Need immediate dosing help!!!

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

My corals looked great 2 nights ago. When I work up yesterday morning they were pale...checked parameters and everything was way off!
Ca:360 (norm is 500 plus)
Alk: 7.0 (norm is 8.9
Mg: 1200 (norm is 1450

This morning they're more pale ice manually added about 10 ml of each. Do I wait to see what happens? Any advice is welcomed.

ironman20725 · Mar 31, 2017

Slowly bring levels back up

ironman20725 · Mar 31, 2017

Slowly

CoralNerd · Mar 31, 2017

Slowly bring your numbers back up. Be sure to dose in the sump and have a good 30min to 1hr separation of each dose. Test test test. How about your other parmeters?

malira · Mar 31, 2017

Luis Figueroa said:
My corals looked great 2 nights ago. When I work up yesterday morning they were pale...checked parameters and everything was way off!
Ca:360 (norm is 500 plus)
Alk: 7.0 (norm is 8.9
Mg: 1200 (norm is 1450

This morning they're more pale ice manually added about 10 ml of each. Do I wait to see what happens? Any advice is welcomed.

What are you other parameters?
Nitrates and phosphates?

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

Po4 is at .08 and n03 is 25 plus on red Sea. Ph 8.2

malira · Mar 31, 2017

Luis Figueroa said:
Po4 is at .08 and n03 is 25 plus on red Sea. Ph 8.2

Those numbers aren't the problem.

When was your last water change?

CoralNerd · Mar 31, 2017

25 no3 is high though. 5 to 10 is where you want to be at.

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

malira said:
Those numbers aren't the problem.

When was your last water change?

About 1 hr ago only 4 gallons on my 30cube

malira · Mar 31, 2017

Luis Figueroa said:
About 1 hr ago only 4 gallons on my 30cube

Before that? Trying to figure out where the consumption is coming from and how you usually replenish it?

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

Oh, It was sunday and 15 gallons

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

I talked to a fellow reefer who owns a store close to me and was told that the corals just decided to grow super fast. So they used up those parameters faster than it could get replenished.

malira · Mar 31, 2017

Luis Figueroa said:
Oh, It was sunday and 15 gallons

How often do you test? Was there a trend in numbers? Have you added more corals lately? Is there more growth lately? I've read when your Ph nears 8.4 calcification/growth increases.

Have you checked you new saltwater's numbers?

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

malira said:
How often do you test? Was there a trend in numbers? Have you added more corals lately? Is there more growth lately? I've read when your Ph nears 8.4 calcification/growth increases.

Have you checked you new saltwater's numbers?

I test weekly mainly alk and n03...use salifert and red Sea plus hanna on one's that I can test. Numbers were consistent up til now. The last corals were added back in February..as for growth here's 2-13/ 3-23

malira · Mar 31, 2017

Luis Figueroa said:
I test weekly mainly alk and n03...use salifert and red Sea plus hanna on one's that I can test. Numbers were consistent up til now. The last corals were added back in February..as for growth here's 2-13/ 3-23

Great looking tank.

Extra growth explains the extra consumption.

Luis Figueroa · Mar 31, 2017

malira said:
Great looking tank.

Extra growth explains the extra consumption.

Thanks, so this is my first time with mini colonies of frags and my worry comes from low ca,alk,mg killing them. Am I alright with dosing slowly to pick up numbers?

nervousmonkey · Mar 31, 2017

your numbers are fine where they are; I mean bring them up slowly, but you won't kill them with those numbers. some people keep alk at 6.5 to 8.0 for SPS with Ca and Mag in the range you have them. Fauna Marin recommends those numbers actually. No need to have your numbers cranked up really high, it does cause hyper growth but you are also walking a fine line; when your numbers are as high as you keep them and your NO3 and PO4 drop to nothing, you'll have a huge SPS crash and burn

nervousmonkey · Mar 31, 2017

I'd recommend keeping alk at 8 to 8.5, calcium at 425 and magnesium between 1200-1350.

mdlc805 · Apr 1, 2017

nervousmonkey said:
I'd recommend keeping alk at 8 to 8.5, calcium at 425 and magnesium between 1200-1350.

+1 my numbers where pretty high and was getting awesome growth with good color. is started dosing and my levels dropped a bit to something similar to this and yes my corals looked lighter but after a while the color improved even more.my po4 and no3 arent as high though. some of the tanks ive seen with levels like that also have no3 and p03 that high. maybe there is a reason there p04 and no3 can be maintained that high the same way ulns must have near zero levels. maybe since your levels dropped your colors couldnt handle the no3 and p04

Smite · Apr 1, 2017

Good looking pieces. Solid advice, another swing in parameters will just stress your system even more. Bring it up slowly. I know for ulns you want alk around 7, usually high nutrient systems like yours call for higher alk levels, i believe around 8-9.

Also first thing i do when all numbers are surprisingly off is check my salinity. I know thats basic but sometimes the simple things are over looked.