Acclimating

[bluespotocto]

I got a nice frag of pink birdsnest. I let it sit on the sand bed of my tank for a week. I noticed it was losing some color and getting lighter as the week went on but i still had good polyp extension. I decided to move the frag up on the rock this morning. I came home today and it had look like it got lighter even more and there was no polyp extension either. So i moved it back down to the sand and is looking better. I have 2 250 watt MH and 2 65 PC. The PCs run 9 to 9 and the MHs run from 11 to 9. Any help on moving it up and when and how i should do that would help?.

Thanks

 

[buy_baff]

Your MH are on way to long IMO.

 

[bluespotocto]

how long would you recommend they be left on?

 

[MrKite24]

8 hours or less should be good. You can still run your PC's 12 hours. My MH are on for 7.5 hours a day and I have great growth and color.

 

[toothman]

I keep my 400 watt 10k bulbs on 6 hrs vho 13 hrs. Only problem with my birdnest is it grows all over anything. But it looks great.

<a href="http://s382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/?action=view&current=DSC_0473.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo268/eralff/DSC_0473.jpg" border="0" alt="ORA Birdnest"></a>

 

[bluespotocto]

So it keeps getting lighter and i went through all the test today.

Ca:350 (I have started raising it)
ALk: 7.8
Mag: 1450
Po4:0
Nitrate:0
Ph: 8.8 mad2

So would the problem be the low Ca or the high Ph? I did a ten gallon water change (the tank is 75 gallons) and it would still not lower the Ph. How do i lower the Ph? It still has some PE. So help please!!!

 

[OzoneParkGuy]

Your numbers seem odd... as far as alk being 7.8 that should put you in a general range of 8.1 - 8.25 on the Ph scale. Dosing? If so what? Any Kalkwasser? What test kits are you using? ELOS, Salifert, API..... Should retest again. Borrow a test kit if possible from a fellow reefer to be certain. You are aware Magnesium is the buffer aka balance for Alk and CA++.
How's the flow? How many corals appear to be doing the same.. post more info.

Most birdsnests like moderate lighting.

 

[bluespotocto]

I am dosing B-ionic 2 part. No kalkwasser. The test kit is salifert and API. The flow is really strong i have 2 maxi jets 2100 gph. I dont really understand what you mean by the mag being a buffer? This is the only coral it is a test coral to make sure there is not problems. I will do a retest today. What other info do you need?

 

[OzoneParkGuy]

What I am saying is with the correct Magnesium Range of 1250-1500, You will see a PH range (either low 8.1's - high 8.4's) which will require you to make adjustments to dosing alk and or raising the ph using Kalkwasser and dosing Calcium. If you dose to much of one or the other, you will have a see saw effect meaning the alk goes up, then calcium will go down and or vise versa. So with the proper range of Magnesium you can balance things out and know what to dose accordingly to your tank. Everything will stabilize. So Magnesium in essence is the key to keeping SPS. They all interact with each other.

Here are a couple of links to follow up on... VERY HELPFULL in understanding how they all work.. It may seem overwhelming but it's not.

Good Luck, I'm sure you'll do just fine.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-09/rhf/index.php

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102605

 

[bluespotocto]

So here our the new numbers i got.

Ca: 400
Alk: 8
Mag:1400
Po4: 0
Nitrate: 0
Ph: 8.8(?)
Salinity: 1.026

So i am getting better numbers except the dang Ph. How do i lower that? Could that be the problem why my coral is getting lighter?

 

[OzoneParkGuy]

Which test kit are you using to determine you ph?

 

[bluespotocto]

I am using API.

 

[OzoneParkGuy]

I would look into purchasing a different test kit for PH rather than using the API. A PH probe perhaps for the future.
The color charts can be misleading to a degree, and can vary from light and how you hold the test vile against the color chart and from angle to angle.. From what you are posting as your parameters, I believe you are in range and may be fine.
I suggest maybe shaking the dropper of the ph liquid for a longer period of time to make sure that there are no tiny solid particles being droped into your test vile causing a somewhat higher ph reading.... shaking the dropper for a longer period can in most cases dissolve the particles and give a more accurate result. JMO...

As mentioned earlier... placement for birdsnest can be middle to high, but since you are acclimatiing it start low and work your way up within 2 weeks. Also be carefull to not have the flow directed towards the polyps as they will close. (Think you mentioned that earlier)They like moderate flow... not pounding.
Try the things mentioned and post your results. You should be good.