Hammer coral help - Page 2

Sk8r · 11/03/2010, 08:08 PM

Sometimes the current causes a knocking or wobble that we can't see, but the coral senses, and that will cause it to stay contracted. Get either Reef Putty or I-C-Gel and glue its base (ok to take it out of the water long enough to see what you're doing) to something you can wedge firmly into your rockwork.

Re the magnesium question: if your corals are not yet 'eating' much calcium you won't have seen it yet---but---magnesium slowly, slowly gets used up. Your water changes help supply it. BUT---ultimately, with a lot of corals, it won't be enough. If your mg drops below 1200, your alkalinity and calcium will also start dropping, like a stone, in the presence of hungry coral.

Faced with this situation---first dose mg (magnesium) until you reach 1300, which may take a day: follow directions on the bottle. THEN raise alk. Wait 12 hours for it to reverberate through the tank chemistry. Once alk is at 8.3, add calcium, and go on adding it, waiting again a day between doses, until it stands at 420 or higher.

IF the mg is at 1300, it will hold alk and cal at the levels you chose. Once mg falls, alk and cal will again drop. Get a logbook, and log your alk---alk, because it's the easiest, fastest, cheapest test to run. IF and WHEN the alk drops, you immediately test mg, because you KNOW it's dropped. Dose mg, get it back up, then dose alk, then cal, etc, etc, forever.

OTOH---if you are atop things with your log book and you see that mg head down, heck, DOSE MG right then and get it back up. Then you don't have to go through the adjustment of the other two, because they won't drop.

Does that help? Mg first, then alk, then cal. Test mg---if at or above 1300, alk and cal will stay put. Keep mg high. [And you will have so much coralline you'll wish otherwise!]

kdv9tb · 11/04/2010, 11:04 AM

See problem is that I live in the middle of nowhere and am 2 hrs from the closest store to buy things. As of right now I am dosing Cal and Alk and have accebtible numbers. Alk is at 8 and cal is at 420. I do not know what my MG is becasue I do not have a tester. Even if it is low I can not add anything because I do not have the time to drive and get anything today.

The coral looks worse today. He is all shrunk inside himself. I did a water change last week and I guess that is when I noticed he started doing bad. I was thinking I would do another water change tonight (5-8 gallons) and see if that would help, but I really do not want to make him worse.

The only param that is high in my tank is Phosphates. I have been fighting it since I set the tank up and cannot get it to come down. I also have noticed a VERY foul smell coming from the tank.

Please help if you have any suggestions I would be thankful. As for the MG. I ordered a test kit and a supplement online, but will not be here till next week.

kellybean · 11/04/2010, 11:10 AM

Start running carbon immediately to get any impurities out of the water and rid of that smell. Do a nice sized water change to help get the phosphates down and search for what the source may be. Are you using RO/DI water, what type of salt, how often are you feeding and what are you feeding. Being in the middle of nowhere, your best bet is online that offers fast shipping. drsfosterandsmith is great.

Jstdv8 · 11/04/2010, 02:22 PM

So you noticed a problem after a water change and before the water change everything was good?
did you test the new saltwater before you added it to the tank? might be a bad batch of salt or it didn't get stirred up enough or areated enough. Just a thought

11/03/2010, 08:08 PM	#26
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Sometimes the current causes a knocking or wobble that we can't see, but the coral senses, and that will cause it to stay contracted. Get either Reef Putty or I-C-Gel and glue its base (ok to take it out of the water long enough to see what you're doing) to something you can wedge firmly into your rockwork. Re the magnesium question: if your corals are not yet 'eating' much calcium you won't have seen it yet---but---magnesium slowly, slowly gets used up. Your water changes help supply it. BUT---ultimately, with a lot of corals, it won't be enough. If your mg drops below 1200, your alkalinity and calcium will also start dropping, like a stone, in the presence of hungry coral. Faced with this situation---first dose mg (magnesium) until you reach 1300, which may take a day: follow directions on the bottle. THEN raise alk. Wait 12 hours for it to reverberate through the tank chemistry. Once alk is at 8.3, add calcium, and go on adding it, waiting again a day between doses, until it stands at 420 or higher. IF the mg is at 1300, it will hold alk and cal at the levels you chose. Once mg falls, alk and cal will again drop. Get a logbook, and log your alk---alk, because it's the easiest, fastest, cheapest test to run. IF and WHEN the alk drops, you immediately test mg, because you KNOW it's dropped. Dose mg, get it back up, then dose alk, then cal, etc, etc, forever. OTOH---if you are atop things with your log book and you see that mg head down, heck, DOSE MG right then and get it back up. Then you don't have to go through the adjustment of the other two, because they won't drop. Does that help? Mg first, then alk, then cal. Test mg---if at or above 1300, alk and cal will stay put. Keep mg high. [And you will have so much coralline you'll wish otherwise!] __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

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11/04/2010, 11:04 AM	#27
kdv9tb Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 137	See problem is that I live in the middle of nowhere and am 2 hrs from the closest store to buy things. As of right now I am dosing Cal and Alk and have accebtible numbers. Alk is at 8 and cal is at 420. I do not know what my MG is becasue I do not have a tester. Even if it is low I can not add anything because I do not have the time to drive and get anything today. The coral looks worse today. He is all shrunk inside himself. I did a water change last week and I guess that is when I noticed he started doing bad. I was thinking I would do another water change tonight (5-8 gallons) and see if that would help, but I really do not want to make him worse. The only param that is high in my tank is Phosphates. I have been fighting it since I set the tank up and cannot get it to come down. I also have noticed a VERY foul smell coming from the tank. Please help if you have any suggestions I would be thankful. As for the MG. I ordered a test kit and a supplement online, but will not be here till next week.

11/04/2010, 11:10 AM	#28
kellybean Moved On Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 82	Start running carbon immediately to get any impurities out of the water and rid of that smell. Do a nice sized water change to help get the phosphates down and search for what the source may be. Are you using RO/DI water, what type of salt, how often are you feeding and what are you feeding. Being in the middle of nowhere, your best bet is online that offers fast shipping. drsfosterandsmith is great.

11/04/2010, 02:22 PM	#29
Jstdv8 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Wasilla, Alaska Posts: 1,420	So you noticed a problem after a water change and before the water change everything was good? did you test the new saltwater before you added it to the tank? might be a bad batch of salt or it didn't get stirred up enough or areated enough. Just a thought