CJB
Active Member
Hello all,
I started the saltwater part of the hobby about 5 months ago with a 32 gallon bio cube. Everything has been going well so I decided to start adding in corals about a month ago. I ordered some montis online from TSA.
They did very well for about a month and even had some growth and now about two weeks ago all of a sudden they are browning out and some are fading and even bleaching. I don’t dose any supplements into my tank, I’ve been following a weekly 15-20% water change schedule. I emailed TSA and they said to check parameters so I did. I purchased a Hanna checker and it read 163ppm. Confused I went to my LFS for help.
My LFS I have been going to from the beginning tested my water and they say everything seems good S/G:34 alk: 8 ph: 8.1ca:420 nitrite:0 nitrates: 10-20 and ammonia: 0 phosphates between .01-.08 mg: 1150
So with everything checking out with them I decided to turn to another LFS to get a second opinion after testing my water they told me that my alk was 15 they asked me where I get my water and I told them another LFS. Then they said the water they might be giving me might be higher in alk. but all the other parameters were the same from the other test from the other LFS besides the alk. The guy at the new LFS told me to go with 15% water changes every other day until it gets back on track I’ve been doing that for a week now. I went back to them and a totally different guy tested again saying my alk went up to a 17. I told them I checked with a Hanna checker and they said it could be reading inaccurate. They use API’s titration test for their customers. Really picking my brain because I am utterly confused, I checked my water and it read around a 160ppm. I checked water that my first LFS gives me 180ppm I checked water from the new LFS 120ppm.
I really don’t know what’s going on I’m stuck between a rock and hard place. I am trying to find out who is lying to me, is my Hanna checker actually messed up. No where else to turn I joined the forum here for knowledge and better understanding of certain processes because even with my own research I am having trouble.
Everything else in my tank is doing great. Pictures are attached.
Other need to know tank equipment and factors.
Kessil A360x lighting runs for about 14 hours.
100watt heater
Mechanical filter: Double layered Intank foam
Biological filter: around 2lbs of bio home marine.
Chemical filter: cemipureblue and a pack of purigen as the last layer before it hits the refugium.
Refugium: good sized piece of red OGO 1lb of bio home marine.
Filter: SICCE 1.5
livestock- 1 scooter Blenny, 1 sail fin blenny,
1 coris wrasse, 1 springer damsel, 1 royal gramma, 2 clowns , 1 citron goby, 3 shrimp 1 conch snail all my corals are in the pictures.
Assorted amount of hermits and snails.
If any more info is needed I’ll be happy to provide. Thank you for reading this far.
My questions are
Is it possible to have an alk level of 17 but all other parameters are fine?
With alk being that high if it is that high how much time would I likely have for a crash?
I started the saltwater part of the hobby about 5 months ago with a 32 gallon bio cube. Everything has been going well so I decided to start adding in corals about a month ago. I ordered some montis online from TSA.
They did very well for about a month and even had some growth and now about two weeks ago all of a sudden they are browning out and some are fading and even bleaching. I don’t dose any supplements into my tank, I’ve been following a weekly 15-20% water change schedule. I emailed TSA and they said to check parameters so I did. I purchased a Hanna checker and it read 163ppm. Confused I went to my LFS for help.
My LFS I have been going to from the beginning tested my water and they say everything seems good S/G:34 alk: 8 ph: 8.1ca:420 nitrite:0 nitrates: 10-20 and ammonia: 0 phosphates between .01-.08 mg: 1150
So with everything checking out with them I decided to turn to another LFS to get a second opinion after testing my water they told me that my alk was 15 they asked me where I get my water and I told them another LFS. Then they said the water they might be giving me might be higher in alk. but all the other parameters were the same from the other test from the other LFS besides the alk. The guy at the new LFS told me to go with 15% water changes every other day until it gets back on track I’ve been doing that for a week now. I went back to them and a totally different guy tested again saying my alk went up to a 17. I told them I checked with a Hanna checker and they said it could be reading inaccurate. They use API’s titration test for their customers. Really picking my brain because I am utterly confused, I checked my water and it read around a 160ppm. I checked water that my first LFS gives me 180ppm I checked water from the new LFS 120ppm.
I really don’t know what’s going on I’m stuck between a rock and hard place. I am trying to find out who is lying to me, is my Hanna checker actually messed up. No where else to turn I joined the forum here for knowledge and better understanding of certain processes because even with my own research I am having trouble.
Everything else in my tank is doing great. Pictures are attached.
Other need to know tank equipment and factors.
Kessil A360x lighting runs for about 14 hours.
100watt heater
Mechanical filter: Double layered Intank foam
Biological filter: around 2lbs of bio home marine.
Chemical filter: cemipureblue and a pack of purigen as the last layer before it hits the refugium.
Refugium: good sized piece of red OGO 1lb of bio home marine.
Filter: SICCE 1.5
livestock- 1 scooter Blenny, 1 sail fin blenny,
1 coris wrasse, 1 springer damsel, 1 royal gramma, 2 clowns , 1 citron goby, 3 shrimp 1 conch snail all my corals are in the pictures.
Assorted amount of hermits and snails.
If any more info is needed I’ll be happy to provide. Thank you for reading this far.
My questions are
Is it possible to have an alk level of 17 but all other parameters are fine?
With alk being that high if it is that high how much time would I likely have for a crash?
