Hi Wendell. Trying to determine if low PH during the night time has any effect. When I had problems with Acros in the past (losing about 80% of them), it was either low night-time ph (< 7.4) or high nitrate (>75). These days, I have no more problems with Acros as I have been able to get my nitrates down to 0-5 and have increaed my PH due to installing a Kalk dispenser. So I don't know which factor fixed it.

Sam, my PH is always lower then Brads for some reason (I am plagued with a 7.9 PH) and i don't show any of the things that he did.

Steve

As Brad mentioned, some of the threads on RC, regarding higher alk. levels are pretty intersting. RTN seems more prevelent lately. Wonder if it has anything to do with the higher usage of co2 reactors on sps tanks and the usual higher alkalinity levels from such? :confused:

I read in one of the popular marine aquarium magazines that corals are much more likely to have problems when the water temp is 80-82 than when the water is 76-78. At the lower temperature there was no spread of disease, no problems with tissue loss etc, at the higher temp if one coral got sick, they all did.

Just food for thought.

Doug

I think there has to be more to it than just high alk... I think it is a combanation of things.

Steve

Listen to Steve, he's always right. :rolleyes:

think about it :rolleyes: my alk is sky high all the time.. my temp is high... gesh.. :rolleyes: all I am friggin saying is that to many people are trying to pin it on one thing.

Well, my tank hits 82f normally and has always been that way. I don't think it's my temp. My alk has been at 3.66 meq/L for quite some time. Not a high number for alk. I'm still working on testing the nighttime pH and salinity.

I'm thinking like Steve right now...perhaps there's more than one factor causing problems. I'm hoping however that it is one factor, otherwise I dunno if I'll ever figure it out.

Mason, do you run any PO4 sponge? Even though I can't measure any PO4 in my tank, I know it goes in with the food. I also know it wsn't coming out in any appreciable amount. I added phosban, and it looks like things might be coming around. I have got my temp below 80F, dosed doxycycline for 3 days, run phosban, make sure alk stays under 3.5, feed lightly, etc. So I really have no idea which one or more things is doing what. Oh, I also treated for red bugs. Next week I'll be doing a 100g water change. So much fun!! :razz:

I have similar problems too. Thinking my RO is spent although I haven't had a chance to borrow a TDS yet to confirm my theory (bought a new membrane and prefilters anyhow since it's been >2 years so the membrane has to be due anyhow). Most pieces are fine but 2 or 3 pieces just seem to be plaqued with some kind of slow recession. Very annoying/disappointing. I think I might try the phosban next. I figure the only way PO4 would be getting out of my system is via the little bit of caulerpa that I try to prune back, or maybe into the mangroves (but those things are soooo slow growing that can't be a viable method of PO4 reduction).

Brad what did you do to treat your red bugs? (Is there a thread that my short-term memory has forgotten about?)

I've also been wondering about reactor media, I've only topped up my media over time, which means there must be some old media down near the bottom of the reactor ...