Low Alk Effects on SPS

[dlux4life]

Hi Guys-

I just started to dose two part. Unfortunately, prior to dosing, I did not realize that my alk was around 5 dkh. I kept several SPS corals, but none of them ever looked too good. I had several milli's that lacked any real polyp extenion and a pink birds next that was more greenish brown and also lacked polyp extenion.

Alk was raised over the course of 2 weeks to 9 dkh where it is now kept constant via dosing BRS 2 part formula one via their dosing pumps.


Here's the milli's:

Birdsnest:

Im hoping that with consistant alk levels around 9 DKH, that I will be able have these corals looks as they should.

Has anyone had experience with this in the past?

Any indication of how long it took for things to look healthy again?

 

[bertoni]

That depends on how far the corals have declined. I would expect the corals' condition to improve at least somewhat in a few weeks or so, unless something else is causing problems, too.

 

[dlux4life]

Thanks Bertoni. I will keep an eye on the corals over the next few weeks.

 

[Palting]

You are lucky . My alk demand took off like a rocket and I got caught flat-footed. Alk only went down to the 6's, but I lost most of my coraline and my tenui developed STN. It took about a month for the tenui to recover, and my coraline is still recovering to it's previous glory. Funny thing, I hava a milli, pink birdsnest and several other acros, but only the coraline and the tenui showed any ill effects.

 

[dlux4life]

Hey Palting-

Thanks for the reponse. I saw a majoirty of my coraline receeding, but didn't think much of it. I was never one that could grow it very well. It's odd though, since getting my alk to the right levels, I've noticed an increase in my CA as well. I am not dosing the CA portion of my two part. I immediately check MAG, and the levels are around 1300.

I plan on watching the CA and Mg carefully now that the Alk is consistant. Does an increase in Alk via two part recepie one generally increase CA as well?

Thanks,

 

[Ron Reefman]

My alk was running in the 5-6dkh range when I had my old 75g tank. Afriend sold me a huge red cap colony really cheap and told me alk was my problem. I started dosing the new 180g tank and sps corals are growing way faster than before (almost no sps growth before). Hope this works out for you as well.

 

[mordibv]

Hope all goes well .
BTW I would say that is a Acropora Splathulata and not a Milli in the first pic . Nice find .. The branches are way too thick for a milli ..

 

[bamf25]

I also let alk slide when i first started with corals. I have a nice plate coral that started to get exposed calcium skeleton, at one point it reached about 15%, of the coral. That is when i figured out my alk was at around 6.5. Since, I have corrected the problem, that plate has come back all the way. It looks better than ever. I do have one chalice, that has not come back from that, but everything else is doing well in the lps and sps zone. Zoas on the other hand, do not like my tank.

 

[bertoni]

Dosing the alkalinity part will not increase calcium. You might just be seeing noise in the testing kit, or maybe a water change might have had some effect.

 

[MarcWeaver]

I had low alk in the 5.5-6.5 range for a while, with no growth, pale colors, no polyp extension, and STN on the bases and on some tips of acros. Within a month of proper alk levels, colors were vibrant and polyps were extended and STN was grown over. Hang in there, things will get better if that was your only problem. Here are 2 pictures of a ticolor. The first one is after a month of low alk, the second one is after a month of proper alk. I raised mine from 6 to 10.5 over a week's time.

 

[tmz]

I'm fastidious about alk constancy in the 8.6 to 9.6 dkh range,fwiw. IME in past years when it drops into the 6's per salifert tests in my tank stn follows.

 

[dlux4life]

Thanks bertoni. I forgot about the wc I did. It was with coral pro salt mixed to 1.025, which would elivate the ca levels.

Mordibv, thanks for the id. When I bought the coral at the store, they were sold as millis, but didn't have great pe then either. The branches are roughly the width of a nickle or quarter. I'll take a look at what the requirements may be for the and adjust placement / flow accordingly.

I also have a plate coral that never had any good pe. Since getting all back to the right levels, it has gotten considerably better in a matter of a few days.

I will make sure to post pics in a month or so back in this thread.

 

[bertoni]

You're welcome! I guess everything is explained now. I'm glad some of the corals are improving.