Help - ALK drop and corals closing up

[JCOLE]

Hello everyone! I have been using Kalk for the last 2 months in my top off and everything is looking good. However, I wanted to start dosing 2-part because I am upgrading to from a 55 gallon to a 150 and want to get everything used to this. For the last couple of weeks my Alk has been around +/- 8. With Kalk. I took the Kalk out and have been running straight RO water for the last couple of days. I started dosing Seachem Fusion 1 and 2 yesterday and today per their recommended dosing. I also put in Seachems Reef Plus today for the first time. See pictures below. I noticed my Duncan and trumpet coral was not looking so good. I tested my levels and my Alk is at 7.7. Do you think this has something to do with me removing the Kalk or the 2 part/reef plus or both? Maybe the removal of Kalk caused the drop and I didnt supplement enough ALK? The corals arent looking so hot so it is worrying me.

I switched back to Kalk now until I hear from everyone.

 

[JCOLE]

Also let me add how I dosed. Yesterday and today I manually poured the recommended 10ml of each in the morning directly in my sump.

However, I have an automatic doser that I plan to dose calcium and alk 30 minutes apart throughout the day.

 

[JCOLE]

Should I dose two part and kalk together then once stable try removing kalk and just run two part? I am trying not to shock my system too much.

The reasoning I want to run two part is that I am switching to a 150 and I have heard it is not ideal to only use kalk on larger tanks because of inconsistency.

 

[JCOLE]

My Duncan, trumpet, and mushrooms are not looking so good.

I checked my parameters over the weekend for alkalinity and calcium. My alk is around 8.4 again and my calcium is at 460. I also tested my nitrates and phosphates with different tests also. Parameters are below.

PH - 8.4 - Red Sea kit
Calcium- 460 Red Sea, 460 API Test Kit
Nitrate - 0ppm - API Kit
Phosphate - 0ppm API Kit
Phosphate Low - 0ppm - Hanna Checker

I also dosed Seachems Reef Plus yesteday and Seachems Reef Trace today for the first time

I also dosed Seachems Reef fusion two-part on Friday and Saturday for the first time as well.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[JCOLE]

Anything I can try?

 

[Sod Buster]

Get some nitrate and phosphate detectable. Your water is almost sterile.

 

[Chad Chapman]

I would add 1/4 of the dosage of 2 part. Use 3/4 of what you use with kalk. Just dial it back slowly sonany dropnisnt sudden. And also might want to add more of part 2 to keep alk where you want it. I use 2 part and my alk stays 10.3.

 

[JCOLE]

Get some nitrate and phosphate detectable. Your water is almost sterile.

Should I turn off my skimmer? I recently upgraded to a 200 INT reef octopus for preparation of my 150. It is rated for 200 gallons and I have it on my 55 gallon. Do you think it is pulling to much out?

My Elegance isnt looking good and now a frag is starting to bleach... :-(

 

[Sod Buster]

Yes. That will strip it quick. Get detectable levels of nutrients back so they show up on a test.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Should I turn off my skimmer? I recently upgraded to a 200 INT reef octopus for preparation of my 150. It is rated for 200 gallons and I have it on my 55 gallon. Do you think it is pulling to much out?

My Elegance isnt looking good and now a frag is starting to bleach... :-(

Turn off that skimmer.

 

[JCOLE]

Turn off that skimmer.

Lol. It is a freaking monster. That's a large red bull next to it. I ran it for the break in period in preparation for the 150. Might have broken in to well...

 

[JCOLE]

I ordered some of this Trisodium Phosphate to try and raise my phosphates. It said it was food grade. Is this a good one to use? Also does anyone have dosing calculations for this one? Should I try and get them around .005 PM or is that too much of a jump?

 

[Sod Buster]

You should order some sodium nitrate to go with it. Or you can overfeed the tank for now. You want detectable levels of both. Yes, that phosphate will work fine. Most get from loudwolf.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I ordered some of this Trisodium Phosphate to try and raise my phosphates. It said it was food grade. Is this a good one to use? Also does anyone have dosing calculations for this one? Should I try and get them around .005 PM or is that too much of a jump?

#reefsquad is this the right stuff for Po4 dosing?
It’s not in my weelhouse.

 

[Sod Buster]

Phosphate: mix of trisodium phosphate, 1.88 grams into a 1/4 gallon or 1 liter of rodi water, for a solution that will raise phosphate with a 1ml dose per 26 gallons of tank water will raise p04 by 0.01.

 

[Sod Buster]

sodium nitrate: 30 teaspoons into 1 gallon of rodi water to make a solution that 4ml of solution will bring up nitrates by 0.25 per 100 gallons of tank water. Go slow back up, dig?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Chasing the number/value will Not help. Did you dump kalk or diluted Kalk into the sump? Mine runs about 7.7 with happy corals. We will never maintain perfect numbers and to me over the 30 years in saltwater, perfect number are . . . S T A B L E NUMBERS !

 

[Sod Buster]

With the phosphate, mind your alk and test. It bumps mine up two tenths, I'm only like 40 gallons total volume. For you, I'd just leave that skimmer on the shelf and feed the tank more before you get crazy on pouring in any pharmaceutical help. Go slow.

 

[MTBake]

I agree with @Sod Buster.

Raise slow at first and test often. There's a good chance you'll need to dose the no3 and po4 morning and night to maintain levels.

I dose .04 ppm po4 and 4ppm no3 morning and night in my tank. But I'm dealing with dinos and trying to get other algae to grow to compete with the dinos. My dino bloom popped up when my no3 and po4 hit 0.

 

[Sod Buster]

My new little tank in the space I'm allowed now days, I'm trying to prevent a nutrient bottom out. I already know the outcome of that. Not fun and a many month bummer.