Pavona suffering?

[RJPII]

Hello Reefers, I posted this under reef discussion with no luck, so I am trying again...any help on Pavona's is greatly appreciated...

I need to ask for some opinions. I like to feel proud of myself for carefully researching most of the livestock I have added, although I went a little off the deep end recently.

I was a couple hours away from home and got trigger happy and bought a Plate Coral (that died!) and a large, very cool Pavona. The LFS said both are very easy and fine with PC lighting. I can't beleive I bought into this, as I know now that each of these have specific pre-requisite conditions. I understand the pavona is hardy, but they prefer strong current and bright lighting. Research on prior threads reflects people have had success with PC's, but only w/ 5 watts per gallon and Pavona is placed high.

The Pavona I have had for a month has been 'bald' about 25 out of 30 days and I am pretty sure this means it's suffering. Usually they have many small polyps extended. Attached is a small pic. , although this was on a good day for it. I have 3 watts per gallon w/ PCs and the Pavona is placed about 60% of the way up from the base of my 90gall. The color has been consistent, although I do see a 1/4" black spot that showed up yesterday.

Is my lighting falling short? any other advice? Water param:Nitra 8mg/l, 380cal., Alk 5mg/l,PH 8.55, temp 80, phos. 0. I do have about five Hermits that clammer over it once in while and one emerald crab, although I have not seen him touch it.
Thx
Bob

http://adobe.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp...e21b35478b8a443

[MalHavoc]

The biggest thing that sticks out for me is your pH. a pH of 8.6 is pretty high. Are you sure your measuring your alkalinity correctly? "mg/L" is ppm, and ideally, the alkalinity should somewhere in the vicinity of 150 ppm, which translates into 3 mEq/L, or about 10 dKH. If that really is ppm, it's way too low.

[RJPII]

I hear your about the PH. I have been tryin to bring it down over the last week or with cutting back on the Kalk drip and adding a PH reducer in slow increments. I doublechecked the instructions in my Seachem kit and it looks like I am following the instructions. I will do a reference check on the kit to check it. About two weeks ago, I did have a spike in Alk. where I measured about 7.5 meq/l. (yikes!)I will make some adjustments and watch this closely.

I will also watch the method I am dripping Kalk. I am using Nagel's DIY listed here on RC with 1 tsp of vinegar per 2 galls to bump the calc.. Perhaps I am getting too much strong solution at the end of drip.

Thanks Jason