someone please help...things going wrong!

[ahullsb]

I have had a few posts about my calcium levels over the past few days. I can't raise my CA past 380...my xenia has been all shriveled up for three days now. (That has NEVER happened before.) Now my brain coral is swollen up and the mouth is gaping wide open. Everything else looks like *#&$ too. I'm going to test my magnesium levels now....it's been a long day. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's starting to look very bad!

[bertoni]

Did you try the large dose I suggested? If so, what happened?

380 ppm Ca is fine, but I'm beginning to worry about your test kits. Can you get some doublechecks on them?

[ahullsb]

I haven't yet. I just bought a magnesium test kit and I was going to try it now (first). I have 15 gallons of water ready for a water change in case something is screwed up. I have two test kits for calcium. They both read the same level and are two different companies. Have any idea what could be making my corals so upset if it isn't calcium?

[bertoni]

Well, if the test kits agree, I suspect calcium isn't the problem. I'd look to other parameters and test kits. Alkalinity, SG, and pH would be the top concerns, off the top of my head. Magnesium isn't likely an issue, for various reasons. It might be low, but that won't hurt if the calcium and alkalinity are okay.

[ahullsb]

Alk is 10, mag is 1170. And I'll run the rest right now. Would you recommend that I do a water change and see what happens? Or try to boost all the calcium at once and do the water change to correct whatever stupid thing I've done? I just bought turbo calcium from kent marine...

[ahullsb]

salinity is 1.024
ph 8.2
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0

I can take pics if anyone needs them...

[bertoni]

I'd get second opinions on the ammonia, nitrate, and alkalinity. Have you calibrated your SG device?

How about phosphate?

I'd just boost magnesium about 100 ppm. I'd do two shots, and measure in between, unless you've got the tank water volume accurately calculated. I guess I'd boost calcium to 400, but that's not critical.

I assume alkalinity is dKH, not meq/L. :)

Since the animals are showing troubles, I'd start some 20-25% water changes. Also, running a lot of carbon might help.

[ahullsb]

The tank is fallow and I've got all my fish in another container. The test kit has seemed to be reading accurately. (I'm assuming because I have been registering some ammonia now and then in the fish container but none in the display tank.) I haven't calibrated using the method shown in the forum, but I have taken it to a local fish store and had them check it against a few of their tanks. I will check phosphate now, I've never had a problem and use di water. I'm going to do a water change in the morning and I just bought carbon today. THanks for the help. I'll post when I figure it out.

[ahullsb]

phosphate 0

[bertoni]

Well, hard to say. I think I'm out of ideas for the moment.

[ahullsb]

Ya this is frustrating me. I just posted in the reef chemistry forum. I have two elegance corals, orange tipped and one purple tipped. I just moved one closer but they have at least 4 inches between them. I'm guessing that isn't the problem either.

[ahullsb]

Anyone else have any ideas this morning? Ever have anything happen like this?

[rustybucket145]

How long has this tank been setup?

I would consider some type of contamination. I would throw in a couple of poly-pads and a bigggg bag of activated carbon. Crank the skimmer up (wet wet wet) and 24hrs later change/check the carbon and the pads and do a 50% water change.

[Twisted]

anytime my xenias have shrivled it has been nitrates, or ammonia spikes. but since you are reading low to zero on all of those I would say the 20% water change is the best suggestion, when I have high numbers, and I suppose if I had an unkowen problem like yours I would do atleast a 20% change every other day and watch for recovery, or accelerated problems.

I would also consider taking a quart of water or so to a local trusted LFS and ask them to test for stuff.

Maybe copper? is this a recent tank, or is it one you have had running for a long time? acrylic or glass? from what I understand copper traces can reside in acrylic, and rocks, but rarely cleaned glass, although who knows for sure? so you might ask the LFS if they can test for copper too.

[ahullsb]

I have a glass tank. It has been running since september when I bought the whole thing. THe owners before me had it for about a year. But it went through huge cycle the first few weeks. Everything has appeared fine since then. I have been running carbon but I just changed it and bought a new one. I'll try to get more out of the skimmer and I'll do a water change tonight. I'll take a water sample in too, thats not a bad idea. I was a little frustrated last time when they used the same test kit I have. Aren't they supposed to have a more reliable method than me?

[Twisted]

most fish stores use the same kits that they sell. That way they can show you how they work if you buy one and have questions, and they usually get them cheaper.
So if you have the option you might take it to a diffrent store. Most of the time the more common test kits are accurate enough, but that doesn't keep them from user errors, such as adding drops holding the bottle wrong, or squeezing them out too hard will change the out come of your test.

[sunfish11]

I wonder why you are freaking out so bad over calcium that is 380. It isn't that low that your corals are going to start shriveling up. Plus zenia isn't a big Cal user. Cal is not your issue. Go with large WC and polyfilters and carbon as suggested. Stop adding any chemicals to the tank including the calcium until you get things under control. Water changes should help get that Cal/Alk/mag a bit more under control better than you can right now.

[ahullsb]

I'm not freaking out really. It's that I've always had calcium over 420, when I checked last time, it was down to 310. Whats freaking me out is that I can't raise back to where it was no matter what I do. I did just buy some carbon that I"m going to put in the sump now.

[james deluca]

have you added anything latly??

[Icefire]

try to get the mag near 1300, it might precipitate your calcium @ 1100

[ahullsb]

I have been adding lately. I've added a cocoa worm, orange tipped elegance, a brain coral and a bubble coral. Icefire I'll check my mag again. Thanks.

[james deluca]

well im not an expert but you could have gotin some kind of parisite

[returnofsid]

Are you familiar with Randy's 2 part recipe? Easy to make...VERY effective and when used in conjunction with the chemistry calculator to advise you, you'll get your levels where you need them in no time. Here's a link to a thread I had going on the same subject on RF. It's also got links to the recipes and the calculator. I had a very similar problem and all of this advice was very helpful. I got my levels totally balanced in a matter of a few days!!

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22798