Help! Slow growth

[flyguy75]

I have always had slow growth in my tank, but I figured it was probably because of the 20K light I use. For the last year and three months I have been using 14K and 10K bulbs but my growth was still slow. So today I went and bought new salifert test kits tto see if some of my parameters were off.
Results were as followed:
Ca: 495
Alk: 11.2 dKH or 4.0 meq/L
pH: 8.38 - 8.32
N03: 0
NO2: 0
Ammonia: 0
Salinity: 1.024
Mg: 1440 ppm

The specifications on the tank are it's a 150 gallon pentagon, 45 gallon sump/refugium with chaeto Nautilus skimmer, Koralin 1503 Ca reactor with second chamber, 3 - 250 watt pfo HQI ballast with 2 20K radiums and 1 10K aqualine busche bulbs, Ice Capp 660 ballast running 4 24" URI actinics. Lights are on for 8 hours a day with the VHO's on for 10 hours. I run carbon 24 hrs a day and the effluent from the reator drips into my skimmers body. Top off and water changes with RO water using Kent salt. The only thing I dose is Tech M and I am thinking about stopping that. Should I and how do I bring down my Ca and Alk and Mg? Turn down my drip rate on my reactor or shut it off all together for a while? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[drock59]

is it bb?

 

[flyguy75]

Yes it is BB, by the way nice lab I have two myself.

Chris

 

[Kenfuzed]

JMHO, but I would ease up on the Mg dosing and slowly bring your salinity up to 1.026.
Also I prefer to use a slightly longer photoperiod. My halides are on for 9 hours and T5's on for 12. You didn't mention what kind of corals aren't growing. Different coral have different growth rates. I have colonies that show growth on a monthly basis, and another coral that has only grown 1/8" in 2 years.

 

[carib]

#1 test I will perform in your case is phosphate.Tank prmts. are little high,but not critical.I will shut down the reactor for a few days and test CA\ALK every day the same time.IMO your phosphate is high.

 

[drock59]

if its BB then you may want to consider shortening your photo period...

Also, do you see lightening of the coral?

 

[AlgaeMan]

Your alk is dangerously high, IMO. You should try to keep it between 7-9 dkh

 

[drock59]

dangerously high? I disagree but I would still recomend you bring it down a bit.

 

[AlgaeMan]

dangerously high? I disagree

I just base that on nsw levels which are close to 7 dkh. Keeping captive grown corals probably would not be a problem at 11, but keeping wild colonies would be an issue.

 

[drock59]

ya I think it might be high, but not horrible. There are lots of people that run it upwards of 14. That does not mean that I would like to do so, but it can be done. As I said I agree it should be brought down in this case, but I dont think its dangerous.

 

[jsweir]

I'm lucky if my alk drops below 10, usually at 11.

 

[flyguy75]

Well, I rechecked my levels just now and the alk is down to 9.9, but the Ca has only come down to 485. Is it going to take longer for the Ca to come down then the alk?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Wiskey]

You could dose the alk part of 2 part to keep the alk there while the CA comes down to about 430.

I prever to run alk of 9.0 and CA 420. When I asked what people's alk was in BB tanks I got a nearly unamaus answer of 8-9, but this was on a diffrent board.

Whiskey

 

[murphreef]

yeah i think a lower alk and calcium would be better IMO

i keep my alk between 8-9 and my calcium at 420