adding strontium

salty joe · 06/14/2016, 07:15 PM

My Salifert test showed that strontium was low.

Which would be the better additive, strontium chloride or strontium chloride hexahydrate?

bertoni · 06/15/2016, 12:00 AM

In practice, either is fine. The amount of strontium added should be very small. In theory, a mixture of the two would be best, but I wouldn't bother.

I'm not convinced that it's worth dosing strontium:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/11/chemistry

I tried for a while, but stopped, and never noticed a difference.

salty joe · 06/15/2016, 04:38 AM

Calcium, alk and mag are good but almost all the purple, pink and magenta coralline algae died. It spread nicely for awhile, then crashed. I'm getting some orange growth that looks like coralline algae.

Something's off. Since strontium didn't even register, it seemed like a good place to start.

bertoni · 06/15/2016, 06:05 AM

You can give it a shot. Have you double-checked your test kits recently? I'd be worried about the calcium and alkalinity levels.

Syntax1325 · 06/15/2016, 06:15 AM

Maybe check Potassium?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

salty joe · 06/15/2016, 04:27 PM

I'm going to run all tests again before adding anything. I tested for potassium and got 440, a little bit high. I don't have a boron test kit yet, but I'll be looking at that too. Thanks guys.

bertoni · 06/15/2016, 05:18 PM

You're welcome. Good luck!

tmz · 06/16/2016, 12:44 AM

IME, birght orange coralline is coralline that's dying. I see it after a peroxide bath on the rock base where purple ,pink etc croaline lived . Ultimately it goes white and disappears.

salty joe · 06/16/2016, 04:40 AM

That's interesting, I'll find a small orange spot and watch it carefully.

ReefTeacher · 06/16/2016, 01:02 PM

I have found coralline algae to be sensitive to Mg levels. Have you tested those?

salty joe · 06/16/2016, 02:46 PM

Yes, in a two and 1/2 month period mag fell from 1275 to 1200. (2-13 to 4-28) It's now at 1260. I'm dosing mag daily now.

Half Vaped · 06/16/2016, 03:44 PM

Coralline algae is also sensitive to Phosphate. Have you tested that recently? My Coralline started dying when PO4 reached almost 1 ppm last year before I started dosing NOPOX. PO4 is now holding steady around 0.1 ppm and the Coralline returned with a vengeance.

I've never dosed nor tested for Stronium, so I can't help on that part. But I now have great Coralline growth without ever worrying about Stronium.

salty joe · 06/16/2016, 04:43 PM

I just used the Hanna phosphate checker and got 0.00, which makes sense because I've been trying to starve out a crab-or get him in a trap. The only food gone into the tank in quite awhile is bait and I run an algae filter.

I assumed that being a type of algae, coralline would appreciate some phosphate and wondered if low nutrients were doing it in. But hair algae and a lot of other types are alive and well, just not growing very much.

salty joe · 12/05/2016, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmz

IME, birght orange coralline is coralline that's dying. I see it after a peroxide bath on the rock base where purple ,pink etc croaline lived . Ultimately it goes white and disappears.

You're right on the money. The orange coralline was dying. It's coming back strong now. I suspect it's from too intense sunlight during the summer. I'm going to find a some blue chromatinet for the summer.

nereefpat · 12/06/2016, 10:49 AM

Adding strontium chloride vs strontium chloride hexahydrate won't make any difference.

You would just have to add a little more of the hexahydrate to get the same dosage, since it isn't anhydrous.

06/14/2016, 07:15 PM	#1
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	adding strontium My Salifert test showed that strontium was low. Which would be the better additive, strontium chloride or strontium chloride hexahydrate? __________________ Time to roll the dice.

06/15/2016, 12:00 AM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	In practice, either is fine. The amount of strontium added should be very small. In theory, a mixture of the two would be best, but I wouldn't bother. I'm not convinced that it's worth dosing strontium: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/11/chemistry I tried for a while, but stopped, and never noticed a difference. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/15/2016, 04:38 AM	#3
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	Calcium, alk and mag are good but almost all the purple, pink and magenta coralline algae died. It spread nicely for awhile, then crashed. I'm getting some orange growth that looks like coralline algae. Something's off. Since strontium didn't even register, it seemed like a good place to start. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

06/15/2016, 06:05 AM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You can give it a shot. Have you double-checked your test kits recently? I'd be worried about the calcium and alkalinity levels. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/15/2016, 06:15 AM	#5
Syntax1325 Acro Addict Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Maine Posts: 598	Maybe check Potassium? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Back to halides and loving it! Current Tank Info: 180g sps dom, 40b sump, Reeflo Dart, Apex, Aquamaxx co2, Reefbrite mh/led pendants w/14k twinarcs, Kore 5th doser, Tunze ATO, Ranco controlling 800 watt Finnex tube, 2 Maxpect Gyre 150XF with Ice Cap Controllers and battery backup, Bean Animal drain

06/15/2016, 04:27 PM	#6
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	I'm going to run all tests again before adding anything. I tested for potassium and got 440, a little bit high. I don't have a boron test kit yet, but I'll be looking at that too. Thanks guys. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

06/15/2016, 05:18 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You're welcome. Good luck! __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/16/2016, 12:44 AM	#8
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	IME, birght orange coralline is coralline that's dying. I see it after a peroxide bath on the rock base where purple ,pink etc croaline lived . Ultimately it goes white and disappears. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

06/16/2016, 04:40 AM	#9
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	That's interesting, I'll find a small orange spot and watch it carefully. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

06/16/2016, 01:02 PM	#10
ReefTeacher Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 358	I have found coralline algae to be sensitive to Mg levels. Have you tested those?

06/16/2016, 02:46 PM	#11
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	Yes, in a two and 1/2 month period mag fell from 1275 to 1200. (2-13 to 4-28) It's now at 1260. I'm dosing mag daily now. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

06/16/2016, 03:44 PM	#12
Half Vaped Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 401	Coralline algae is also sensitive to Phosphate. Have you tested that recently? My Coralline started dying when PO4 reached almost 1 ppm last year before I started dosing NOPOX. PO4 is now holding steady around 0.1 ppm and the Coralline returned with a vengeance. I've never dosed nor tested for Stronium, so I can't help on that part. But I now have great Coralline growth without ever worrying about Stronium.

06/16/2016, 04:43 PM	#13
salty joe Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: medina, ohio Posts: 2,419	I just used the Hanna phosphate checker and got 0.00, which makes sense because I've been trying to starve out a crab-or get him in a trap. The only food gone into the tank in quite awhile is bait and I run an algae filter. I assumed that being a type of algae, coralline would appreciate some phosphate and wondered if low nutrients were doing it in. But hair algae and a lot of other types are alive and well, just not growing very much. __________________ Time to roll the dice.

12/06/2016, 10:49 AM	#15
nereefpat Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 3,190	Adding strontium chloride vs strontium chloride hexahydrate won't make any difference. You would just have to add a little more of the hexahydrate to get the same dosage, since it isn't anhydrous. __________________ Pat Current Tank Info: 125 in-wall , 40b sump. 6 bulb T5. ASM G2 skimmer. LPS and leathers