SPS help, please?

[siskiou]

I'm fairly new to SPS and am still learning.

 

I've got several in the 120G that are doing extremely well and are growing like crazy, but also some that do initially really well, with good color, polyp extension and growth, but then go into a slow decline and fade away.

 

I had switched to IO salt for a few months just before the decline happened, but am not sure if that's an explanation, since some SPS are doing as well as they were before, with Reef Crystals.

 

Tank Specs:

120G with 24G sump, skimmer, refugium

 

Ammonia 0

Nitrites 0

Nitrate 2-5ppm

pH 8-8.3 (goes down from 8.3 to 8 after lights out)

Kh 7 (too low?)

Calcium 380 (despite Kalkwasser top-off)

Magnesium 1200

Phosphates read 0, but I've ordered GFO, since I don't really trust that reading.

 

I've got a Tunze 6000, a Tunze 6055, a Koralia 4 and an MJ mod providing flow, plus the Eheim 1262 return pump.

 

I feed my fish once every day. Zoas and LPS are doing well.

 

I'd love some input as to what I can do to make the SPS happy across the board, and not just in a hit or miss fashion.

 

Also, how do I determine if the species I have prefer high flow or lower flow?

[JeffP]

try to get your CA and alk up a little more 2dkh for alk and about 60 more for CA. the kalk is good for helping to maintain the levels once you get there, not as helpful for raising them though.

[andy]

I agree -- get alk and Ca up like JeffP suggests and I'll bet things turn around.

[siskiou]

try to get your CA and alk up a little more 2dkh for alk and about 60 more for CA. the kalk is good for helping to maintain the levels once you get there' date=' not as helpful for raising them though.[/quote']

 

Thanks!

Did you mean 12 dkh?

I always get the Alk measuring units confused. Mine is at 7 dkh right now.

 

The only calcium supplement I have around (besides Kalk) is a bottle of Purple up that I received with some LR last year.

Would that be okay to use?

[siskiou]

I agree -- get alk and Ca up like JeffP suggests and I'll bet things turn around.

 

Thanks! I'll be working on those two parameters!

Does everything else look okay?

 

And I just remembered that some of my T5 bulbs are over a year old now.

I should probably start switching them out one by one.

[JeffP]

Thanks!

Did you mean 12 dkh?

I always get the Alk measuring units confused. Mine is at 7 dkh right now.

 

The only calcium supplement I have around (besides Kalk) is a bottle of Purple up that I received with some LR last year.

Would that be okay to use?

 

I meant up by two more dkh.

 

I never used PurpleUp - so I can't comment on that. But look into a two part solution to get things up, then use as required.

[andy]

Yes, or kalk, or a Ca reactor.

[downhill_biker]

you can make a calcium solution using kalk, muriatic acid, and rodi water. this should take care of calcium. if you need help send me a pm, i have some muriatic acid if you need it.

 

buffering alk can be done with a buffer you can buy from the LFS, or you can use baking soda. you will need 5.7 tsp of Baking SODA, not baking powder.

 

Whichever product you use, I would get the Ca up to about 440-460 and the dKH up to 9-10. just make sure you do it very slow. i have had problems with stressing the corals by doing this too quickly.

 

I would recommend using this calculator from Randy Holmes Farley to make sure you are putting the right amount in. I would do the changes over the course of about a week.

 

http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

[siskiou]

I meant up by two more dkh.

 

Ah, thanks! That makes sense.

[siskiou]

Yes' date=' or kalk, or a Ca reactor.[/quote']

 

A reactor is not in the picture for now, but I have plenty of kalk!

[siskiou]

you can make a calcium solution using kalk, muriatic acid, and rodi water. this should take care of calcium. if you need help send me a pm, i have some muriatic acid if you need it.

 

buffering alk can be done with a buffer you can buy from the LFS, or you can use baking soda. you will need 5.7 tsp of Baking SODA, not baking powder.

 

http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

 

Thanks for the link! It's very helpful!

I have Alk solution mixed up and ready, and am using Purple Up for calcium until I can make up a better solution (have to look for a "recipe"). Can vinegar be substituted for the muriatic acid?

 

The Purple up didn't have any measurable effect when I tested the water again an hour after using it, so it's probably not a very useful product.

[downhill_biker]

Thanks for the link! It's very helpful!

I have Alk solution mixed up and ready, and am using Purple Up for calcium until I can make up a better solution (have to look for a "recipe"). Can vinegar be substituted for the muriatic acid?

 

The Purple up didn't have any measurable effect when I tested the water again an hour after using it, so it's probably not a very useful product.

 

I would not substitute the vinegar for muriatic acid because the vinegar will be a carbon source and may cause bacterial bloom if too much is used. to make the solution you use very little muriatic acid, but would need much more vinegar. if you want to get some acid of your own, jerry's has it, and it isn't to expensive, or you can use mine.

[siskiou]

I would not substitute the vinegar for muriatic acid because the vinegar will be a carbon source and may cause bacterial bloom if too much is used. to make the solution you use very little muriatic acid' date=' but would need much more vinegar. if you want to get some acid of your own, jerry's has it, and it isn't to expensive, or you can use mine.[/quote']

 

Thanks!

Do you have a link to a recipe?

I haven't ben able to find anything useful in my google search.

[downhill_biker]

no i dont have a link, but i can tell you how to do it.

 

put about 3 TBSP of kalk in a 1 liter/20 oz pop bottle, or similar container. add about 2tsp of muriatic acid to the bottle, it will get pretty warm, so dont hold it too long, then add ro/di water, until the bottle is full. shake well, then let set until it seperates, and pour the clear off into the tank slowly. watch the pH and dose accordingly. dont jump the pH more than .2 in an hour, dont stress over this, just a rule of thumb. try to keep the jump less than .2 per hour, and .5 in a day.