My zoas look like crap
- Thread starter fragjunkie
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sdietz2469
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yes, we need to know as much as possible in order to find what the problem is.... also do you dip your corals before you put them in the tank?
fragjunkie
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I have an 85 prop tank. 2x250 MH, Helio 20K and Phoenix 14k. 2xT5, ATI Blue+ and SUper Actinic. 8 hour photoperiod.
4 Tunze nanostreams. 1000g per hour return from sump on an OM.
ATB small conical skimmer
Corals dipped everytime
4 anthias, 2 tangs, 2 chromis, 1 wrasse
What else do you guys need?
4 Tunze nanostreams. 1000g per hour return from sump on an OM.
ATB small conical skimmer
Corals dipped everytime
4 anthias, 2 tangs, 2 chromis, 1 wrasse
What else do you guys need?
First thing that jumps out at me is your PH!
7.6 is really low. Mine rarely goes below 7.9. most of the time it sits at 8.1. Are you using a kalk reactor to stabilize it? or dosing anything?
7.6 is really low. Mine rarely goes below 7.9. most of the time it sits at 8.1. Are you using a kalk reactor to stabilize it? or dosing anything?
Yep, PH is really low and probably has a great deal to do with your problems.
You really need to get that up.
Low PH is often linked to low Alk, but I measure Alk in meq/l rather than dKh, so I don't know if yours is low.
I try to shoot for an Alk of around 3.0 meq/l.
You really need to get that up.
Low PH is often linked to low Alk, but I measure Alk in meq/l rather than dKh, so I don't know if yours is low.
I try to shoot for an Alk of around 3.0 meq/l.
sdietz2469
Well-Known Member
well, i will probably start a war here, but i dont think that ph is a real problem, and i say this cuz i used to worry about ph, and i met a guy his tank constantly ran low in the 7.7-7.8 range, but his tank was beautiful, well going off of what i knew, we told him his tank needed to have a higher ph, and that it just wasnt healthy(as we thought) to keep it low like that.... so he started to add ph buffers and add kalk and all sorts of stuff to help his ph, but just couldnt get it to stablize above 8.0, he could get it up to 8.2-8.3, but in like 6-10 hours, it would go back down to like 7.7-7.8.... needless to say his tank started to look worse and worse due to a swing in the ph like that up and down and up and down..... long story short he ended up loosing alot of corals and his tank has never looked the same......
so in my opinion, pH just need to be stable... that is the key....
i was having the same problem...i actually just started to dose the VC and wow, what a turn around...... i did it before i read about it here, or i would have documented it more, i lost alot of really nice polyps, but i save the ones i wanted to also..... i used the kent vc just cuz the LFS that went out of business had it, and it was cheap..... i willl probably go to the powder stuff though.... i was a little skeptical, but try it , i works..
shane
so in my opinion, pH just need to be stable... that is the key....
i was having the same problem...i actually just started to dose the VC and wow, what a turn around...... i did it before i read about it here, or i would have documented it more, i lost alot of really nice polyps, but i save the ones i wanted to also..... i used the kent vc just cuz the LFS that went out of business had it, and it was cheap..... i willl probably go to the powder stuff though.... i was a little skeptical, but try it , i works..
shane
fragjunkie
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I agree about the pH thing. I have a lot of SPS and they never minded the low pH. I found that alk was more important. I'm not sure I can say the same about zoas. Are there documented effects of low pH on zoas?
