Frequently the most seductive trap in reefing...FYI

Sk8r · 01/02/2008, 10:52 AM

...is in your own head; and here's how.

This is one of the most important pieces of wisdom I've gathered in 40 years of keeping tanks....

Situation: your corals aren't looking great. You spot a hitchhiking worm...Yow! It's killing your corals....right?
Nope. Your corals are suffering from poor chemistry, dying, and the worm is cleaning up dead tissue.

Situation: your zoas aren't opening the way they used to. You add doses of miracle stuff.
a. Your lights are expired.
b. Your alkalinity is screwed.

The most seductive trap is Assuming...Assuming without testing. If something is going wrong in your tank, test these things first.
1. temperature [safe range plus or minus 80 by 2 degrees.
2. salinity: 1.024-6
3. alkalinity [everybody should have a jar of dkh buffer, in case.] 8.3-9.3.
4. ph: 7.9-8.3.
FOR REEFS
5. calcium 400-450
6. magnesium 1200-1300.

Assumptions have killed more fish and corals than anything else in reefing.

Something goes wrong, and being human, you look for the immediately visible Unusual Thing, and blame that...either a creature you see near the scene, or something you recently did, like a water change.

Not every change is visible to the eye---

The first thing you OUGHT to do when you observe something odd with your fish or corals is run every test you own. Here is one of THE best reasons to keep a log of all your tests. Every tank is different---but consider this: when you have been watching a daily decline in your alkalinity and you get up Friday and find your zoas all retracted...with your log, you have a much better focus than the guy who hunkers down by his tank looking for a reason, spots a worm nearby or a copepod on the glass and rushes off to the lfs to buy something to decimate his cleaning crew...
And with your log, you can instantly look up the date on which you installed those lights.

Assumptions kill. Test first. THEN come to RC with your params and a report of the problem and we can be of some real help.

sanababit · 01/02/2008, 12:07 PM

i was looking through the posts and this one caught my eye for some reason, maybe its because its from sk8r, lol, anyways i have a ? of your alk note, instead of the dkh buffer can i use baking soda, i just cant seem to get my alk up, its just sitting at 6-7, param are
temp 75.5
sal 1.026
alk 6-7
amonia 0
trite 0
trate 2ppm
mag 1320
cal 420
ph 7.81 night 8.08 day per my ph probe, 8.3 per test kits
phosphate 0 per test kit
running 3 reactors with phosban, carbon, sulphur denitrifier 24/7
i dose 20 ml of alk b ionic and 15ml of cal b ionic every day, i have like 5 sps frags, zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, hammer, lobo, fungia.

well any ideas on how to control it besides using a calcium reactor
thanks

sana

Sk8r · 01/02/2008, 04:23 PM

I think that the baking soda might work---I know I did use it at one point in my reefing career.

Kalk reactor is cheaper: drop a half pound of kalk [Mrs. Wages PIckling LIme] into a 5-10g topoff bucket of rodi, suspend topoff pump about 10-15 inches off bottom, will automatically hold alk and cal whereever you have 'set' them to be if in the presence of enough magnesium, which you have.

Kalk reactor is good substitute for calcium reactor in 120 or less gallon tank; I use kalk in my topoff reservoir.

First get alk up to max proper, then use kalk to hold it there.

My kalk 'reactor' cost me 2.00: I put an eggcrate 'floor' halfway up my topoff reservoir and put my topoff pump there. It holds alk and cal steady.

Also---check the tds [dissolved solids] on your ro/di water, make sure it's not coming in with something that lowers ph.

01/02/2008, 10:52 AM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Frequently the most seductive trap in reefing...FYI ...is in your own head; and here's how. This is one of the most important pieces of wisdom I've gathered in 40 years of keeping tanks.... Situation: your corals aren't looking great. You spot a hitchhiking worm...Yow! It's killing your corals....right? Nope. Your corals are suffering from poor chemistry, dying, and the worm is cleaning up dead tissue. Situation: your zoas aren't opening the way they used to. You add doses of miracle stuff. a. Your lights are expired. b. Your alkalinity is screwed. The most seductive trap is Assuming...Assuming without testing. If something is going wrong in your tank, test these things first. 1. temperature [safe range plus or minus 80 by 2 degrees. 2. salinity: 1.024-6 3. alkalinity [everybody should have a jar of dkh buffer, in case.] 8.3-9.3. 4. ph: 7.9-8.3. FOR REEFS 5. calcium 400-450 6. magnesium 1200-1300. Assumptions have killed more fish and corals than anything else in reefing. Something goes wrong, and being human, you look for the immediately visible Unusual Thing, and blame that...either a creature you see near the scene, or something you recently did, like a water change. Not every change is visible to the eye--- The first thing you OUGHT to do when you observe something odd with your fish or corals is run every test you own. Here is one of THE best reasons to keep a log of all your tests. Every tank is different---but consider this: when you have been watching a daily decline in your alkalinity and you get up Friday and find your zoas all retracted...with your log, you have a much better focus than the guy who hunkers down by his tank looking for a reason, spots a worm nearby or a copepod on the glass and rushes off to the lfs to buy something to decimate his cleaning crew... And with your log, you can instantly look up the date on which you installed those lights. Assumptions kill. Test first. THEN come to RC with your params and a report of the problem and we can be of some real help. __________________ 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%.

01/02/2008, 12:07 PM	#2
sanababit Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Uranus Posts: 3,094	i was looking through the posts and this one caught my eye for some reason, maybe its because its from sk8r, lol, anyways i have a ? of your alk note, instead of the dkh buffer can i use baking soda, i just cant seem to get my alk up, its just sitting at 6-7, param are temp 75.5 sal 1.026 alk 6-7 amonia 0 trite 0 trate 2ppm mag 1320 cal 420 ph 7.81 night 8.08 day per my ph probe, 8.3 per test kits phosphate 0 per test kit running 3 reactors with phosban, carbon, sulphur denitrifier 24/7 i dose 20 ml of alk b ionic and 15ml of cal b ionic every day, i have like 5 sps frags, zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, hammer, lobo, fungia. well any ideas on how to control it besides using a calcium reactor thanks sana __________________ Senior Member of the "Hardly any Water Changes, Temp Swinging, T5ing, No Qtining, Frag Exchanging for Fish Food Current Tank Info: 90RR inwall, Octopuss Skimmer, 2 MP40 wQD, 1 MP10 WQD, 2 Radions G4 Pro, Apex Doser, Apex Controller, 400w heater, 30 Gal Sump, Biopellets, Carbon, Gfo, Macroalgae

01/02/2008, 04:23 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I think that the baking soda might work---I know I did use it at one point in my reefing career. Kalk reactor is cheaper: drop a half pound of kalk [Mrs. Wages PIckling LIme] into a 5-10g topoff bucket of rodi, suspend topoff pump about 10-15 inches off bottom, will automatically hold alk and cal whereever you have 'set' them to be if in the presence of enough magnesium, which you have. Kalk reactor is good substitute for calcium reactor in 120 or less gallon tank; I use kalk in my topoff reservoir. First get alk up to max proper, then use kalk to hold it there. My kalk 'reactor' cost me 2.00: I put an eggcrate 'floor' halfway up my topoff reservoir and put my topoff pump there. It holds alk and cal steady. Also---check the tds [dissolved solids] on your ro/di water, make sure it's not coming in with something that lowers ph. __________________ 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%.