Corals looking bad

[kwandrsn]

36 gallon reef
Some of my corals are looking bad
Candy cane corals are shriveled up
Mushrooms not opening
zoas not opening
Leather shriveled

Everything else was ok

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate between 20 and 40
Ph 8
Calcium 380
Kh 11-12
Salt 1.025
Temp 78-80

I added a new purigen the other day and recharged the old one in bleach water for 12 hours them prime water for 12 then put it back

Added 2 algon packs to help with nitrates the other day as well

Just noticed corals looking bad today and I done a 12 gallon water change to get trates down

And put a carbon filter pad in today
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[kwandrsn]

When I regenerated the purigen I let it soak in bleach water then put it in prime. I didn't rinse in between though and it soaked in prime for about 18 hours.

I just had my wife remove both of the purigen packs and add prime to my tank

I really hope that isn't the issue and I hope if it was I didn't kill my corals

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[ritter6788]

Are you dosing anything? What salt are you using?

 

[Reefing Madness]

If your using API, and its more red looking than orange, your Trates are creeping up there. With the coloring, try to keep it around orange, not redish. Calcium is a bit low for my taste, with Trumpets.

 

[kwandrsn]

Io salt. I dose advanced calcium and marine buffer some but not often.

I just got a 200 box of reef crystals today via UPS

Its more orange like maybe between 20 and 40

380 is where it stays I. Been that way for a long time

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[kwandrsn]

I use the advanced calcium but it raises my kh so I can't get my calcium up higher. I tried code a but it didn't do much.

Mag was at 1250 last time I had it tested.

I'm hoping reef crystals will get my calcium higher

You think maybe I was leeching chlorine in to my tank? The candy canes are all shriveled up and hard looking. Happened overnight

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[ritter6788]

Stop dosing! No dosing at all. water changes with the same salt you are using or RC is fine.

Do not dose anything unless you test and it's needed

All kinds of water parameter problems come from dosing additives when it's not needed.

Water changes with a good salt should handle your needs unless you have a lot of sps or clams.

Test often and don't add anything unless its needed.

 

[kwandrsn]

I only dose of my Ph gets low. And I was using the advanced calcium to try to get my level up.

I do water changes at least weekly. Usually about every 6 days. I work 4 on 2 off

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[kwandrsn]

for example I only dose marine buffer if I notice my Ph gets to 7.8 which is not very often then I dose. out usually stays around 8.0 The calcium I was dosing maybe once a week.

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[ritter6788]

Stop dosing for pH. It's driving your alkalinity up and probably causing precipitation.

Stop testing for pH for now. Don't even think about it. Keep alk between 7-10 dkh, calcium 380-440 and magnesium about 1300-1400.

Chasing pH can be horrible for reef tanks. Your only increasing your alk to unsafe levels.

Water changes with a good salt and test often for alk, cal and mag. That's all you need right now.

 

[kwandrsn]

I don't have a mag test. I didn't know Ph would drive kh up

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[kwandrsn]

I guess I'll go buy a mag test tomorrow. I've been holding off cause my lfs wants like $50 for the red sea one. so stop dosing calcium. Do I need to buy anything for mag? It was 1250 last time lfs tested it. They are a hour away from me btw that's why I need to buy a test kit

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[ritter6788]

Mag will be the last of the tests you need. You can get one later on.

Alk is the most important to test for after your tank is cycled.

I recommend not even testing for pH. 7.8 is fine and trying to push to 8.0 or higher is only driving your alk out of range which at the same time pushes calcium down.

Pick a good salt (I like Reef Crystals) and keep up your water changes.

If you get into heavy usage corals like sps and clams them worry about dosing and ONLY when your testing shows its needed.

 

[ritter6788]

And check online vendors for test kits if your LFS is too high.


Good luck. If you need anymore help let us know.

 

[ritter6788]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/

 

[kwandrsn]

I have sps, I have over 50 types of corals. And a huge amount of snails

I'm hoping the reef crystals helps on calcium. I got two $20 drs foster smith gift certificates at our reef clubs frag swap. used one on the rc and if it can wait a week or so I'll use the other on mag test.

I have kh and calcium api tests

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[ritter6788]

Just take your time and start over. Do several water changes with RC, get your parameters in line and test often. Alk will be the first to drop, then Cal, then Mag.

Don't dose anything for a week or two and test everyday. Once you figure out your tanks usage then you can figure out a dosing plan if needed.

Don't even worry about or dose for pH.

 

[kwandrsn]

Ok, just a little confusing everything has been doing great for a while and all of a sudden something has upset some of the corals. I haven't dosed anything in a week.

Everything was fine until I added algone and regenerated my purigen

I will stop testing ph

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[jimmybling31]

Everything said so far is completely right. Unless your tank is sucking down the calcium and alk there is no reason to dose period. If you can keep up your parameters with just water changes that's better than dosing as well. Only dose when you get to the point where that is the only good option. I would do a series of water changes to get your tank stable (I suggest a total of 40 percent of the water volume over a week) and then test every 3 days and do a water change (5percent or so) every week until you see it stabilizing and you know what is dropping.

 

[Zack]

Ok, just a little confusing everything has been doing great for a while and all of a sudden something has upset some of the corals. I haven't dosed anything in a week.

Everything was fine until I added algone and regenerated my purigen

I will stop testing ph

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Sorry to hear about the issues.
Have you checked your parameters since this happened. To make sure you didn't need to dose? Since you saw problems a week after dosing stopped.

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