Successful SPS tank w/o dosing kalkwasser?

[Briankook]

Does anyone have a successful SPS tank without using Kalk? I do not seem to have success with my SPS corals. All of my levels are exactly where they need to be. I have plenty of lighting and water movement. I do have a Ca reactor to keep my Calcium and Alkalinity stable.

They ONLY thing I do NOT do is dose kalk. I am frustrated.

I appreciate any help.

Thanks

Brian

[chessmanmark]

I don't use kalk. I only use two part.

[znut Reefer]

I don't use Kalk either. Just a Cal reactor and water changes.

[eskymick]

If your params are stable, and in the proper range, I wouldn't think you need to drip kalk. I dose 2-part to keep my params in order ... no kalk.

[cbcostanza]

I don't use Kalk either, just two part for Calcium and Alkalinity also. Everything seems great.

[mysterybox]

It sounds like it's something else! water quality maybe?

[RokleM]

What level is your pH? Most that use a calcium reactor use a kalk reactor not as much for supplementation, but to offset the drop in pH by the calcium reactor. As long as your parameters are stable and in good shape (should list them, because everyone's definition of "good" varies), you should be fine. Maybe explain what you're having issues with. As well, where are you getting your corals? Any frags from local reefers or all store bought?

[LobsterOfJustice]

The differences I can think of would be pH, phosphate, and magnesium.

Magnesium actually should be working in your favor, as kalk is not an effective way of dosing Mg. Like RokleM above said, it could have something to do with pH, but if you are within an acceptable range it shouldnt matter. Last thing is PO4, apparently kalk helps precipitate it out. I'm not sure to what degree, and I was never convinced it was a substantial amount, but it might be worth running some phosphate remover.

BTW, there are plenty of people out there without kalk who have very successful tanks.

[Briankook]

Thanks for the replies!

My ph goes from 8.0-8.6. I have my refugium lit on an opposite cycle from the main tank to assist in keeping the ph from fluctuating too much. So I don't think that is my problem.

Phoshpate is undetectable. (Salifert)

I have not tested for magnesium.

Here are my levels:
Temp - Fall/Winter: 77-80 degrees Spring/Summer: 80-84 degrees
SG - 1.024-5
pH - goes from 8.0-8.6
NH4/NH3 - 0ppm
NO2 - 0ppm
NO3 - 0ppm
Si - undetectable
PO4 - undetectable
Ca - 420ppm
dKH -9

I run a Geo Calcium reactor which I love. My Ca & Alk does not budge when it is dialed in.

One reason why I am frustrated is because I had a lot of SPS corals grow and color up very nicely only to have them bleach and die after 6 months. Perhaps it is my temp fluctuation.

I have plenty of water movement. For example, a closed loop with eductors and penductors, Tunzes, etc. I KNOW that is not my problem.

I do have a chiller, but I don't run it over the summer, maybe it is as simple as the temp....not sure.

Other suggestions?

[DaddyJax]

Do you have a BB or Sandbed? How many fish and how often do you feed? Do you run a GFO?

[Briankook]

DaddyJax, I have a BB.

I have 6 fish in my 180:

Yellow Tang
Purple Tang
Naso Tang
Flame Angel
Pygmy Caribbean Angel
Mandarin

I feed Nori everyday. I feed meaty foods every 3 days or so. On that note, you bring up a good question. Perhaps I'm not feeding enough. I've read a lot of threads lately on the importance of feeding and SPS.

What is a GFO?

[kev apsley]

what kind of SPS are you stocking your tank with? Wild/Maricultured/Aquacultured

the reason I ask is it could have something to do with your success rate

[Briankook]

kev, all aquacultured from a fellow reefer.

[kev apsley]

so what is actually happening to them?

brown out?
STN?
RTN?

I'm trying to get a feel what might be happening

[Briankook]

They RTN and become completely dead within two days. When I first noticed it, I checked my parameters and everything was stable.

It started with my orange monti caps which grew from a frag to 8 inches across.

A few weeks later, I lost all the rest of my corals, the same way.

[kev apsley]

the only thing I see is a big swing in PH throughout the day but with that being said my Ph swings are hugh as well but I have no losses...Phosphates wouldn't kill your corals just brown them out and stunt growth...the temp swings aren't that big imho especially with aquacultured stuff...what about AEFW?

[Briankook]

If I had them, I wouldn't know it because I did not check for them. It is a possibility.

I'm going to buy more frags next month from a fellow reefer. I am going to place them on the bottom of the tank and slowly move them up until acclimated to my intense light. (3, 400 watt XM 10,000k's and 2, 160 watt Actinic VHO's) If I have the same problem, how do I check for the flatworms?

[kev apsley]

you need to take a coral out and dip it in TMPC or Lugols, shake it a bit and see what falls off, you'll know...you would see tiny bite marks on your corals, usually from the base upwards, the bite marks look like STN to the naked eye...just throwing that out there, otherwise I don't see anything major other than your intense lighting which more than likely would bleach your corals and not STN them

[Briankook]

Thanks Kev! I will keep this thread posted.

[Briankook]

I acclimated a handful of frags last night. I put most of them on the bottom of the tank. I will slowly move them up as they adjust to the light. I also decided to put Kalk on a constant drip from now on.

[bstone]

It surprises me how many people do not test for magnesium. You really need to keep your Magnesium up and test it at least once a week. I have to add magnesium at least once a week. If I let me Mg drop my corals really suffer.

Just my 2 cents!

[Serioussnaps]

You mentioned temperature swings briefly in one post. It is debatable as to whether or not temp. swings are harmful, however, is there possibility you had a drastic rise one day? Bleaching is most likely caused by too much light or a drastic rise in temp. What are your swings like? Is it possible you jump from say 80 to like 88 degrees for a day or so? Temperature rise is proximate cause of bleaching on the reefs in nature and mass bleaching events are common.

[Briankook]

bstone, good point. My Mg was very low. I found that I need to drip Mg every 4 days to keep it up. Do you use epsom salt?

Serioussnaps, 78 to 80 degrees is my range every day. I think that is fine.

[bigt0706]

try adding a mag supplament to your calcium reactor

[Briankook]

bigt0706, can you suggest a product?