SPS dying

[Marsfrogie]

4meq/L

 

[luther1200]

FWIW I had several bad Red Sea test kits. You might want to get a new 1. I will never use them again.

 

[bill37]

Any recommendations on good Alk test kits. What is the difference between an Alk and Kh test kit?

 

[HighlandReefer]

For purposes in our reef aquarium hobby, alkalinity and KH are commonly inter-used. dKH is one form of measuring alkalinity.

I use a Salifert alk. kit, but also find that the cheaper API kits work well too.

 

[HighlandReefer]

When it comes to alk. kits, one should not use a kit older than one year from the date of manufacturer, not the date you buy it.

 

[tmz]

BTW alkalinity will deplete quickly in systems that are growing(prcipitationg calcium carbonate). For each 20ppm of calcium used 1 meq/l(2.8dkh) of alkalinity will be used. lt is not uncommon for those with high growth systems to supplement bi carbonate regularly.

 

[bill37]

Thanks everyone. I went back to my two part solution supplement. The baking soda worked great. No fluctuation in Ph either. No I just sit and wait for my corals to recover. They look terrible. I lost a frogspawn.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Bill,

Sorry to hear you lost your coral.

 

[bill37]

Thank you. Hopefully no more. how long do you think it will take for the SPS's to recover?

 

[HighlandReefer]

Your welcome.

IME, as long as you maintain the correct parameters, it will be a slow process and will depend on the type of coral. The slower growers tend to suffer the most and re-cooperate the slowest (if they re-cooperate at all). This is one reason why some corals should be left up to hobbyists with more experience, which I have found out the hard way.

 

[bill37]

These are millis so maybe it shouldn't be too long. They were growing fast before.

 

[HighlandReefer]

They are hard to kill in my experience. The grow very fast and should re-coop quickly.

 

[tmz]

Bill,

Glad the alkalinity is improving for you. I still think there may be another problem. Organics, nitrate,phosphates, toxic metal,salinity? I'm sorry to say your corals may not recover; once a downward spiral starts it often continues even when conditions are improved. . If they were mine, I would frag a few pieces and try to regrow the colonies. Cut a qaurter to a half inch into healthy tissue for frags to get ahead of the dying process. Good Luck.

 

[bill37]

Tom, thanks for the advice. I was thinking about cutting them back.

 

[bill37]

Well.... I completely fragged my beautiful green mili into about 17 pieces. They appear to be doing well at the moment. The tips were so bad I could pinch them with my fingers and they would turn to dust. I am going to do my pink today. I bought an API KH kit, it tested at 10 dKH. My cal is 425. The API test kit says fresh water. Does that make a difference?

 

[tmz]

I don't know the api alkalinity test kit. I think it would make a difference.

 

[smatter]

Tropic Marin Bio Calcium maintains calcium and alkalinity. The label is misleading as there is no mention that alkalinity will rise. It is a fine supplement for maintaining calcium and alkalinity, just check out Leonardo's Formosa Forest, it's all he used.

 

[bill37]

Smatter, what do you think made my alk drop so low and my calc never drop below 420 for a cpuple of weeks??

 

[bill37]

Well I have bad news. neither of my milis made it. I fragged them both but they continued to loose their "flesh" until nothing was left. this was very disheartening. I can't believe it happend so quickly. All parameters are in check now. Alk is around 9 dKH, Cal is 420. All softies look fine. My caps and a couple of favias are making a slow comeback.

 

[tmz]

Sorry to hear that.