Reef Discussion

[josh]

hi all i really need some help ill start by saying i used to use randys recipe back when i first started the hobby but AT THE TIME i found it really hard and my corals where not doing any good just because i was doseing wrong and other things more or less i had to much on my plate so i stopped and just started using reef foundation ABC+ ca/sr/kh/mg/k/br powder supplement for about 5 or 6 mouths i run it at 465 cal with this supplement you just test cal to work out your dose, this stuff worked really really well corals loved it there colour was awesome and they grow so fast but what i found is that the cal would be allways spot on but as for mag and alk they was allways to low, after using the supplement for that time i got good with testing and dosing and i though i would fine turn them by using randys again thinking i would be able to do better this time but after using it for over a mouth now i have found the my xenia corals are dying and my sps corals are losing colour and all corals just not looking right i just dont no what im doing wrong im doing everything randys recipe tells me too do but its not working i have one though is i am running my levels to high for randys recipe or i made them come up to fast? i am now running my tank at: 35 satinity ppm, alk/dkh is 12.6/meq/l is 4.5, cal is 465 mg/l, mg/mg/l is 1390 now i am running at theses levels because that what my red sea hand book says to keep it at but what i was thinking theses levels are for red sea supplements so maybe running randys at this is no good?? any help on this would be so great and i would be so thank full :)

 

[Sarg]

I run my alk at 8 and cal at 420.

Recon anything else is going on in your tank?

 

[josh]

I run my alk at 8 and cal at 420.

Recon anything else is going on in your tank?

the only other thing i can think of is my sand bed in my fuge it does not get much flow and im getting a build up of silt well i think its silt its like a brown coloured stuff and its really light it sits onto of the sand and any movement blows it all around part from that im not sure if the sand bed is deep enough to be a dsb so not sure if its doing any good anyways :/

 

[RobbieMVFC]

Hi Josh ,Those parameter's seam a little high if you are concerned about colour . I guess you are targeting growth rather than colour.
unfortunately you can only target one or the other (growth or colour),
From what I recall the energy used zooxanthellae in corals (colour) is utilised for growth.
inturn your robbing Peter to pay Paul.
if you want colour I would suggest parameters like Cal 410, Alk about 7 ppm and Mag 1285 , that is what natural seawater is at.
if you do make the change do so very slowly.
I targeted growth a few months back . I was shattered with the colour loss I got but I did get good growth.
I now have my parameters at Cal 410 , Alk 8 , Mag 1360 and the colour is slowly coming back

P.S xenia have a reputation of either overtaking your tank or just disappearing.
Iodine is meant to be good for them.
I have anthelia coral (its like Xenia ) It never did much until I moved it closer to the light.
Its now going nuts that I am concerned about overriding the tank :(

P.S.S Don't get sucked in to buying all these colour enriching products as I did.
They wont do anything until you have your parameters closer to natural seawater

good luck and don't give up ... keep us posted.

 

[Sarg]

not really sure on dsb's sorry so cant be of much help there but id start by raising that alk up to around 7-8. Running it that low may even impact your ph.

 

[holly]

What size is your sand in your DSB and what depth is it at? If you're loosing a lot of alkalinity it can be from having a high nitrate load (lots of detritus) or high phosphates (or both). Are you doing regular water changes? how much, how often?

 

[josh]

its not very big but its about 5 cm deep and yer doing water changers every week like allways i do 45 liters for a 200 liter tank