Dosing vs corals

[Sexytang]

Ok so I’ve had my tank up and running for a year now and in the year I’ve done a big no no and didn’t buy test kits. So recently I went to my lfs with a sample of my water and had them check my alk to find out it’s super super low 4.4. So they recommended that I start dosing b ionic 2 parts. I’ve been dosing since last Thursday dosing 2.5ml daily. And will get my water checked again Thursday. The question is with me dosing his alk would it cause my octospawn to act up. Most of my corals are fine but me hammer and octospawn aren’t fully opening. I read that alk swings can cause them to act up. After the holidays I’m going to buy testkits so I can test when needed

 

[Sexytang]

Forgot to say my tank is 36g

 

[Jon Fishman]

How were things before you found out your aalk was low?

I haven’t tested this year, but if I were to try to change my tank Chemistry, it would be slowly. Maybe dose every-other day.

 

[Sexytang]

All corals where fine gonna stop dosing till I get test kits

 

[NanoDJS]

If they had acclimated down to 4.4 then yeah all lps will probably show signs of pissyness until its stable back up at 9 ish , go very very slow , try using kalkawasser for top off until you get back upto 8ish ph 9ish dkh it might take over a month at the rate Im saying to do it. they will slowly acclimate back up...

 

[Jon Fishman]

All corals where fine gonna stop dosing till I get test kits

Even once you get the test kits..... if everything is going well, it’s fine to dose less that the recommendations, and bring it up slowly

 

[nereefpat]

I wouldn't wait until after the holidays. An API dKH kit can be had for about 6 bucks.

 

[Sexytang]

I was just dosing what my lfs recommended
I’ll prolly keep dosing the b ionic just slowly
Or might just leave th tank alone in a few months I’m planning on getting a 75g and upgrading. Might not get much more rock than what’s in my 36 might either add the same rock work in middle of the 75 or to one side to make a island and rest of swimming room

 

[jdeb101]

how many corals do you have? What made you think to start testing now, a year later? Was something looking off?Also, are you sure his test results were in dkh and not meg/l? If the latter then your numbers were fine.

 

[Sexytang]

how many corals do you have? What made you think to start testing now, a year later? Was something looking off?Also, are you sure his test results were in dkh and not meg/l? If the latter then your numbers were fine.

My tank is full of corals and I just noticed that some of the corals hadn’t grown like they did.
Tank has octospawn large colony
Hammer large colony
Gsp large rock
Pulsing Xenia large rock
3x rose bubble tip nems
Kenya trees
Bullseye mushroom
Yuma mushrooms
Torch
Waving hand
Toadstool
Devils hand
Red monti cap
Trumpet
Maybe more
And I’m not 100% sure I just know he used the Red Sea test kit and I’m hoping he knows what he’s doing he’s the owner of the shop and he said he does the dosing on there display tank and it looks great

 

[Sexytang]

Had to tell in these pics but the octospawn is long fully opened at the bottom I added more flow to it and it’s opening a little more

 

[Jon Fishman]

Yeah, that’s a nice looking tank...... I would make all changes slowly

 

[Sexytang]

Yeah, that’s a nice looking tank...... I would make all changes slowly

Just gonna mess with dosing when I get my test kits after Xmas will get my water tested weekly when I get water from the petstore
I buy my mixed saltwater and rodi water from petstore plan on getting rodi system when I get new tank. I’m low funds so it all comes slowly little at a time
This tank took me a year to get everything and is far from where it should be

 

[Sexytang]

Question could me not changing my polyfil for over a week just rincing it cause corals to act funny because I ran out of my polyfil till today I normally chance it every other day or every day if needed. The hammer has opened a little more than earlier

 

[Sexytang]

Any thoughts

 

[Reefer addickt]

Any thoughts

I’d say to do small water changes maybe 2 small a week you’d keep your levels maybe even gain a point or 2 depending on how fast your alk is being used up. I’ve got a 180 gal sps/mixed tank uses 80ml a day on a doser

 

[Duncan Tse]

I don't think it's the 2 part that's causing your corals to close up. 2.5mL a day in a 36 gallon tank is not likely to swing your alk and cal to the point where it's making your octospawn to close up.

I would not recommend doing multiple water changes either as your newly fresh batch of water will be a lot higher in alk/ca and can swing it even more

 

[Sexytang]

Came home to my Duncan part of the way closed and one of my nems closed. I dont have the water to do a wc atm or anything so just quit dosing and let it do it’s thing hope I didn’t kill anything

 

[Jon Fishman]

Yeah. No dosing, just wait it out

 

[Sexytang]

My tank has just went threw a big down stage at 1 year was beautiful then some of my clean up crew died I guess because tank was to clean. Now little crew in tank and it’s getting nasty