I'd appreciate your advice here. 2 year old tank that started with some green toadstools and sinularia and zoas from an older tank, and gradually added acro frags and small colonies. 1.5 years of crazy rapid growth/multiplication of the leathers and zoas, and steady growth in the acros though only a few really popped, mostly a duller than expected coloration. So I bought a new light because I wanted more purpl (Ilumagic, which I really like BTW), and the colors seemed to improve to my eye as well as develop over 3 months.
Average parameters, kept Alk around 8 because I could never get a very high nutrient load, even feeding more than comfortable (PO4 never more than just a faint hue in the Red Sea test, NO3 always 0). Occasional Reef Roids/Chili, 1x week. PAR ~300 on the acros.
4 months ago (3 months after the new light) my 2-part ran dry for a while before I noticed, and Alk dumped to 5. Meanwhile the Ca I almost never test registered 550ppm. Did several water changes over the next 2 months then played some cat-and-mouse getting Alk back to 8 and waiting for Ca to drop to 430ish. In the process I lost a couple acros overnight. I reduced light intensity (PAR ~225) as many of the acros paled out.
For the last two months the water has been stable, and I've left the lights at the lower intensity. I swear the softies are expanding/dividing even more in this time. Color on the acros improved, but now in the last month several have successively started STN from the base up. I've fragged the tips to save the colony, and a week later the frags do the same. Every week I see it starting on a new colony.
So did this result from changing lights/intensity? Seems doubtful.
Is the base STN a longer-term effect from the Alk swing? Seems reasonable, but it didn't start for a month after stability returned.
Or is this invasion of green leathers putting something in the water that's causing this? I wasn't running carbon regularly but started a few weeks ago after suspecting possible leather-toxin, and haven't noticed a difference in STN rate.
I've been in this hobby for a long time and know all the rapid changes cause most turmoil, but I'm also looking for a reason to pull out all the green leathers because they're taking over.
Appreciate your insight...
Average parameters, kept Alk around 8 because I could never get a very high nutrient load, even feeding more than comfortable (PO4 never more than just a faint hue in the Red Sea test, NO3 always 0). Occasional Reef Roids/Chili, 1x week. PAR ~300 on the acros.
4 months ago (3 months after the new light) my 2-part ran dry for a while before I noticed, and Alk dumped to 5. Meanwhile the Ca I almost never test registered 550ppm. Did several water changes over the next 2 months then played some cat-and-mouse getting Alk back to 8 and waiting for Ca to drop to 430ish. In the process I lost a couple acros overnight. I reduced light intensity (PAR ~225) as many of the acros paled out.
For the last two months the water has been stable, and I've left the lights at the lower intensity. I swear the softies are expanding/dividing even more in this time. Color on the acros improved, but now in the last month several have successively started STN from the base up. I've fragged the tips to save the colony, and a week later the frags do the same. Every week I see it starting on a new colony.
So did this result from changing lights/intensity? Seems doubtful.
Is the base STN a longer-term effect from the Alk swing? Seems reasonable, but it didn't start for a month after stability returned.
Or is this invasion of green leathers putting something in the water that's causing this? I wasn't running carbon regularly but started a few weeks ago after suspecting possible leather-toxin, and haven't noticed a difference in STN rate.
I've been in this hobby for a long time and know all the rapid changes cause most turmoil, but I'm also looking for a reason to pull out all the green leathers because they're taking over.
Appreciate your insight...
