Hi All,
So this last week we started noticing that some of our SPS was bleaching from the bottom up. All of our parameters have been fine since the tank began, but we noticed a lot of hair algae began back in December, and been dealing with that. GFO, water changes, testing, etc and thought we were doing okay, then the bleaching began.
Calc - 420
Alk - 11.5 - 12.0 (on Salifert test kit)
Mg - 1350
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Phos - 10
Well, on Sunday I took water into my LFS, tested for everything and it all matched up, except for the Alk. Their Alk test said 5.2....
Had it tested again on Monday evening, and same result. (I noticed that their test medium was a different color than mine was....went home and noticed a 2001 date on the box of the Alk test...kinda threw it against the wall, you know, kinda frustrated.)
So now we have ordered a new test kit, and a box of Reef Crystals, so we can make enough water for some larger water changes in the next week.
We have been dosing Randy's 2-part since September, and testing according to our test kits has been fine. Now Alk is at 5...
Need some suggestions for monitoring and increasing the Alk. Seems to be a fairly common issue, and have been reading up on this same issue...
Does anyone have suggestions for how quickly we can increase the Alk? Everything I have been reading suggests this kind of change should occur over weeks so that there is no shock to fish, Ph, or corals. Any other suggestions?
Thanks for the help.
So this last week we started noticing that some of our SPS was bleaching from the bottom up. All of our parameters have been fine since the tank began, but we noticed a lot of hair algae began back in December, and been dealing with that. GFO, water changes, testing, etc and thought we were doing okay, then the bleaching began.
Calc - 420
Alk - 11.5 - 12.0 (on Salifert test kit)
Mg - 1350
Ph - 8.2
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
Phos - 10
Well, on Sunday I took water into my LFS, tested for everything and it all matched up, except for the Alk. Their Alk test said 5.2....
Had it tested again on Monday evening, and same result. (I noticed that their test medium was a different color than mine was....went home and noticed a 2001 date on the box of the Alk test...kinda threw it against the wall, you know, kinda frustrated.)
So now we have ordered a new test kit, and a box of Reef Crystals, so we can make enough water for some larger water changes in the next week.
We have been dosing Randy's 2-part since September, and testing according to our test kits has been fine. Now Alk is at 5...
Need some suggestions for monitoring and increasing the Alk. Seems to be a fairly common issue, and have been reading up on this same issue...
Does anyone have suggestions for how quickly we can increase the Alk? Everything I have been reading suggests this kind of change should occur over weeks so that there is no shock to fish, Ph, or corals. Any other suggestions?
Thanks for the help.
