This is mostly a vent about my stupidity. momentary lack of awesome.
So I tend to run my pH on the high side (8.5 - 8.6) and everything was looking great. At some point it started to creep close to 8.75 (Tested with Apex, Profilux, and pinpoint. New probes and calibration to confirm)
Suddenly, my 7 year old anemone dies within a couple days! That's when I start to worry. Running high pH can be a high-wire act but I've monitored the Alk uptake quite closely (multiple kits) so I know its not that. I did some digging and learned that even a small bit of Ammonia can become extra harmful at higher pH. I keep my Nitrate/Phosphate in line, but haven't tested for ammonia in ages. I shouldn't have any anyway! So I get a little paranoid...
Here is where I make a couple crucial mistakes. I test ammonia with API. And I didn't confirm the results until after I make THE BIG MISTAKE.
The big mistake: I dose the tank with API AMMO LOCK. The next day I wake up to 90% of the acros being bone-white. Most the montis look half dead, the LPS is closed up, and according to Red Sea I don't have any ammonia anyway....
At least the fish are fine.
Sometimes you forget just how quickly things can take a turn for the worse. I've had one major crash in the 20+ years I've been doing this, and while this particular event isn't anywhere near as bad, it still sucks. No more sticks for awhile.
So I tend to run my pH on the high side (8.5 - 8.6) and everything was looking great. At some point it started to creep close to 8.75 (Tested with Apex, Profilux, and pinpoint. New probes and calibration to confirm)
Suddenly, my 7 year old anemone dies within a couple days! That's when I start to worry. Running high pH can be a high-wire act but I've monitored the Alk uptake quite closely (multiple kits) so I know its not that. I did some digging and learned that even a small bit of Ammonia can become extra harmful at higher pH. I keep my Nitrate/Phosphate in line, but haven't tested for ammonia in ages. I shouldn't have any anyway! So I get a little paranoid...
Here is where I make a couple crucial mistakes. I test ammonia with API. And I didn't confirm the results until after I make THE BIG MISTAKE.
The big mistake: I dose the tank with API AMMO LOCK. The next day I wake up to 90% of the acros being bone-white. Most the montis look half dead, the LPS is closed up, and according to Red Sea I don't have any ammonia anyway....
At least the fish are fine.
Sometimes you forget just how quickly things can take a turn for the worse. I've had one major crash in the 20+ years I've been doing this, and while this particular event isn't anywhere near as bad, it still sucks. No more sticks for awhile.
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