dutch27
11/22/2012, 09:10 AM
Recently one of my SPS (ORA Red Planet) went from incredible PE to virtually none, with no growth. I tested my water and found my alk to be around 7.5, thought maybe that was the issue and started dosing 2-part (mix 2a), aiming for around 10.
Well, I'm dosing what feels like way more than the calculators say I should, around 1 ounce a day, to keep up around 8.5-9 alk, and the red planet isn't any better.
When I put the red planet in it originally it broke, and I glue a piece on the opposite side of my tank (120), that piece is having the same problem as the original, as is a small frag I made a month ago. All my other SPS and LPS seem to be doing fine, some I'd even say are doing great. I even have a tort within 1/2" of one of the red planet pieces, and the tort is just fine, so I really doubt it's a pest as it would have moved to that tort by now, and I don't see any evidence of pests on the red planets.
The main "colony" of red planet had new growth that lost polyps, got brittle, and somehow broke, which leads me to think this is a water chemistry issue, but I'm pretty baffled. I feel like something is going on with my alk but can't quite put my finger on it. Initially I was dosing kalk in my top off and my alk was running around 12. I have since stopped because I had no PE, and it returned after stopping Kalk. I then started Ca dosing as my Ca was down below 380, and now have that stable around 420, but the alk has dropped and I'm trying to get that under control. I've tested the alk with an API and Salifert kit and get similar numbers so I'm confident in my results.
Any ideas on what may be causing the alk and/or PE issue here? Only thing I haven't tested is my Mag, been looking for my kit but haven't found it. Will look harder today.
Well, I'm dosing what feels like way more than the calculators say I should, around 1 ounce a day, to keep up around 8.5-9 alk, and the red planet isn't any better.
When I put the red planet in it originally it broke, and I glue a piece on the opposite side of my tank (120), that piece is having the same problem as the original, as is a small frag I made a month ago. All my other SPS and LPS seem to be doing fine, some I'd even say are doing great. I even have a tort within 1/2" of one of the red planet pieces, and the tort is just fine, so I really doubt it's a pest as it would have moved to that tort by now, and I don't see any evidence of pests on the red planets.
The main "colony" of red planet had new growth that lost polyps, got brittle, and somehow broke, which leads me to think this is a water chemistry issue, but I'm pretty baffled. I feel like something is going on with my alk but can't quite put my finger on it. Initially I was dosing kalk in my top off and my alk was running around 12. I have since stopped because I had no PE, and it returned after stopping Kalk. I then started Ca dosing as my Ca was down below 380, and now have that stable around 420, but the alk has dropped and I'm trying to get that under control. I've tested the alk with an API and Salifert kit and get similar numbers so I'm confident in my results.
Any ideas on what may be causing the alk and/or PE issue here? Only thing I haven't tested is my Mag, been looking for my kit but haven't found it. Will look harder today.