help..hammer melted,bubble die

[alvin_varian]

hi all

my 3x2x2 tank with sump, water parameter

Ca out of range 5++

Kh 12.8

Alk 4.5

No3 0

mg 1200

PO4 0.2

all test with salifert

performed 2 pail of water change using sealife salt, but Ca remain did not drop.

Is the high Ca, Kh and Alk killing my coral???

pls advise . What should I do? wait for the Ca and Kh to drop by it own?

[jervismun]

Sorry to hear that. Nothing to do with high Ca. Alk/Kh a tad high but not the culprit. Mg is perfect! PO4 is acceptable range also. How long have u been keeping them? What other corals u have in ur tank? Lighting? Temperature? Possibly salinity too.

[Altantis]

My Ca was 620 in apr to 520 now... Hammer and bubble still growing.

So I don't think it the Ca problem...

Your kH and Alk is slightly high, should be 9-11 dkh or 3.2-3.9 meg/l respectively but still OK.

Maybe lighting and flow

Worst situation will be if Sg is off

[Dazza]

hows yr pH?

[alvin_varian]

salt level 1.020, chill at 27-29 with resun 650, running hs skimmer, with FR rowa.

Brought some sps and acan , start to beach. Other parata, cyn, soft coral, octo, another hammer all can bloom.

oh PH 8.5

The died hammer is in tank for 6 months only recently dose ca....and start measuring ....then things happed. No change in light and flow, all the same from day one.

[Tigger]

was yr pH meter calibrated?

[alvin_varian]

tested PH with salifert test kit...

[Altantis]

Sorry to ask... not 2nd hand test kit right

[alvin_varian]

some new some 2nd hand but all not expire, till 2009

[loster]

your po4 too high for hard corals... some lps are sensitive to it.

your sg is low too for corals... try to raise it slow to at least 1.023

wonder... you are running with FR... why your p04 still so high?

[shoelevy]

your po4 too high for hard corals... some lps are sensitive to it.

your sg is low too for corals... try to raise it slow to at least 1.023

wonder... you are running with FR... why your p04 still so high?

that's rite

po4 supposed to be less than 0.03

0.1 is quite high

po4 can stunt coral growth esp hard corals and kill them if excessively high

time to change your po4 media dude

[jervismun]

This forum is so great... within an hour... you get your solution

[Tigger]

i dont trust test kit for pH, its best to use a monitor. with monthly calibration.

[barnacle]

The died hammer is in tank for 6 months only recently dose ca....and start measuring ....then things happed. No change in light and flow, all the same from day one.

how u dose CA....drip?? pour the whole solution??

what kinda CA...powder form or liquid??

[creative reefer]

can use calcium buffer tablets..and calcium liquid as well..

[alvin_varian]

hi perform test again

with salifert test kit

Ca out of 500 range

Mg 1200

Kh 9.6dkh

Alk 3.43

NO3 0

and test PO4 with sera test kit

PO4 0.25mg/l

this happen when I start all this 3 wks ago

1.after dosing seachem calcium only 1 per week with 2 spoon.

Dose about 3 times, now stop dosing and then start measuring after getting the measuring kit.

2. Adding Zonan Two 2 drops everyday

3. Adding one time 2 spoon of Reef Builder

Can any of this cause the dieing of bubbles and melting of only one hammer?

btw, the pearl is OK and others hammer OK.

[Alvin Tan]

hi perform test again

with salifert test kit

Ca out of 500 range

Mg 1200

Kh 9.6dkh

Alk 3.43

NO3 0

and test PO4 with sera test kit

PO4 0.25mg/l

this happen when I start all this 3 wks ago

1.after dosing seachem calcium only 1 per week with 2 spoon.

Dose about 3 times, now stop dosing and then start measuring after getting the measuring kit.

2. Adding Zonan Two 2 drops everyday

3. Adding one time 2 spoon of Reef Builder

Can any of this cause the dieing of bubbles and melting of only one hammer?

btw, the pearl is OK and others hammer OK.

hmmmz...it could be due to the high calcium....it cause some of the corals shock..

my 2 cents..

[asg]

Bro, get rid of the PO4, it is too high.

you might want to consider showing a picture of your tank so that we can analysis from there...

[alvin_varian]

hi the PO4 in the chart is the 2nd lowest, and test PO4 with sera test kit

PO4 0.25mg/l

.

I throught that is low enough?

[asg]

did you use any resin? rowa phos? to reduce the PO4... shall aim for undectable NO3 and PO4...

and BTW, can i suggest that you try tropic marine proreef, it is one of the best salt and it might just be the answer to your problem...

[shoelevy]

hi the PO4 in the chart is the 2nd lowest, and test PO4 with sera test kit

PO4 0.25mg/l

.

I throught that is low enough?

no its not low enough

po4 should be undetectable

anyway invest in salifert po4 test kit, the cheapo ones have been shown to be inconsistent

[loster]

if your p04 is higher than 0.1, it is critical for your reef. as i say, some ips are very sensitive to high p04.

1st, got to do something for your p04

2nd, stop dosing any additive

3rd, do water change to bring your off parameters down slowly. use good saltmix

this is the parameters for the general reef tank as a guide:

ph: 8 - 8.5

kh: 9 - 11

ca: 400 - 450ppm

mg: 1200 - 1350ppm

p04: <0.025ppm

N03: <5ppm (not more than 20ppm)

[csloo]

From my experince, Hammer melt (while other is just fine) due to:

1. Accidentally direct pour of additives to the hammer

2. Those undisolve powder form stick at them

3. Lack of iodine and strontium

Hope it's help.

[alvin_varian]

HI the sera test kit lowest is 0.2. You mean must get better PO4 test kit and low the PO4? btw, water change with coral life seem will not bring down calcium. Change salt?

[loster]

ya... 0.2ppm is way too high and not all corals can take it. may be the reading is inaccurate cos if i am not mistaken, you mentioned that you are running FR with phos remover media. invest a good test kit. salifert is easy to use and fairly accurate

ya... corallife saltmix ca is way too high. some batched have more than 600++ ppm. invest a good parameters saltmix.

it is good to practice to test on at least ca, mg and kh of the new saltmix you purchase. at least you know the parameters of your saltmix before u pour it into your tank.