Melting Xenia

[kriswaters]

I have one of my xenias that is melting away. I also am having trouble with an anenome. I am wondering if my high nitrates are starting to effect them or if it could be something else.

My yellow polyps have made their way in front of the xenia, but I don't think that would cause a problem.

Otherwise...

pH 8.2
SG 1.25
phosphates 0
amon 0
nitrites 0
nitrates 10-15
alk 4
CA 380-400 (slowly raising)
temp 81

everything else looks good.

Kris

[defigart]

How is the water flow around the Xenia. Has the amount of light changed at all recently?

[kriswaters]

not really. My flow I will change occasionally, but the light has been the same for months. This one actually "moved" lower in the tank about a month ago. Today, it was nearly a slimy mess.

Kris

[defigart]

My guess is that if it moved in inadvertantly commited hary-cary.

[JeffP]

alk 4
Kris

(scary):eek:(scary)

[andy]

Yeah, that alk number is scary whether it's meq/l or dKH

[jm82792]

Alk should be 10 right ?
I need to buy the API reef test kit.

[impur]

Alk should be 10 right ?
I need to buy the API reef test kit.

Natural seawater is 8dKH or alkalinity of 2.9 meq/L KH

[jm82792]

whoops : DOH! :
That alk is really low still though....
I've always wondered why people keep the SG at like 1.023-1.026 and not at 1.30.
The same thing with people having 10 alk like the salt pre is buffered to that level.

[kriswaters]

Sorry...typo on the Alk. It was a little on the late side for me when I posted that. I should have added that it was meq/L.

I am still using up the remaining tests from my seachem kit. It measures meq/L and from what I understand, reef tanks should be 4-6 meq/L. With this test 1 meq/l corresponds to 2.8 KH thus my alk is about 10 or so.


Kris

[biomekanic]

whoops : DOH! :
That alk is really low still though....
I've always wondered why people keep the SG at like 1.023-1.026 and not at 1.30.
The same thing with people having 10 alk like the salt pre is buffered to that level.

Seawater is usually around 1.025 SG, so that's the suggested range. I'm guessing your 1.30 is a typo :)

I read a few years ago on RC that some people were finding better results keeping it around 1.023, better color and happier. My theory on that is with the lower levels it's easier to corals and fish to osmoregulate, they expend less energy on that and more on other things. At 1.030, there'd be a lot of energy expended to keep their tissues properly hydrated.

Remember, in the ocean the goal is keep water in, unlike freshwater, where the goal is keep water out.

[jm82792]

Hmm I'm still a newbie at this,I guess I must have screwed up/mixed numbers(I must have misread).
That sounds logical,since the animal is working against osmosis thus a lower SG
should help, since cells have to expend a good amount of energy for "anti osmosis".

Sorry for sorta hijacking the thread..

[impur]

Yep, seawater is 35ppt which equates to 1.026SG.

Lucky for us our livestock can accept a range of SG, i've seen from 1.023 all the way up to 1.030 and no problems.