Sorta hit a wall - Water too clean?

[Gary Majchrzak]

calcium and alkalinity are always in a state of flux.

I don't get bent out of shape if numbers aren't exactly where I want them anymore. I shoot for Ca @ 400-450ppm and alk between 9-11 dKH.

If you choose to add a calcium reactor you'll want to make sure aquarium pH doesn't dip below 8.0 (aprox.) by using a pH probe/monitor/controller.

I'm not a fan of turning off a skimmer. Feed heavier.

 

[Tuscaquatics]

calcium and alkalinity are always in a state of flux.

I don't get bent out of shape if numbers aren't exactly where I want them anymore. I shoot for Ca @ 400-450ppm and alk between 9-11 dKH.

If you choose to add a calcium reactor you'll want to make sure aquarium pH doesn't dip below 8.0 (aprox.) by using a pH probe/monitor/controller.

I'm not a fan of turning off a skimmer. Feed heavier.

This is all kinda ironic to me. Months of hard work and good husbandry have managed to cause me problems.

What are my options going to be for a calcium reactor or similar automated calcium/alk solution? A reactor is going to necessarily involve C02 and a whole rigamaroll, am I wrong? What about dosing pumps, are they viable?

I'm somewhat familiar with the calcium reactors and how they work, but I haven't researched them enough yet to know all my options. A comprehensive calcium solution as well as a lighting upgrade will definitely have to happen before I go with a full-blown SPS system. And when that happens, it will be bye-bye softies, for the most part. I'm not gonna have stupid mushrooms blowing around and landing on my beautiful SPS.

As I'm typing this I'm looking up to see a red mushroom stuck to a Koralia.

 

[outy]

its not the hard work thats causing the problems.

its the high PH and alk

shrooms and other softies may like dirtier water but they still thrive and grow like weed's in perfect water

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have corallimorphs ("shrooms" Discosoma spp.- actually the very first corals that I ever purchased back in '93) in my "clean" mostly SPS reef (which also houses LPS and a large gigantea anemone along with too many fishes) but they don't multiply if conditions are kept pristine.
(I think there's like 4 or 5 of them in there for a really long time- years.)
They're just sitting there- like a real reef, waiting for the day when environmental conditions turn south so they can overgrow the mighty reef builders.

 

[Tuscaquatics]

I have corallimorphs ("shrooms" Discosoma spp.- actually the very first corals that I ever purchased back in '93) in my "clean" mostly SPS reef (which also houses LPS and a large gigantea anemone along with too many fishes) but they don't multiply if conditions are kept pristine.
(I think there's like 4 or 5 of them in there for a really long time- years.)
They're just sitting there- like a real reef, waiting for the day when environmental conditions turn south so they can overgrow the mighty reef builders.

Interesting. Why doesn't it surprise me that you still have mushrooms from '93? They seem like they would grow in a toilet. That's why this is all so puzzling. My 'nems and LPS are fine but my shrooms are hurting.

The Kenya tree is acting better today. The really big tree is opened up more and standing up. It seems like it was doing kind of a mass release of some extra branches that were weighing it down. Being up high in the light and flow has made it grow funny: thick and bushy. It's actually become sort of a show piece and the focal point of the tank. I know, Kenya tree, right? I gotta start upgrading my corals, LOL.

I fed the fish some Marine Cuisine and some chopped up silversides and squid last night. I let them pig out. One of the reasons I hesitate to feed more is because I don't have a huge clean-up crew. Luckily I have pretty high flow in there and things don't really tend to settle.

I also peppered the fuge with shrimp pellets so the pods and critters down there could feast. I have to do this somewhat regularly anyway because I've gone out of my way to keep detritus out of the fuge to begin with. My mandarin appreciates it.

I'm gonna try and take a few pics and show you what I"m talking about with the shrooms.

 

[Tuscaquatics]

Snapped some pics of what I'm talking about, and a couple more for the heck of it.

The Kenya tree:



The mushrooms in question:



My hairy mushrooms that aren't that bad, but are still kinda standing up more than I would like. Note the lifeless xenia on the left:



A rebellious mushie on a K3:



Some unaffected palys:

 

[Tuscaquatics]

Niger held still for a second. He was curious about the camera:



Cinnamon clown living it up in one of his BTAs:



An overall tank pic:




Also, I tested my water last night and my calcium was about 370 and alk was around 7 dKH. I hadn't dripped kalk in a few nights, so I added a gallon last night and everything seems OK today for the most part.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'll bet that your aquarium benefits greatly from supplementation other than kalkwasser- whether it's a calcium reactor or liquid two part.
What type of Mg supplement do you use?

do you spike kalk with vinegar?

 

[Tuscaquatics]

I'll bet that your aquarium benefits greatly from supplementation other than kalkwasser- whether it's a calcium reactor or liquid two part.
What type of Mg supplement do you use?

do you spike kalk with vinegar?

Been adding vinegar to the kalk to help with pH. It seems to keep it from spiking too much, but still the pH is high overall.

And, you might cringe, but I use straight epsom salt for mag supplement. I'm sure I could probably do better, but it keeps my levels up.

I've tried the Kent CB two-part. It worked well, but it was damn expensive at the rate I was using it. And I was using the alk a lot quicker than the cal. I ran out of the alk a long time before the cal, and started just using baking soda.

I'd like to do the calcium reactor, especially when I upgrade to SPS. The CO2 bottle and everything seems a little daunting, though. Or maybe expensive is the word I'm looking for.

I really do want an automated solution The main thing I'm worried about is the fluctuation that's happening. I put in a gallon of kalk and it's almost immediately gone. So my cal is swinging by 30 and 40 ppm a day. That fluctuation can't be good, and I'm sure with SPS it would be especially bad.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm not cringing because I've gone through all of this myself

You're right about fluctuations being bad for SPS.

If you don't want to invest in a calcium reactor right now.....
I really like the BRS "complete" two part kit. It's a less expensive alternative to the more expensive commercially prepared liquid two part supplements.
(The BRS kit also contains magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate.)
I can almost guarantee you that you'll see a big difference if you lighten up on the kalkwasser and epsom salt- something the BRS kit will allow you to do.