LPS Corals Keep Dying * HELP * Full Details

[living_tribunal]

And here are the RODI test results from the ICP test

Definitely increase mag then. You said you're using salifert for mag? Also, the icp shows your phosphate at 0.01 which could be another culprit (less likely than mag but at that low of a level it's a risk). You have several trace elements at low or 0. How often do you do water changes? If you don't, how often do you dose trace/minors?

Also, sorry if I missed it (at work) but what test kits are you using? List them all.

 

[Paul Kachirsky]

Definitely increase mag then. You said you're using salifert for mag? Also, the icp shows your phosphate at 0.01 which could be another culprit (less likely than mag but at that low of a level it's a risk). You have several trace elements at low or 0. How often do you do water changes? If you don't, how often do you dose trace/minors?

Also, sorry if I missed it (at work) but what test kits are you using? List them all.

I am planning on sending in another ICP test to get more results. I need to do more water changes (not enough) What is your water change schedule look like?

Alk, Phos, Cal, Salinity, Nitrate all with Hanna Instruments

Mag is with salifert. I have the salifert tests for the rest I just liked the ease of hanna.

PH is with the apex probe (just calibrated recently)

 

[living_tribunal]

I am planning on sending in another ICP test to get more results. I need to do more water changes (not enough) What is your water change schedule look like?

Alk, Phos, Cal, Salinity, Nitrate all with Hanna Instruments

Mag is with salifert. I have the salifert tests for the rest I just liked the ease of hanna.

PH is with the apex probe (just calibrated recently)

I do 5-10% a week just to keep trace and minors at a steady level. I've tweaked/experimented with high growth setup recently and they are pulling certain minors at fast rates so have had to dose 5ml of replinish a week as well.

There is a lot we need to learn about which trace/minors are in fact material to coral health but you are low/zero on ones we do know are important. I'd dose a trace supplement or do a 20% wc and see if there's any impact. Some of the recession is too severe on some of those but I think some can still be recovered. See what happens. If recession slows (for the ones with sufficient tissue to recover) then we know the culprit. Let's just rule it out before moving onto to more obscure checks.

I'd also raise po4 a smidge to give yourself some wiggle room. Keep it around .07 for the time being until we get things corrected, whatever they may be.

My best guess right now is the mag but that's just a crapshoot guess. We should first try and get things stable then dial in what exactly went wrong.

 

[Paul Kachirsky]

I do 5-10% a week just to keep trace and minors at a steady level. I've tweaked/experimented with high growth setup recently and they are pulling certain minors at fast rates so have had to dose 5ml of replinish a week as well.

There is a lot we need to learn about which trace/minors are in fact material to coral health but you are low/zero on ones we do know are important. I'd dose a trace supplement or do a 20% wc and see if there's any impact. Some of the recession is too severe on some of those but I think some can still be recovered. See what happens. If recession slows (for the ones with sufficient tissue to recover) then we know the culprit. Let's just rule it out before moving onto to more obscure checks.

I'd also raise po4 a smidge to give yourself some wiggle room. Keep it around .7 for the time being until we get things corrected, whatever they may be.

My best guess right now is the mag but that's just a crapshoot guess. We should first try and get things stable then dial in what exactly went wrong.

.7 or .07?

 

[living_tribunal]

.7 or .07?

.07, little typo there

 

[Paul Kachirsky]

.07, little typo there

OK, thought so. I am ordering another icp test and see what its at.

 

[Paul Kachirsky]

.07, little typo there

What test kits are you using?

 

[living_tribunal]

OK, thought so. I am ordering another icp test and see what its at.

If you’re using a hanna ulr phosphorous, it’s accurate. Salifert mag is also legit. The values you posted above, are those pretty current? (Like in the past couple of days)

 

[living_tribunal]

What test kits are you using?

Similar ones to you, I’d also trust hanna ulr phosphorous, and maybe even salifert mag over icp. Test again today and let’s triple check those are in a good range. What did the last test you ran show before the recession? Is the recession still occurring? If so, what did the most recent test show?

 

[nereefpat]

Why do you think Mg of 1380 or 1480, whichever it is, is a problem?

I would trust the phosphate value from your Hanna Checker over one obtained from a sample shipped at room temp and sitting for however many days.

 

[living_tribunal]

Why do you think Mg of 1380 or 1480, whichever it is, is a problem?

I would trust the phosphate value from your Hanna Checker over one obtained from a sample shipped at room temp and sitting for however many days.

1380 is not a problem but is on the lower side. If mag continued to drop after the icp test then there would definitely be issues. Since we don't know much of the dosing schedule, that's what we need to check it if the recession is still occurring. Still too many things we don't know. This wreaks of mag deficiency to me though.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Following.

 

[nereefpat]

1380 is not a problem but is on the lower side. If mag continued to drop after the icp test then there would definitely be issues. Since we don't know much of the dosing schedule, that's what we need to check it if the recession is still occurring. Still too many things we don't know. This wreaks of mag deficiency to me though.

1380 is 100+ more than natural seawater. Consumption of Alk and Ca would have to be huge to drop Mg from 1380+ to low levels.

The salinity of 32 ppt is the only value that I see as slightly off. But we'll have to wait for the refractometer result.

 

[living_tribunal]

1380 is 100+ more than natural seawater. Consumption of Alk and Ca would have to be huge to drop Mg from 1380+ to low levels.

The salinity of 32 ppt is the only value that I see as slightly off. But we'll have to wait for the refractometer result.

We have no clue how much time stood between the icp/salifert tests and the recession which is why I'd like to confirm. I wouldn't rule it out and at this point isolating/verifying as much as possible is important.

 

[nereefpat]

We have no clue how much time stood between the icp/salifert tests and the recession which is why I'd like to confirm. I wouldn't rule it out and at this point isolating/verifying as much as possible is important.

From RHF about Mg consumption: "It is not more than about 1/10th of the calcium consumption. Anything substantially larger is testing error of some sort."

Just some quick math...Mg dropping from 1400 to 1200 = 200 ppm consumed would equate to 2000 ppm consumption of Ca, which would be about 300 dKH consumption.

 

[living_tribunal]

From RHF about Mg consumption: "It is not more than about 1/10th of the calcium consumption. Anything substantially larger is testing error of some sort."

Just some quick math...Mg dropping from 1400 to 1200 = 200 ppm consumed would equate to 2000 ppm consumption of Ca, which would be about 300 dKH consumption.

That assumes only corals are consuming the mag. Once again, we know what the ICP tests were but have no clue when they were taken relative to the recession. Given mag deficiency is one of the more common culprits of such recession, it's certainly worth checking out.

 

[nereefpat]

We have a Mg test showing 1400+ppm on Tuesday. What am I missing?

 

[Hermie]

Something is off with these numbers. IMO do a few (3 or so) of significant water changes (25% or more) at 35ppt salinity (double checked) and get back to normal levels of calcium and magnesium.

 

[Paul Kachirsky]

@everyone - Here is the numbers.

I got a refractometer and the salinity tested at 1.028

 

[Macbalacano]

@everyone - Here is the numbers.

I got a refractometer and the salinity tested at 1.028

Sorry was there supposed to be a picture? We can only see salinity.