Several things happened recently...or how to really screw up.
1. I got the flu and was semiconscious for a couple of weeks, just after being out of the house for 11 days, just after new years, just after Christmas...can you say major tank neglect?
2. My system over-buffered and drove alkalinity up to 12 dkh. It should have been 7.8 to 8.3.
3. I did a big burst of tank maintenance, and replaced the 10000k Ushio 250 with a Reeflux 12000k 250, but did burn it in carefully.
4. I got a new skimmer, replacing an Urchin with the Aqua C EV120. MUCH stronger skimming or I'd be in worse trouble than I am.
5. I decided to remedy the high alk by benign neglect, and just let topoff handle it. I think this was a mistake...because a little RTN turned into big RTN.
Here are the odd particulars: I lost monti cap, but digitata survived; LPS is fine, except the candycane isn't happy; frog and hammer are great; lost pocillopora; stylophora; and all acroporas---EXCEPT the thriving aculeus colony, which I am told demands light, and is sensitive. It's perfect. THe valida is hanging on but not happy.
So how does this add up? The 12000k Reeflux should be easier on the sensitive corals than the 10000k Ushio, but here I am with major troubles. I went for a consult with my lfs, thinking maybe I should change bulbs back to the 10000k. My lfs guy is a reefer, old time, frag-growing reefer, and his assessment, after studying the whole situation, was that the problem was the alkalinity, which has slowly gotten back to 8.3. That ocean alk is around 7.8-7.9, and 12 was a real problem. The lights are innocent; the skimmer has only been helping.
So I'm back to water tests and trying to get stable. The nasty thing is this is right before I have to move the tank. So we'll have another round of instability. I'm not going to replace any sps until after we're in the new place.
I offer this as a case study in RTN sneakiness. That alk just crept up on me, in a moment of inattention, and here we are. I don't blame anybody but myself. But if you're running high alk, knock it down at bit, and I think you'll have less trouble with the sps.
Discussion and observations welcome.
1. I got the flu and was semiconscious for a couple of weeks, just after being out of the house for 11 days, just after new years, just after Christmas...can you say major tank neglect?
2. My system over-buffered and drove alkalinity up to 12 dkh. It should have been 7.8 to 8.3.
3. I did a big burst of tank maintenance, and replaced the 10000k Ushio 250 with a Reeflux 12000k 250, but did burn it in carefully.
4. I got a new skimmer, replacing an Urchin with the Aqua C EV120. MUCH stronger skimming or I'd be in worse trouble than I am.
5. I decided to remedy the high alk by benign neglect, and just let topoff handle it. I think this was a mistake...because a little RTN turned into big RTN.
Here are the odd particulars: I lost monti cap, but digitata survived; LPS is fine, except the candycane isn't happy; frog and hammer are great; lost pocillopora; stylophora; and all acroporas---EXCEPT the thriving aculeus colony, which I am told demands light, and is sensitive. It's perfect. THe valida is hanging on but not happy.
So how does this add up? The 12000k Reeflux should be easier on the sensitive corals than the 10000k Ushio, but here I am with major troubles. I went for a consult with my lfs, thinking maybe I should change bulbs back to the 10000k. My lfs guy is a reefer, old time, frag-growing reefer, and his assessment, after studying the whole situation, was that the problem was the alkalinity, which has slowly gotten back to 8.3. That ocean alk is around 7.8-7.9, and 12 was a real problem. The lights are innocent; the skimmer has only been helping.
So I'm back to water tests and trying to get stable. The nasty thing is this is right before I have to move the tank. So we'll have another round of instability. I'm not going to replace any sps until after we're in the new place.
I offer this as a case study in RTN sneakiness. That alk just crept up on me, in a moment of inattention, and here we are. I don't blame anybody but myself. But if you're running high alk, knock it down at bit, and I think you'll have less trouble with the sps.
Discussion and observations welcome.