SPS Growth Puzzle

[One_Divided]

Hey Brad, I recently added more fish and started dosing MG every once in a while. I've really noticed growth take off and pigments deepen in the last 2-3 months.. When was the last time you checked MG? I have a test kit if you'd like me to bring it over some time.. I know it's one of the more expensive ones..

[Skimmerking]

I agree with divided I started to add more Magnesium and the SPS when I had them were growing fast.

I kept my mag at 1450

[Aquattro]

Ok, update and observations..

pH - 8.0
Mg - 1350ish
NO3 - non detectable
PO4 - 0.04
Ca - 450
Alk - 4.0

Ca and Alk are a touch high, but not enough to affect things and in fact are the values I used for years with great growth.

I notice that I have to clean precipitate from my pumps and power heads every 3 months. Any loose sand in my sump is solidified. Even my mesh bag with 1c of carbon had solidified.
Something is whacked with the chemistry in the tank, and not sure what.

Anyone have any experience with precipitation? I've added a small tray of sand to my sump to see if and how long it takes to solidify.

My previous sandbed turned into a slab of concrete that I removed in large sheets, some I couldn't even break up by hand.
WhenI ran a phosban reactor, even that media solidified.

Hate this freakin' tank!!

[christyf5]

I had a problem with sandbed clumping a many years ago when I was using kalkwasser. What reading I did indicated it was either precipitation or high levels of bacteria aggregating the sand together. I stopped using the kalk and broke up the sandbed, I don't remember where it went from there though as I likely had other issues at the time. There is a "test" for this by which you put a clump of sand in bleach. If it falls apart its bacteria, if not its precipitation.

I find it odd that every type of media clumps though, something odd is definitely going on in there.

I'm just working my way through this, maybe have a look and see if anything fits?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1864522

[Aquattro]

Christy, I did the bleach test 2 years ago, it didn't break up at all. I could tell it wasn't a bacterial matrix holding it together, I could drop it and the slab wouldn't break
I have to scrap the inside of my sump walls, and even the PVC parts of my zeo reactor were completely white. Pretty sure this has something to do with the growth problem, just not sure what...

I used kalk for a while last year, then stopped and put my Ca reactor back online, no change. Not even sure where to look anymore. I had to just post on that "other" site for help

[Sebae again]

I noticed when I ran co2 24/7 my sand bed would solidify. Read somewere that mg has to be a minimum of 1300 or the corals can't use up the calcium as the proper chemical ratio is required for this to take place.With your calcium on the high side maybe try bumping up your mg a bit. I've run mg as high as 1500 and alk at 11 and had the best growth. Your alk is way to low.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Sebae again

I noticed when I ran co2 24/7 my sand bed would solidify.

The CO2 only got added after the first year.

[Sebae again]

Your alk is way too low.

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Sebae again

Your alk is way too low.

Not if he's reporting it in meq/L

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Canadian

Not if he's reporting it in meq/L

Right. Which puts it a bit on the high side