.

 

4 hours ago, Jakewoods said:

will phosphate eventually start to produce itself 

You might see phosphate levels rise without dosing it.  All organic matter contains phosphate.  So that means that everything you feed your tank will input more phosphate into the system.  That also means that dead organic matter will release inorganic phosphate as it is broken down.

 

Keep in mind that all photosynthetic life requires inorganic phosphate to produce energy for food.  In some cases, there is an excess of inputs which results in a build up of inorganic phosphate in your tank's water.  In other cases, there is more demand than supply, leading to a deficiency of inorganic phosphate.  Hopefully, a balance is achieved; but when that doesn't happen, you might have to dose nutrients or export nutrients to achieve your target levels.

[Jakewoods]

Ok this is all very helpful thank you. And I should be doing a vaccuum siphoning like the sand prob once a week cause the star fish are in there they would be eating most of it do you think. 

[seabass]

The sea stars will help to keep the sand bed clean (through feeding, and by stirring the substrate).  But as was previously pointed out, they are not very suitable for your tank.

[Jakewoods]

what can I do to help them out. 

[Jakewoods]

My current parameters are 

alk 8

ammonia - 0.2

calcium - 456

nitrate - 0.0

phosphate 0.03

ph 8.1

s.g - 1.025

[Jakewoods]

1 hour ago, Jakewoods said:

My current parameters are 

alk 8

ammonia - 0.2

calcium - 456

nitrate - 0.0

phosphate 0.03

ph 8.1

s.g - 1.025

And the fish shop water I buy parameters are as follows. 
alk -8

ammonia 0.2

calcium - 500

nitrate - 0.0

phosphate -0.0

ph 8

s.g 1.025

[seabass]

6 hours ago, Jakewoods said:

what can I do to help them out. 

These sea stars feed on life in the substrate.  And even if you try to supplement their diet, they won't get enough food in a tank this size.  I've read where a mature 75 gallon tank is the minimum to keep one; but it's not so much the volume of water as the available surface area of the substrate and the richness of biodiversity supported in the sand bed.  In addition to detritus, they eat pods, worms, bivalves, and other small inverts.

 

So the best thing that you could do for them is to re-home them, as you just don't have a tank that could meet their long-term needs.

[Jakewoods]

8 hours ago, seabass said:

These sea stars feed on life in the substrate.  And even if you try to supplement their diet, they won't get enough food in a tank this size.  I've read where a mature 75 gallon tank is the minimum to keep one; but it's not so much the volume of water as the available surface area of the substrate and the richness of biodiversity supported in the sand bed.  In addition to detritus, they eat pods, worms, bivalves, and other small inverts.

 

So the best thing that you could do for them is to re-home them, as you just don't have a tank that could meet their long-term needs.

Ok no worries thanks for that.  I’ll look into it