Been having so many issues. I've read and read and watched videos but something isn't right. Here's my parameters followed by my issues and pictures. Any help and advice would help. Thanks in advance.
MG 1440
Alk 9.8
Ca 490
Nitrate 0-5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Salinity 35
Red sea reefer max 260
with 2 ai prime 12 inches above surface. Running saxby with increased blue and white and overall intensity. Over a year old and established. Tons of coraline algae and copepods.
I was trying to bring alk and foundation elements in check.
Alk was low around 8. I always dose chems in my sump. I brought alk up to 11. It kept dropping every day. So I was adding the full dose but it was poured slowly into the sump. Could it be the alk dosing? Calcium was 540 which is a tad high. Lowered it by water change yesterday to help with all fluctuations. Alk still dropped.
The finger leather started shrivelling up bad, and I thought it was shedding when I started dosing alk. It's been over a week and now it's losing mass and the tips are skinny. Not changing. I tried moving it down and to more high flow area. What should I do? Also, my kenya tree has been balled up for 2 weeks. The toadstool peeled twice in a month, but the polyps came back out and he looks great a lot of the time. Currently peeling again. The hammer is one of the last pieces I added, but for some reason is doing really well. Blasto or flower pot hasn't changed in a while. Brain coral looks brown and shows no growth, but the green middle part is still fluorescent.
I've done all the reading and research I can. I even paid someone from a lfs to come out and help me figure it out, but he was a crap artist who only tested my water for ammonia and just said more flow. I have tons of flow. 2 programmable sine curve wave makers plus the red sea Max has very powerful return pumps. He didn't help. I NEED HELP!!!! I want to do this right and have been giving this my all for several years now... Still can't figure it out. what the heck am I doing wrong?
If it is the alkalinity, do I absolutely HAVE to use a dosing pump? And how come it's not affecting the hammers, but it is the leathers and the brain?
Attaching pictures of the tank and detailed pics of the coral if I can. PLEASE HELP!!! I will do anything at this point I've been trying so hard and idk how much longer I can do this.
MG 1440
Alk 9.8
Ca 490
Nitrate 0-5
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Salinity 35
Red sea reefer max 260
with 2 ai prime 12 inches above surface. Running saxby with increased blue and white and overall intensity. Over a year old and established. Tons of coraline algae and copepods.
I was trying to bring alk and foundation elements in check.
Alk was low around 8. I always dose chems in my sump. I brought alk up to 11. It kept dropping every day. So I was adding the full dose but it was poured slowly into the sump. Could it be the alk dosing? Calcium was 540 which is a tad high. Lowered it by water change yesterday to help with all fluctuations. Alk still dropped.
The finger leather started shrivelling up bad, and I thought it was shedding when I started dosing alk. It's been over a week and now it's losing mass and the tips are skinny. Not changing. I tried moving it down and to more high flow area. What should I do? Also, my kenya tree has been balled up for 2 weeks. The toadstool peeled twice in a month, but the polyps came back out and he looks great a lot of the time. Currently peeling again. The hammer is one of the last pieces I added, but for some reason is doing really well. Blasto or flower pot hasn't changed in a while. Brain coral looks brown and shows no growth, but the green middle part is still fluorescent.
I've done all the reading and research I can. I even paid someone from a lfs to come out and help me figure it out, but he was a crap artist who only tested my water for ammonia and just said more flow. I have tons of flow. 2 programmable sine curve wave makers plus the red sea Max has very powerful return pumps. He didn't help. I NEED HELP!!!! I want to do this right and have been giving this my all for several years now... Still can't figure it out. what the heck am I doing wrong?
If it is the alkalinity, do I absolutely HAVE to use a dosing pump? And how come it's not affecting the hammers, but it is the leathers and the brain?
Attaching pictures of the tank and detailed pics of the coral if I can. PLEASE HELP!!! I will do anything at this point I've been trying so hard and idk how much longer I can do this.