Why can't I keep Acros and Millies

[rjd0521]

Is it possible you might be over skimming a bit? Also do you have an auto top system? Acros are very sensitive to salinity changes.

My skimmer is at the moment set to dry skim. Reef octopus dual 6 recirulating skimmer.

Have an ATO from Autotopoff.com. Salinity is stable at 1.025

 

[Allmost]

+1 on what mammoth said

any pics ?

 

[mic209]

Watch that blue tang, it might be picking at your Acros. I had a baby blue tang and it picked at my acros all day long, needless to say after I got rid of it my Acro's started showing polyp extension within a week and all my corals look so much better.

 

[rjd0521]

Watch that blue tang, it might be picking at your Acros. I had a baby blue tang and it picked at my acros all day long, needless to say after I got rid of it my Acro's started showing polyp extension within a week and all my corals look so much better.

Will do. He has been pretty good so far.

 

[dave sullivan]

I would up the ph to 8.2 - 8.4 with some kalkwasser and salinity at 1.025. You might consider using a UV sterlizer and some carbon. Also, live rock at 1.6 lbs per gallon and 4 to 6x gallons per wattage of lights. Have a great day!

 

[rjd0521]

All my sps shows great polyps extension during the day and less at night (except the acros).

I read everywhere that sps only PE at night and less during the day so now I'm worried.

Is it normal or is something wrong?

 

[barjam]

How are you dosing alkalinity? This is the single most important parameter in a reef tank. It cannot fluctuate.

I dose alkalinity 12 times a day in my tank and probably should dose it more often.

 

[ryansreef_26]

rjd0521- you have nothing to worry about, mine do the same thing only because i started feeding during the day, now they are out during the day, most acropora that do have polyp extension during the day or night shows that it is a good sign that they are healthy and thriving

 

[dowtish]

The API test kits for ALK is probably the issue.

You say it is 8-9, well, which is it, and is it swinging?

Alk stability is absolutely key in keeping acros. How are you dosing? and what times?
It wasnt until I got dosing pumps that things really took off.

 

[rjd0521]

How are you dosing? and what times?

I test every other day and dose accordingly to keep it at 8dkh. Most of the time, it does not fluctuate. If I dose, I do it at night when the light goes off. I dose manually with Brightwell Alk8.3.

You say it is 8-9, well, which is it, and is it swinging?

The only reason I put 8-9 is because the API test kit only measure at 1dkh increments. If you have used API for Alk before, when I am at the 8th drop, the result is yellow blueish. When I do the 9th drop, the result is completely yellow. Therefore it is a number between 8 and 9.

 

[dowtish]

I test every other day and dose accordingly to keep it at 8dkh. Most of the time, it does not fluctuate. If I dose, I do it at night when the light goes off. I dose manually with Brightwell Alk8.3.



The only reason I put 8-9 is because the API test kit only measure at 1dkh increments. If you have used API for Alk before, when I am at the 8th drop, the result is yellow blueish. When I do the 9th drop, the result is completely yellow. Therefore it is a number between 8 and 9.

I hear what you are saying. But do yourself a favor, and get a hanna checker for alk. Then you will know for sure what kind of swings you are getting. Test at say, 5pm on one day and then 5 pm the next with out dosing. Then you will have a good idea what your consumption is, and then you can dose accordingly. Keep it from swinging with a dosing pump, so it doses throughout the day, but slowly, so it never drops too low and then goes back up. You should do this for Calcium as well.

 

[mandarinfanatic]

your kh to calcium ratio is wrong which will mess with your buffering ability and ph. take calcium ppm and divide by 43 and it will tell you correct kh for that calcium ppm

sent from my galaxy s3

 

[reefnewbie83177]

your kh to calcium ratio is wrong which will mess with your buffering ability and ph. take calcium ppm and divide by 43 and it will tell you correct kh for that calcium ppm

sent from my galaxy s3

I have to disagree with this. I don't think there is anything at all wrong with your ratios. They may not be exactly what sea water is, but this is not going to cause RTN or STN. Sure, if your alk is fluctuating b/w 6 and 8 everyday this could be a problem, but If you are somehwere b/w 8 and 9 all the time, and Ca is always 450-460, you shouldn't have any problems. However, I think others are right with API test kits. They suck. I don't believe you need to get all crazy and buy a 100 dollar hanna test kit, but at the very least get a salifert. It is a reliable test kit that gives accurate consistent results. This would be where I would start. Good luck

 

[reefnewbie83177]

Also, natural sea water has a calcium level of 420ppm. If we divide this by 43 we get 9.76. Natural sea water has an alk of 7-8.

 

[rjd0521]

Will get a salifert test kit for calcium and alkalinity and I will post the results and fluctuation once I find out.

I will not get a dosing pump as I am in the process of converting my sulfur denitrator into a calcium reactor.

 

[acroholicreefer]

A simple solution for you is to get a kalk reactor. Dose kalk via ATO through a reactor and you will be able to keep hardy acros. You will want to look into an ALK hanna meter too. API test kits for Ca and Alk are not accurate at all, especially Alk.

Kalk is not required for keeping acros but it makes keeping them a lot easier.

 

[tomservo]

Watch out with the API calcium kit, I find that with seachem salt it is not accurate, I think it may be due to the bromine level in the salt but whatever it is, mine always reads hugely high compared to my red sea kit. Like 700 ppm when it's really only 380 or 400! Other salts may experience a similar effect.

My API KH kit agrees with my red sea, for what that's worth. A lot of people have good success with this one, I have found though with API kits you need to use a syringe to measure the water sample, the line on my glass vial is off by .8ml! (16%!). You can also use a 1ml syringe to titrate the sample, you can roughly calibrate it by counting the # of drops to fill the 1ml syringe. You may not be truly accurate, but the precision and repeatability of your test goes up using this method.

 

[Peter Eichler]

The API alkalinity and calcium kits are pretty reliable and accurate, though I do agree with using a 5 ml syringe. For test kits, I've had far more issues with other more expensive brands through the years. Not sure about what Tom is referring to, though test noise is fairly common with many calcium kits. Fwiw, API calcium doesn't seem to have any odd results with RC, IO, or Red Sea of both types.

Tough to say what the problem is, but I'm quite confident it's not the API test kits.

 

[rjd0521]

I have found though with API kits you need to use a syringe to measure the water sample, the line on my glass vial is off by .8ml! (16%!). You can also use a 1ml syringe to titrate the sample, you can roughly calibrate it by counting the # of drops to fill the 1ml syringe. You may not be truly accurate, but the precision and repeatability of your test goes up using this method.

I always used a 5ml syringe. The water level on the vial is always higher than the white line.

 

[cugly]

U could be bleaching them with your light ..do u start them lower in your tank..your alk is to high if you have if you have low nutrient system..try running your alk at 7 to 7.5..