Alk swing, and not the dreaded RTN\STN

[xtlosx]

Hey everyone, so this is my first attempt at a large SPS tank (150G) but did keep plenty of SPS in my old 60G cube with no issues. I'm going through what can only be described as heartbreaking, but wanted to get some words of wisdom from the group.

Since November, my tank has been stable, and started stocking SPS. They were doing very well, growing, encrusting, and had decent coloration (had high phosphates for a bit but finally solved that now). A local reefer is upgrading tanks and was slowing bringing all of his stuff over, and of course it was dipped, etc. Things were growing well, and one day he needed to move more than just the usual frag or mini colony so he brought over several colonies, some minis and frags. I'm very anal on testing for Alk\Calc and adjusting two part dosing as needed. Alk is kept at 8.6-8.9 and Calc 440, and all was well. So when he brought all of his stuff over, I tested the morning after thinking alk will start to become depleted, and nothing. I tested everyday for a week and neither Alk nor Calc moved. This was shocking to me, and even 1.5 weeks later it didn't move, so I didn't adjust anything.

Suddenly I noticed my red planet was receding from the bottom and I suspected low alk so I tested, and it went from the normal range to the 6's! I slowly brought it up over the course of a week and it's been stable ever since (the drop was probably well over a month ago now. Red Planet died back probably 75% stopped, stalled for a bit, now is growing back. It moved to a mini colony of an acro I've never seen before, and literally in a couple of days (I was out of town) came back and all the flesh was peeling and gone so I fragged a branch that was not damaged, and it's doing fine now for the last several weeks. Systematically, it's going through almost every single darn acro in my system. Some slower than others, but most of the time it takes out a large chunk of the colony and then just stops, or slows down to the point where I can't tell it's killing it anymore. I'm hoping that's the case at least.

So my questions are as follows since I'm not new, but new to keeping a fully stocked SPS tank.

A) Why did it take so darn long for my Alk\Calc to behave in the way it did? Wouldn't they be used up quicker when adding so much stuff to the system?
B) What do I do now? Besides fragging if it gets so bad, or just as many locals have told me, ride it out...

This happened to a good friend of mine locally and he lost 90% of his beautiful SPS, but now I am feeling his pain. Now if there's a support group I can join too that'd be great :lolspin:

Thoughts?

 

[Tweaked]

For me, it really changed and had a huge drop once the balance hit, along with a bit of maturity. Almost overnight I started growing coralline algae at an much faster rate. To the point it was everywhere. This is when I took the alk drop hit. From there is was 4 weeks of fine tuning my dosers.

 

[xtlosx]

For me, it really changed and had a huge drop once the balance hit, along with a bit of maturity. Almost overnight I started growing coralline algae at an much faster rate. To the point it was everywhere. This is when I took the alk drop hit. From there is was 4 weeks of fine tuning my dosers.

So I noticed that when it happened my first two big colonies to go were almost overnight. They were 2yr+ colonies, so a LOT of flesh, and it receded REAL fast. Now that my tank has been stable for several weeks, what is happening, is SLOW and seems to just stop miraculously. My buddies GARF was probably 2 yrs of growth, it lost most of it's dark purple color, died back probably 75%, then has just stood still for the last week and now is coloring up dark purple again. I suspect it will do what my red planet did, just start growing back eventually.

Even above and beyond the RTN, I'm just more of less curious if anyone can help me understand why it took so long for the Alk\Calc levels to move after adding that much new stuff.

 

[Tweaked]

Hmm, two big colonies did this overnight. Were they delicate? Purple monster, Hawkins, etc. Doesn't seem like an alk drop would do that, but who knows.

 

[xtlosx]

Hmm, two big colonies did this overnight. Were they delicate? Purple monster, Hawkins, etc. Doesn't seem like an alk drop would do that, but who knows.

Well fine, not quite overnight couple days but it was quick... real quick as compared to some that slowly went south for a week or two then are coming back now.

It was a cali tort, and this un-named orange sherbert acro we call it here. I luckily snipped off a branch that is doing just fine now.

Ironically enough my buddy did bring a big hawkins colony over and within a few days of the swing had the same problem and I lost about 90% of the colony. It's now growing back and looking better than ever and at this rate will regrow over all of the dead parts.

I had read somewhere that when a big alk swing like this occurs, you won't always notice effects overnight. Sometimes it will be days, weeks or even months later. For me, it was weeks after the swing systematically one by one having issues... montis are happy, LPS are happy, just SPS.

 

[Nibrown9]

I just went through the same thing, what was your temp of the tank? Could be a temp swing also my acros are stalled I. Rtn/stn at this time hopefully they will come back around quickly. I had a temp swing since being In Arizona and the summer time temps came fast this year

 

[xtlosx]

I just went through the same thing, what was your temp of the tank? Could be a temp swing also my acros are stalled I. Rtn/stn at this time hopefully they will come back around quickly. I had a temp swing since being In Arizona and the summer time temps came fast this year

Interesting, so I can rule out Temperature because tank is in the basement, by a nice AC vent, and it is dead nuts 79F constantly. My RKL can track that, so I ruled out temp, but did read any one of the parameters can cause this to happen.

Just kind of wish I knew what to do to just stop it.. Being told, hey just ride it out doesn't make me feel all too confident but sadly, seems like this is what happens.

 

[Nibrown9]

Interesting, so I can rule out Temperature because tank is in the basement, by a nice AC vent, and it is dead nuts 79F constantly. My RKL can track that, so I ruled out temp, but did read any one of the parameters can cause this to happen.

Just kind of wish I knew what to do to just stop it.. Being told, hey just ride it out doesn't make me feel all too confident but sadly, seems like this is what happens.

I'm With you on this one, time will tell. Also check your po4 to be sure they aren't being starved

 

[xtlosx]

I'm With you on this one, time will tell. Also check your po4 to be sure they aren't being starved

My phosphate did change this last week, as I finally got it under control.. For a long time it was >.1 and as of Sunday it was .02 or so.. I switched phosphate removal media and that finally helped, but all of this happened well before po4 dropped..

I've realized that if its not one thing it's something else... I finally figure out my po4 situation and can control it, but now have to deal with why my acros are receding.

 

[Nibrown9]

My phosphate did change this last week, as I finally got it under control.. For a long time it was >.1 and as of Sunday it was .02 or so.. I switched phosphate removal media and that finally helped, but all of this happened well before po4 dropped..

I've realized that if its not one thing it's something else... I finally figure out my po4 situation and can control it, but now have to deal with why my acros are receding.

Let it ride for a week or two and see what happens. Mine looks to have stopped after the last week. Hopefully this week I'll see some growth and color back also

 

[xtlosx]

Let it ride for a week or two and see what happens. Mine looks to have stopped after the last week. Hopefully this week I'll see some growth and color back also

Yea, I'm not doing anything for the moment, just normal maintenance and more importantly keeping my system stable... Stability is key! The fact I'm getting better color from my corals is telling me that phosphates are down to a good level for color to come back, and maybe some of this is starting to slow down.

How long have your acros "stalled" for now?

 

[Nibrown9]

Yea, I'm not doing anything for the moment, just normal maintenance and more importantly keeping my system stable... Stability is key! The fact I'm getting better color from my corals is telling me that phosphates are down to a good level for color to come back, and maybe some of this is starting to slow down.

How long have your acros "stalled" for now?

I noticed all the same issues you are going through about 3 weeks ago. Everything stable then bam Coraline exploded and seemed over a couple days alk and cal dropped and my acros started to strip off at the tips. I had to pump my cal reactor up higher now that everything is stable the last 1.5 weeks it's stopped stripping, they crazy part is not all my acros did it and I only lost my large montipora colony. Do you add Kali to your top off?

 

[xtlosx]

I noticed all the same issues you are going through about 3 weeks ago. Everything stable then bam Coraline exploded and seemed over a couple days alk and cal dropped and my acros started to strip off at the tips. I had to pump my cal reactor up higher now that everything is stable the last 1.5 weeks it's stopped stripping, they crazy part is not all my acros did it and I only lost my large montipora colony. Do you add Kali to your top off?

I do not... my montis are unaffected and are growing like mad.

 

[Nibrown9]

I do not... my montis are unaffected and are growing like mad.

Just goes to show you no tank is the same, I only have two acros stripping and a pavona all the rest of my sps is fine and colored up

 

[xtlosx]

Yea, I'm just going to let it ride, keep it stable and hope we can get past this.

 

[Nibrown9]

Any updates? Mine just started to get color back under actinics only

 

[xtlosx]

Any updates? Mine just started to get color back under actinics only

So far so good... The frags that went through the swing, receded, stalled for a bit, and some have begun to grow again... Colors have been great the whole way.

I added two new frags about 2.5 weeks ago, and those have done well, encrusted, and haven't had issues, so really I think things in my opinion are stable.

Keep it stable and try to ride it out.

 

[Nibrown9]

Glad to hear. I'm hoping I don't loose my large acro but it's the only one not looking so hot still. I just started adding amino acids have you tried this?

 

[imarkspeed]

Hey guys I'm running into the same issue and having stn for a while now but I want to know how do guys keep it stable when you do water changes?

 

[jdamon]

Hey guys I'm running into the same issue and having stn for a while now but I want to know how do guys keep it stable when you do water changes?

Match the new water parameters to the tank and there will be no swing. I keep my alk in the 7.8-8 range and find the "reef" salts to be much higher when fresh mixed, so I use Red Sea regular which tests right there (8.0) when mixed to 35ppt salinity. Many folks use instant ocean and that has a lower alk as well. Check out the salt mix guide in the chemistry forum. Hope that helps!