dkh level question / sps brown out / lack of growth?

[sgallant04]

Hi, I'm not having any coraline growth in my new setup

I've checked my Calcium level and it's literally off the test chart and I've sampled several times so I have a high confidence it's not low.

My dKh was at 8 which shows on my test chart as acceptable.

For the most part the tank looks healthy, my LPS and other corals seem healthy ..just not having coraline growth like I've seen in other setups. The only thing that doesn't seem right is a piece of SPS i'm trying which is browning out.

I have that SPS up high on a frag shelf very close to the lights. Could anybody offer me some suggestions to help check/start coraline growth?

Best Regards,
-Shawn G

 

[paul_111]

How new is your tank?

Did you seed your tank with sand from an established tank and live rock?

Are your phosphates high? They can impede growth.

Paul

 

[reign]

+1 check phosphates..Also how old are your bulbs..If they are older they can change spectrum and lose intensity..I prefer going with "bluer" ie higher kelvin bulbs or more actinic ..but most likely phosphates are reason..

 

[jayl65]

What test kits are you using? Most likley you not skimming enough and maybe the lighting is not enough. I struggled for a while and my test kits were off. Also check to make sure they are not out of date.

 

[Ntvper]

sorry to hear that shawn though 8 dkh is a good number if your calcium is higher then 480 then the calcium cant be 'ingested' for a lack of a better word. basically the calcium and dkh have to be in balance for the livestock (in your case corraline, and coral) for the calcium to be in the usable form otherwise its just floating and cant bond. if you have alk u can raise it to a dkh of 10 maybe 12 and then the free floating calcium becomes usable lemme link that chart for you so u can see what im jabbering about. well i guess i didnt save it so i cant show u that chart sorry. but if ya google it there is lots of versions out there to get a good idea on the exact amounts u need for it to be balanced. and +1 checking phosphates if too high they impede growth. this might help to give ya an idea

http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

 

[xmenx2dad]

are you having any other issues? Hair algae, bubble algae, etc?

 

[sgallant04]

Excellent questions.

The current tank is about 3 months old, I seeded some of the sand bed and water from my last aquarium. The bulbs are as old as the setup, essentially new. I did opt for a broader color spectrum some "pinkish" colored bulbs in the mix. I could remove those and go to more traditional 3 white & 3 blue style mix in my 6 bulb t5 setup.

I have not checked for phosphates or silicate yet. In the past when I've always checked for them..nothing. Once i switched to a RO/DI those all fell and I use a small bag of purigen for an adsorbent in the refugium. My test kit is is more likely an out of date API test kit. I had a very HIGH silicate issue in my last tank that I had to identify w/ a seachem separate test kit and that's when I moved to RO/DI water to clear it.

** I'll check for both later this afternoon and report back.


I haven't yet seen the calcium "precipitate" in the tank; but obviously I've stopped adding any. I am continuing to use seachem's reef fusion2 carbonate alkalinity to try to raise my dKh reading.

My skimmer is slightly undersized ( on paper ) for my setup; it's the best my budget currently allows.

I am having some small hair algae growth in the sand bed & on the overflow strainer teeth.

 

[jayl65]

The best thing to do right now is to do a water change. Test and adjust your calcium and Alk. Start using Kalkwasser in your auto top off water if you have an auto top off. If not- I would invest in an ATO next before the skimmer. It will really help keep your tank stable and dose both calcium and alk in a balanced level if you have a low to medium demand tank. I use to have high calcium and low Alk all the time and could not get it in check using Seachem two part. I was told it was my sand bed and many other things. I struggled for over a year with it until I started using Kalkwasser. Ntvpr was right about balance in his post. I use Mrs wages pickling lime from Walmart right now for my Kalkwasser. I'm going to try a name brand one next to see if it makes a difference. So far I've had great luck and a very stable tank using the pickling lime though. Good luck.

 

[steamboat]

I've read that low magnesium will cause coraline to turn white. If calcium is "off the charts," my guess is that your magnesium is likely low.. Regardless, a water change should help.

 

[steamboat]

Another thing, sps corals "brown" with not enough light.

 

[Gomer]

I've read that low magnesium will cause coraline to turn white. If calcium is "off the charts," my guess is that your magnesium is likely low.. Regardless, a water change should help.

+1

Check your mag

 

[sgallant04]

mag testing

mag testing

checking mag.

what mag levels am i looking for?

Does anybody locally (abq) have a mag test kit I could borrow to baseline my mag level?

My budget is tight to purchase a test kit for one element which may or may not be a wild goose chase.

best regards
-shawn g

 

[steamboat]

Shawn,

If you want to do something good for your tank perform a very small 3-5% water change every week. For the most part the standard store bought salts have the correct mix of ca, mag, and other trace minerals to make it hard to mess up.

In addition, I personally would not dose calcium hydroxide (or any other calcium) without testing mag. Depending how quickly it is added, calcium hydroxide will make mag precipitate out of solution.

 

[sgallant04]

yes I'm learning that very quickly I DO NOT like using additives. Now w/ super premium salts being sold to us all as well. I do like and perform frequent water changes.. But, if I get a chance to check / adjust something that is outta whack from my own error. it would be a help.