Oh man what now (unhappy xenia + zoa's)

[saltwatersucker]

I woke up this morning and my xenia didn't look particularly happy but she sometimes can get up on the wrong side of the bed so I went about my day but she never got any better and actually progessively got worse as did my zoa's but the weird thing is that all of my other tank inhabitants including my button polyps and my star polyps are doing fine. Here are pics of each of them if anyone has an opinion on why this is happening I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Jerry

 

[Justin74]

Your probably use to seeing them "on the wrong side of the bed" because if that's when the lights came on, thats when the tank is at it's lowest pH level.Which xenia are top on the list to be the first to tell you if you pH is too low or too high. And scouting across the tank will show you poor polyp extension, and confirm that the xenia just dont lie
Also,naturally check to make sure your salinity and temperature is in check.

-Justin

 

[saltwatersucker]

Hey Justin
Thanks for the quick response, i'll go test my ph again and see what it says. Probably a silly question but Why is the tank at a low ph level when the lights havn't been on.
Also my salinity and temp is good.
Thanks again.

 

[saltwatersucker]

I just checked my ph and is 8.2
and salinity is 1.022
temp is 77

 

[Justin74]

I forgot to mention, dont test it now It's at it's highest point now, which is a good reference to know, but what you want to really know is what it's lowest point is, this will be the most potentially harmfull, and possibly a reason why it's "cranky". It raises and lowers with photosynthesis; when the powers that be are hard at work creating oxygen in the light pH is raised, at night they sleep pH drops as a result. This is the ULTRA simplified version pH is at it's highest a few hours before they turn off, and it's lowest a few hours before they turn on. In a perfect world there would be no fluctuation. In our tanks we can only hope that the fluctuation is the most minimalistic and no more than 2 tenths.Strive for a high of 8.4 and a low of 8.2.
Any more could be bad, mmmkay

-Justin

 

[saltwatersucker]

Thanks Mr. Garrison oh I mean Justin lol
Ok so I have some testing to do if it is more than 2 points how do I make it better??

 

[funman1]

I would check ni2 and amo.
Sounds like sonething spiked and it's not what you have checked so far.

I guess my tank is imune to PH swings. I read about them all the time and never have bad luck with my numbers.

Lights out 8.2, Lights on 7.7
Nothing in my tank seems to ever care. All looks really good, everything is growing like a weed and my zenia is rarely po'ed at all.

~Steve~

Justin, love the garrison pic!!

 

[xxpipedreamxx]

using a fuge on an alternate lighting schedule will keep the ph from swinging. just my two cents.

 

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8272206#post8272206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by funman1
I would check ni2 and amo.
Sounds like sonething spiked and it's not what you have checked so far.

I guess my tank is imune to PH swings. I read about them all the time and never have bad luck with my numbers.

Lights out 8.2, Lights on 7.7
Nothing in my tank seems to ever care. All looks really good, everything is growing like a weed and my zenia is rarely po'ed at all.

~Steve~

Justin, love the garrison pic!!

Wow Steve!That is low brotha. Theres probably a reasonable explenation I'm sure as to the overall health of your tank, though depending on species of corals that can a real stressor. The fact that it bounces back up is probably your saving grace, its the tanks that dont and just kinda hang there at 7.9-8.0 that have major troubles unless corrected immediately.

Btw you two, he's Mr. Mackey; Im Mr. Garrison, tell 'em mr. hayat!!

-Justin

 

[Justin74]

Wanted to add another thing, you could be right about a spike of nitrites or ammonia, problem can be that the tank may be established enough to consume it making it undetectable by the time you go to test, so you gauge your tests by monitoring your nitrate tests. If your cruising at 0-20 nitrates then the next thing you notice is stuff looking ****ed and then get a reading of 50+ you can be assured that your tank recieved a spike. Just a tip.

-Justin

 

[saltwatersucker]

Thanks again everybody for all of your help and input.
I definately wouldn't have made it this far without Reefcentral and the wonderful MARS members.

 

[alexchern75]

IME I found that once I increased my waterflow (to ridiculous ammounts I must admit) I did not see much of a change in PH, before that it would drop during the night shift noticebly.....
may be the oxigen/turnover rate..,don't know, it was reef boodoo

 

[saltwatersucker]

Thanks Alex,
I actually had been thing of adding a little more flow.