My Xenia, paly and GSP ain't looking right.

[saltwater4life]

I noticed a few days ago my paly zoo and Xenia weren't looking normal. I though it was just one of those days. I noticed my green star poylp weren't opening all the way now... I'm hoping it's just because my lights are getting old.
Nitrate:20 :-[
Nitrite:0
ALK:300+
PH:8.4

 

[blange3]

Have you been adding anything for a buffer? The Alk is way high. What do you dose/supplement?

Have you measured CA and MG as well?

Change anything else lately?

Nitrates ain't great either. I'd do a 20% water change as soon as you have some mixed, aerated and aged water and then do another in 2-3 days. Make sure to test the new water as well.

What kind of lights and how old?

 

[saltwater4life]

I don't have the bottles right next to me i'll post them later. I havn't checked my CA or MG. I need to get new test kits... umm i havn't changed anything. Yes i did a 10% water change a few days ago, but yea i need to do another one. My lights are PC umm around 9months got them around Nov last year.
Thanks,
Nick

 

[panmanmatt]

What is your temperature? IME xenia doesn't do well in temps above 79-80.

 

[saltwater4life]

74! i forgot i turned my heater down last week because it was getting high with summer and stuff... I'll turn that back up to around 78. Do you think this was the probblem?

 

[panmanmatt]

The change in temp may have caused it to close up. I have kept xenia at 74 with no trtouble, but depending on how quickly the temperature dropped, it may have casued it to close up.

 

[Carlo]

Yep, because your temp dropped to quickly. It's not like it dropped over 6 months but over a day or two. It stressed out the tank.

BTW, what do you mean your ALK is 300???

Nitrates of 20 aren't the end of the world. It would be nice to be in the 5-10 range but many parts of the ocean especially lagoons get way over 20 so don't panic on the number. Just work a little to get it down.

78 IMHO is to cold for a normal reef. If you have good O2 I'd run the tank closer to 81-82 range since that's closer to what are corals are used to (82-86) and it still provides plenty of O2 in the water. Temps generally aren't a problem in tanks until you get into the 85/86+ range and don't have really good O2 exchange and skimmer running. Of course drastic changes that happen quickly are never good so it's best to adjust temps slowly as you would any other parameter.

Carlo

 

[saltwater4life]

Thanks, Yes i didn't mean for it to be at 74 but i must of bumped it when i put it back in the tank. My test said ALK was around 300... what should i use to bring that down and would cheato and other macro help get the nitrate down?
Thanks again!
hopefully everything will be back up and healthy. Now i really have an excuse to go the ILC...

 

[Subliminal]

Sure you didn't mix up Alk with Calcium? :-X

 

[blange3]

Mix some water for a water change and see what your alk is for the new water. Use RO/DI that has been aerated for 24 and aerate the mixed water for 24 hours. If the fresh batch of salt water is in a more acceptable range for alk; bring your alk down with a couple of water changes and lay of the additives for now.

I'm one that is more comfortable with the temp in the 77-78 degree range like Matt. This is one that can become a never ending debate. I think that range has more of a safety zone on each side. Too cold and too hot aren't good, but I think more bad things happen quicker with too hot, so I stay around 77-78.

 

[saltwater4life]

Here is the stuff i use. I was told this was all i needed so if it isn't please tell me what else i need to use. i'm guessing this stuff is fine since i've been using it for almost a year.

Kent Marine, Liquid Calcium.
Kent Marine, PhytoPlex
Kent Marine, Lugol's Solution
and i've been putting Vita chem in my frozen food.

 

[blange3]

No of those things should be raising your alk, might be your test kit.

Where do you live? Can you bring a sample to you LFS?

BTW how's the temp and how do they look?

 

[saltwater4life]

Thats what i thought i read the backs of all of them and nothing about raising alk. I also checked salt incase i messed up on a water change but it's good... So is this all happening because of the alk?

Temp:74
salt: 1.023

I'm uploading a few snaps of the xeina and zoo.

 

[saltwater4life]

 

[Phyl]

That number you posted doesn't look like an alk number (should be 2-8 or 7-16 depending on if you're using meq/l or dkh). 250-500 are typical Ca numbers. It would help to know what your alk is. All ph buffers will adjust your alk. If anything, adding calcium with no regard to your alk will drive it down, not up. Your PH is on the high side though.

The corals look "cranky", but not beyond hope. They still look firm and like they WOULD open if you put the tank back right.

You need to do some good tests to find out where your Ca & Alk really are. You don't put anything else into your tank other than the things you've posted, right? No Kalk, ph buffers, other additives?

 

[mladencovic]

...
and would cheato and other macro help get the nitrate down?
...

in general they would help.

Here is the stuff i use. I was told this was all i needed so if it isn't please tell me what else i need to use. i'm guessing this stuff is fine since i've been using it for almost a year.

Kent Marine, Liquid Calcium.
Kent Marine, PhytoPlex
Kent Marine, Lugol's Solution
and i've been putting Vita chem in my frozen food.

Do you have stony corals (LPS or SPS)? If you have only softies, you do not need to add Liquid Ca.

 

[blange3]

That number you posted doesn't look like an alk number (should be 2-8 or 7-16 depending on if you're using meq/l or dkh). 250-500 are typical Ca numbers. .....If anything, adding calcium with no regard to your alk will drive it down, not up. Your PH is on the high side though.

The corals look "cranky", but not beyond hope. They still look firm and like they WOULD open if you put the tank back right.

You need to do some good tests to find out where your Ca & Alk really are. You don't put anything else into your tank other than the things you've posted, right? No Kalk, ph buffers, other additives?

Some kits are in ppm, I was assuming that was a ppm reading which would equal 6 meq or 16.8 dkh. Saltwater4life, can you confirm that it's ppm?

I agree with you Phyl that they just look a little cranky. Probably just the temp.

 

[saltwater4life]

Thanks Phyl, umm alk is short for alkalinity??? my test says total alkalinity(KM)-ppm 0,40,80,120,180 and 300 on the color chart. If this isn't alk what is it? i feel so dumb right now...

 

[blange3]

Thanks Phyl, umm alk is short for alkalinity??? my test says total alkalinity(KM)-ppm 0,40,80,120,180 and 300 on the color chart. If this isn't alk what is it? i feel so dumb right now...

See my post that just popped up, you are not dumb. ppm is not the most frequently used alk or alkalinity unit of measure. You have the right thing. 50ppm = 1 meq/l = 2.8 dkh.

 

[blange3]

Do you have stony corals (LPS or SPS)? If you have only softies, you do not need to add Liquid Ca.

Let us qualify that statement with if you are testing your CA and it is stable you generally do not need as much with softies. Softies do use and need CA. They just don't suck it up as fast as the stonies and clams.