Help! Xenia looks really bad!

[Pigpen17]

I am going with all day lights again, and when I get home tonight, test the PH again and decide if I will add buffer again or not.

 

[mbingha]

I wouldn't add buffer. 7.8 isn't terrible and I'm not a fan of adding buffer to begin with. Adding directly to the aquarium can burn the gills of fish and is not good for coral. You would be better off testing your alk as that is a natural buffer.

 

[Pigpen17]

I wouldn't add buffer. 7.8 isn't terrible and I'm not a fan of adding buffer to begin with. Adding directly to the aquarium can burn the gills of fish and is not good for coral. You would be better off testing your alk as that is a natural buffer.

That is good to hear, because I am of the mind that if my system is natually 7.8, than I would rather keep that than fight it with chems.

My test kit is weird when it comes to Alk. It is not the dkh, but the ppm. My tank hovers right around the minimum 120 and a bit lower.

 

[mbingha]

1ppm = 0.056 dkh so your alk if equal to 120 ppm is 6.72 dkh. That's low, I prefer to keep mine around 9. You should look into getting (or making) two part and dosing the alk part. I wouldn't dose the calcium part until you test your calcium levels.

 

[RA]

I haven't checked my Ph in over 15 years, and don't plan to anytime soon. I've seen numerous cases of people chasing the Ph instead of the alk, and crashing their tank. I would suggest that you get a Salifert ALK/KH test kit, and adjust the alk to be around 8 or 9 (between 7-11 is fine). I use Arm & Hammer baking soda to adjust my alk, what they sell in the pet store is the same chemically just a lot more money. The only problem I have with my xenia is that I can't sell it fast enough.

 

[crissie]

Adding a fish to aid cycling is cruel in the extreme. Just because the fish can survive the conditions does not mean you should inflict such living standards on the poor things.

The are living creatures and when you purchase a fish you are responsible for it's welfare.

 

[Pigpen17]

Good to know. Thanks both.

Salifert ALK/KH test kit will be in hand on my way home today.

As far as raising ALK I think that's what I'm doing? The stuff I bought yesterday is Kent Marine Superbuffer-dkh. I have dosed once. Toss it?

 

[RA]

Good to know. Thanks both.

Salifert ALK/KH test kit will be in hand on my way home today. The stuff I bought yesterday is Kent Marine Superbuffer-dkh. I have dosed once. Toss it?

The Kent Marine Superbuffer-dkh is fine, just compare the price of it to A&H baking soda, and when you run out of it just buy baking soda.

 

[mbingha]

Just be sure not to dose all at once, bring your alk up over the course of a couple days.

 

[Pigpen17]

Awesome. Thank you.

 

[Pigpen17]

Wow! I just don't get it. I get home and the Xenia is looking better. It's bigger and pulsing, then my damn cleaner shrimp walks up on it and starts stomping it down with it's arms! Why the heck is it doing that? He was all over it yesterday as well. It is very close to going in my soup.

Oh and I got the test kit. By adding dKH buffer yesterday I am up to 8, or 140ppm. PH is up a bit too. I know this is bottom line, but I think I will stay put for today.

 

[Pigpen17]

You guys were right on it. We (me and it) are on the right track. I am raising KH slow and steady, but we are on our way to 9 and looking very good. Thank you for the help.

 

[mbingha]

You guys were right on it. We (me and it) are on the right track. I am raising KH slow and steady, but we are on our way to 9 and looking very good. Thank you for the help.

No problem. Just passing on the knowledge I've learned from those smarter than me on this site.

 

[pitmindi]

Be careful because I killed most of my xenia by accidentally overdosing part A of the 2 part and that made my alk so high it was sky blue and my xenia melted within the next 12 hours and some other corals suffered too.

 

[mbingha]

Be careful because I killed most of my xenia by accidentally overdosing part A of the 2 part and that made my alk so high it was sky blue and my xenia melted within the next 12 hours and some other corals suffered too.

That's why you should never dose something you don't test for. Also when dosing two part, 99% of the time you should dose part A and part B equally.

 

[Pigpen17]

Things are going great. I have my alk up to 9 and I have stopped adding the buffer. The Xenia looks good and has doubled in size. In fact, now I am scared!

 

[mcozad829]

Go to liveaquaria.com they have a nano fish section but I really like the catalina goby . And oh ok I gotcha sounds interesting. You have to have fish while cycling because they create a good bioload for your tank to finish cycling.

Catalina Goby is a relatively cold water fish 60-70 degrees, they (live aquaria) say they won't live long in tropic temps as they will succumb to disease as a result of a decreased immune system from higher temps. Unless you have a chiller this fish may be another heartache.