michaelg
07/27/2004, 11:30 AM
I am having some real issues with the acropora in my tank.
Basics
tank is a 58 gallon, with a lot of flow (tunze 900gph powerhead and T4 on a seaswirl). Buld XM 20K, 400W + 2x55W PC actinics
Temp- 78-81
ph 8.4
alk 14 (yes high, turned off co2 for reactor to allow to come down)
mg 950ppm (added some last night to raise)
s.g. 1.025 using bioassay salt ***
water changes minimally 5 gallons/week
Nitrate ? Kit on loan
Ca ? tested, but seems kit is old. Suspect low based on high alk
Top-Off, RO/DI ***
Carbon changed every 2 weeks.
AquaC EV-90 skimmer.
Tank run together with common sump with anenome/lps tank.
Tanks fed regularily, with home brew food and live rotifers.
Tips have been dying on 2 colonies of a. millepora. These were doing fine and growing for quite some time (obtained as frags 2 years ago). 2 other acroporas seem to be dying at the tips as well. 1 staghorn type acropora has been slowly dying0 basal up tissue ressession, but real slow. 2 well established colonies RTN'd. New additions have not faired well, including 2 montiporas. 1 well established montipora is showing patchy areas of tissue loss- doesn't look like it is being eaten though.
Note- in general, it seems something is real out of whack in the tank, but I can't figure out what. Corraline algae growth is slow, as is the growth of the corals. Some new frags did encrust in pretty quickly though (2 weeks) so there is some degree of growth. Some additional info that may or may not be relavent. Macro-Algae (grape calerpa) was cleared finally- used phosban for about a month, and had a couple of urchins in there. Aptasia (even Eric's devil spawn variety) have been cleared by a copper banded butterfly. I have observed the fish for quite some time, and have never seen him show any interest in the corals- every zoanthids and palyotha. On the RO/DI, I recently changed out the filters, after all the problems happened. I noticed that there was a rubber gasket that shouldn't have been there in the DI chamber- thus likely blocking water from passing through effectively. The salt mix was changed from Instant Ocean starting last February. I did it real slow, and did not notice any direct issues with it.
As I said, I am at a loss- and am trying to figure out what has caused these problems. I am changing 15 gallons of water tonight with oceanic salt. I have no good reason to continue using the bio-assay salt, no improvements ever noticed, though the above problems don't seem in line with problems others have had with the salt. I have an ozonizer that I am considering running through the skimmer. Carbon has been changed and I will continue to change weekly. Any other suggestions? The fact that corraline algae isn't growing well has me real concerned and indicates something is chemically out of whack.
Thanks for any help.
Michael
Basics
tank is a 58 gallon, with a lot of flow (tunze 900gph powerhead and T4 on a seaswirl). Buld XM 20K, 400W + 2x55W PC actinics
Temp- 78-81
ph 8.4
alk 14 (yes high, turned off co2 for reactor to allow to come down)
mg 950ppm (added some last night to raise)
s.g. 1.025 using bioassay salt ***
water changes minimally 5 gallons/week
Nitrate ? Kit on loan
Ca ? tested, but seems kit is old. Suspect low based on high alk
Top-Off, RO/DI ***
Carbon changed every 2 weeks.
AquaC EV-90 skimmer.
Tank run together with common sump with anenome/lps tank.
Tanks fed regularily, with home brew food and live rotifers.
Tips have been dying on 2 colonies of a. millepora. These were doing fine and growing for quite some time (obtained as frags 2 years ago). 2 other acroporas seem to be dying at the tips as well. 1 staghorn type acropora has been slowly dying0 basal up tissue ressession, but real slow. 2 well established colonies RTN'd. New additions have not faired well, including 2 montiporas. 1 well established montipora is showing patchy areas of tissue loss- doesn't look like it is being eaten though.
Note- in general, it seems something is real out of whack in the tank, but I can't figure out what. Corraline algae growth is slow, as is the growth of the corals. Some new frags did encrust in pretty quickly though (2 weeks) so there is some degree of growth. Some additional info that may or may not be relavent. Macro-Algae (grape calerpa) was cleared finally- used phosban for about a month, and had a couple of urchins in there. Aptasia (even Eric's devil spawn variety) have been cleared by a copper banded butterfly. I have observed the fish for quite some time, and have never seen him show any interest in the corals- every zoanthids and palyotha. On the RO/DI, I recently changed out the filters, after all the problems happened. I noticed that there was a rubber gasket that shouldn't have been there in the DI chamber- thus likely blocking water from passing through effectively. The salt mix was changed from Instant Ocean starting last February. I did it real slow, and did not notice any direct issues with it.
As I said, I am at a loss- and am trying to figure out what has caused these problems. I am changing 15 gallons of water tonight with oceanic salt. I have no good reason to continue using the bio-assay salt, no improvements ever noticed, though the above problems don't seem in line with problems others have had with the salt. I have an ozonizer that I am considering running through the skimmer. Carbon has been changed and I will continue to change weekly. Any other suggestions? The fact that corraline algae isn't growing well has me real concerned and indicates something is chemically out of whack.
Thanks for any help.
Michael