Need quick help on water parameters

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 03:32 PM

Just checked calcium and alkalinity, since I have added a clam in the last week. Seems good, calcium stayed good and alk use to be around 11 dKh, now its around 28!?! A xenia died in the tank, got him out asap. Will dKh rising like this hurt anything? So far is good except the xenia but that never did well. Also, that clam did a rock jump, had him in the sand in a bright spot, he moved to a rock where it is less light

then I moved him to a high rock and he got nice light, maybe he had too much flow but this mroning he was slanted and looking like it was going to jump. Came home and he is in the sand again. Not in the light part but under a rock overhang

Move to the brightest part on the rock again, move to a brighter sand spot, keep where he is? Crocea clam, the one as my avatar is him in case you need to know for any information you have. Also was told not to get my hands in there too much to disturb anything so I don't know to move it or what lol. It isn't open as much as he was on the rock, but he could have just jumped before I got home too maybe leaving him not as much extended.

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 03:34 PM

Oh ya, see on the avatar where it is light then shadowed on the sand. He moved to the more shadowed part, not far in but maybe past the turn line from light to shadow.

papagimp · 10/06/2006, 03:42 PM

I havn't had it happen to my tank but i hear when dKH rises like that it can cause a drop in Calcium. I'd do some WC's to get the Alk in the normal range and keep your eyes on water quality. What's the Ph runnin?

bertoni · 10/06/2006, 03:42 PM

Are you dosing a pH buffer? They always add alkalinity, and typically cause problems. Since some animals are showing problems, I'd suggest a series of 2-3 20% water changes.

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 03:49 PM

I have a alk buffer but havent used it since it was fine. Checked today and was shocked. The calcium is fine so I dont know what made it raise. The xenia that died it was fine dKh at the time and it still wasnt doing good, people can and cant keep xenia I was told so maybe I just cant keep them so I dont know if that is the problem.

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 03:54 PM

retested, came to 19.6 dKh. Still way too high right? Maybe I will try 1 water change tonight. Will this level of alk hurt my coral or fish at all?

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 04:01 PM

All this goodies I am finding, found a first aiptasia growing out of a star polyp base.

bertoni · 10/06/2006, 06:26 PM

I don't think the alkalinity is high enough to damage the animals, but the pH might have been a problem when the spike occurred.

t5Nitro · 10/06/2006, 06:48 PM

I am doing a water change soon, have salt mixing.

10/06/2006, 03:32 PM	#1
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	Need quick help on water parameters Just checked calcium and alkalinity, since I have added a clam in the last week. Seems good, calcium stayed good and alk use to be around 11 dKh, now its around 28!?! A xenia died in the tank, got him out asap. Will dKh rising like this hurt anything? So far is good except the xenia but that never did well. Also, that clam did a rock jump, had him in the sand in a bright spot, he moved to a rock where it is less light then I moved him to a high rock and he got nice light, maybe he had too much flow but this mroning he was slanted and looking like it was going to jump. Came home and he is in the sand again. Not in the light part but under a rock overhang Move to the brightest part on the rock again, move to a brighter sand spot, keep where he is? Crocea clam, the one as my avatar is him in case you need to know for any information you have. Also was told not to get my hands in there too much to disturb anything so I don't know to move it or what lol. It isn't open as much as he was on the rock, but he could have just jumped before I got home too maybe leaving him not as much extended.

10/06/2006, 03:34 PM	#2
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	Oh ya, see on the avatar where it is light then shadowed on the sand. He moved to the more shadowed part, not far in but maybe past the turn line from light to shadow. __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future

10/06/2006, 03:42 PM	#3
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I havn't had it happen to my tank but i hear when dKH rises like that it can cause a drop in Calcium. I'd do some WC's to get the Alk in the normal range and keep your eyes on water quality. What's the Ph runnin? __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

10/06/2006, 03:42 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Are you dosing a pH buffer? They always add alkalinity, and typically cause problems. Since some animals are showing problems, I'd suggest a series of 2-3 20% water changes. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/06/2006, 03:49 PM	#5
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	I have a alk buffer but havent used it since it was fine. Checked today and was shocked. The calcium is fine so I dont know what made it raise. The xenia that died it was fine dKh at the time and it still wasnt doing good, people can and cant keep xenia I was told so maybe I just cant keep them so I dont know if that is the problem. __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future

10/06/2006, 03:54 PM	#6
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	retested, came to 19.6 dKh. Still way too high right? Maybe I will try 1 water change tonight. Will this level of alk hurt my coral or fish at all? __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future

10/06/2006, 04:01 PM	#7
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	All this goodies I am finding, found a first aiptasia growing out of a star polyp base. __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future

10/06/2006, 06:26 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I don't think the alkalinity is high enough to damage the animals, but the pH might have been a problem when the spike occurred. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/06/2006, 06:48 PM	#9
t5Nitro Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 4,384	I am doing a water change soon, have salt mixing. __________________ ATI T5 club Current Tank Info: Left the hobby, looking to re-enter in the future