Mark's 180 Starfire upgrade

[Dejavu]

Yep, but I know its not from the ZEO ZEOvit works and it worked for me until everything went haywire. I started ZEOvit the same month that the TOTM came out (can you say TOTM curse). I'm still surprised that anything is alive with everything that has gone on. I've only talked about half of the problems.

While I don't believe it was the zeo or the (can you say TOTM curse). The lower alk might be more of the cause. I never liked the though of running my alk lower than 8 dKH. To many problems could happen at lowwer alk.

 

[rigleautomotive]

I tried running bac a few times but ended up with unhappy acros while trying to tune my alk to the zeo range.I always strived for a constant 9 dkh and my tank looked the best there if stable.On the way down to the 7 range i would notice possibly a stn on a few bases or poor PE and chickened out and slowly would raise it back up to my comfort range.I believe large colonies that are used to constant dkh and are actively growing(fast) a change in alk can cause poor results.JMO on this but I feel the alk kits are not good enough to run a low alk accurately without being on the edge of failure.Sometimes back to basics is the way to go if your not sure what the heck is going on but you are a very experienced reefer so I am sure you will figure this out.

 

[mpoletti]

:eek2: Whoa! Sorry to hear about your troubles Mark. That's amazing that the test kits were so far off. Sucks that you (we) work so hard to create perfect conditions and something like this, totally out of your control causes problems :furious: Hopeing for the best.

Thanks Dan, I guess thats life in the fast lane :twitch:

 

[mpoletti]

At least it's not all bad

How about a shot of that one is the background?

Thanks Ian. Sorry no shots of the triton as its hidden behind a chalice colony or two :hammer:

 

[Gondore]

Who makes the test kit you had problems with Mark and was it expired?

 

[mpoletti]

While I don't believe it was the zeo or the (can you say TOTM curse). The lower alk might be more of the cause. I never liked the though of running my alk lower than 8 dKH. To many problems could happen at lowwer alk.

I agree Brian that it was not the ZEO and its most likely alk related, but having to use two alk kits is never fun. That and I'm still hearing weird noises from the tank as I still do not have the float switch hooked up so I will wake up at weird times of the night checking on the tank. Like I said on fb, this is getting old :uzi:

 

[mpoletti]

I tried running bac a few times but ended up with unhappy acros while trying to tune my alk to the zeo range.I always strived for a constant 9 dkh and my tank looked the best there if stable.On the way down to the 7 range i would notice possibly a stn on a few bases or poor PE and chickened out and slowly would raise it back up to my comfort range.I believe large colonies that are used to constant dkh and are actively growing(fast) a change in alk can cause poor results.JMO on this but I feel the alk kits are not good enough to run a low alk accurately without being on the edge of failure.Sometimes back to basics is the way to go if your not sure what the heck is going on but you are a very experienced reefer so I am sure you will figure this out.

Thanks Dan, I still think taking a sledge hammer to the tank would be a cool experiment

 

[mpoletti]

Who makes the test kit you had problems with Mark and was it expired?

It was an elos test kit and it was not expired. I got a new one and that is when the numbers showed the difference. I confirmed the second test kit against a Lamotte test kit. Even though the Lamotte is more difficult to read teh first couple of times, it has given me the peace of mind to cross one more thng off my list :fun2:

 

[Gondore]

Hmm...I have heard very few good things about the Elos kits. I use API for Alk on my tank and have been very happy with it...plus it's a lot cheaper then Elos.

Sorry to hear about the troubles though...I know how frusturating it can be. Hang in there!

 

[mpoletti]

Hmm...I have heard very few good things about the Elos kits. I use API for Alk on my tank and have been very happy with it...plus it's a lot cheaper then Elos.

Sorry to hear about the troubles though...I know how frusturating it can be. Hang in there!

I've never had a problem with the Elos kit for the years that I've used it. I've also heard that the API and Elos are "very similar" test kits

 

[Dejavu]

I agree Brian that it was not the ZEO and its most likely alk related, but having to use two alk kits is never fun. That and I'm still hearing weird noises from the tank as I still do not have the float switch hooked up so I will wake up at weird times of the night checking on the tank. Like I said on fb, this is getting old :uzi:

stay strong.... you been though worse .

 

[ryshark]

Hmm...I have heard very few good things about the Elos kits. I use API for Alk on my tank and have been very happy with it...plus it's a lot cheaper then Elos.

Sorry to hear about the troubles though...I know how frusturating it can be. Hang in there!

I agree that the API ALK kits are pretty solid. However, that is the only API kit I use, everything else is the expensive kits or probe.

 

[teambutterfield]

did the problems start when you redo your right side?

 

[mpoletti]

did the problems start when you redo your right side?

Not really. I changed things up because I had too many corals fighting for light and flow against each other. The problems started about 3 weeks after the rescape after the mechanical problems started to pile on one after the other.

 

[teambutterfield]

I am trying to come up with a theory or more of a hunch. Assuming all stats checked out okay.

1. Corals do not like to be moved, especially the wild colonies.
2. When some coral start rtn/stn, they send out signals (chemical or what not). Some corals that were doing well would start rtn/stn due to the signal. I have few cases that 2 of the same species sps frags at 2 different location started rtn one after the other. Its like tell the others hey I am dying, come with me.
3. Threshold, when we started to put too many things in the tank. Even every para in the water checked out fine, something will go.
4. Survivor the fittest, there is nothing we can do.

 

[mpoletti]

I am trying to come up with a theory or more of a hunch. Assuming all stats checked out okay.

1. Corals do not like to be moved, especially the wild colonies.
2. When some coral start rtn/stn, they send out signals (chemical or what not). Some corals that were doing well would start rtn/stn due to the signal. I have few cases that 2 of the same species sps frags at 2 different location started rtn one after the other. Its like tell the others hey I am dying, come with me.
3. Threshold, when we started to put too many things in the tank. Even every para in the water checked out fine, something will go.
4. Survivor the fittest, there is nothing we can do.

Good luck trying to figure out the unfigureoutable

 

[tbone28]

haha! unfigureoutable

 

[mpoletti]

 

[roktsintst]

Great Shot Mark!

I hope things start to recover for you!

 

[mpoletti]

Great Shot Mark!

I hope things start to recover for you!

Thanks Ryan and thanks for the PM's. Its always nice to bounce ideas off other people when you are second guessing everything you know :thumbsup: