SPS Bleached

[daniella3d]

Alkalinity at 11 is too high. It could be ok but it could also cause a lot of RTN and STN if your level of nutriment is low and juging from your test, you have low nutriment.

You should keep your alkalinity at 8 or around 8, not more than this when you have no amount of nitrates and phosphates detectible.

I think this is your problem and why your SPS bleached, alkalinity shock with low nutriment system.

I could be wrong, but this is my guess, also your calcium is far from being spot on, and this also could be a problem, as well as the low mag.

I would try to keep the alkalinity lower though.

You should rise your magnesium before attempting to rise your calcium because no matter what amount of calcium you put in there, it won't rise if your magnesium is that low. First raise your magnesium to 1300 or a bit more, then rise your calcium to 420, then try to lower the alkalinity to 8 and you should be able to keep SPS no problem.

Originally Posted by nanomano

well I dont know about the params in the other tank, it was from RC in edmonton, so I'd assume the params were good, but I couldnt be precise on the numbers

but mine are
ph 8.2
CA (low) 320-340
Alk 11
nitrates and nitrites 0
ammonia is 0
phosphates 0
dont know about my magnesium, but I know it has been lower around 1095 in the past.
Salinity is 1.025-1.026

edit, guess they arent "spot on" since my CA is a bit low, and mag is most likely low as well, it usually has been. I have some Reef advantage Calcium(Seachem) that buffers ph and Mag, and Strontium

[Nano]

so by raising my calcium my alk should go down? my wallet is tapped ATM but I got caclium/Mag buffer combined its by seachem.

[daniella3d]

How come your alkalinity is so high? Are you dosing something for alkalinity? what type of salt are you using?

You just have to keep in mind that with very low level of nutriment it is a risk to have RTN or STN when you have such high alkalinity. It is not safe to keep your alkalinity so high.

First step is to raise your magnesium and calcium slowly, but don't dose anything for alkalinity until it drop lower. If you don't have much in coral it may take a while before your current alkalinity level drop.

But before buying any delicate SPS I would get these value: calcium 420, magnesium 1350, alkalinity 8. Then try to keep this stable and you will be fine.

Originally Posted by nanomano

so by raising my calcium my alk should go down? my wallet is tapped ATM but I got caclium/Mag buffer combined its by seachem.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

How come your alkalinity is so high? Are you dosing something for alkalinity? what type of salt are you using?

You just have to keep in mind that with very low level of nutriment it is a risk to have RTN or STN when you have such high alkalinity. It is not safe to keep your alkalinity so high.

.

It's high just for fun, as far as I can tell. It's always been high. I even run zeo and have very little nutrient. I supplement with a Ca reactor and use RBS salt. It's been like that for 16 months, so I'm not too worried about the perceived dangers of high alk. I did read on the Internet that it's bad, but you can't believe everything on the Internet. Nasty place, that Internet.
Only RTN I've had was yesterday, and that probably had a lot to do with the frag falling into my torch coral

[reefwars]

im not anal over my parameters these days the way i see it is all my corals are doing well both sps and lps , im doing regular water changes equipment is good so why fix it if its working well.

even with high " nutriments" my sps are doing well i would also second that it was prob a acclimation issue of just not taking the move well give it another try

[daniella3d]

huh...I was talking to nanomano, not to you. You know the risk of running with high alkalinity and low nutriment, then you do what you want

I know it's all over the net but I beleive it because I have very experienced people telling me about it and I do beleive them because some of them have 30 years of experience in saltwater and a lot of them with corals.

I also know a lot of people who did have RTN and STN all the time running alkalinity higher than 10 with low nutriment, and that resolved when they lower the alkalinity.

You might just be lucky It is a risk, so once people know about it, they do what they want.

Originally Posted by Aquattro

It's high just for fun, as far as I can tell. It's always been high. I even run zeo and have very little nutrient. I supplement with a Ca reactor and use RBS salt. It's been like that for 16 months, so I'm not too worried about the perceived dangers of high alk. I did read on the Internet that it's bad, but you can't believe everything on the Internet. Nasty place, that Internet.
Only RTN I've had was yesterday, and that probably had a lot to do with the frag falling into my torch coral

[Nano]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

huh...I was talking to nanomano, not to you. You know the risk of running with high alkalinity and low nutriment, then you do what you want

I know it's all over the net but I beleive it because I have very experienced people telling me about it and I do beleive them because some of them have 30 years of experience in saltwater and a lot of them with corals.

I also know a lot of people who did have RTN and STN all the time running alkalinity higher than 10 with low nutriment, and that resolved when they lower the alkalinity.

You might just be lucky It is a risk, so once people know about it, they do what they want.

wow I went to bed and you guys have taught me a lot here! not to sure why the alk is high, it always has been, with lower CA. hopefully it balances out

[daniella3d]

Here is a thread on Reef Central where people discus the effect of high alkalinity with different setup. It is interesting to read about all these people experiences:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1297225

Originally Posted by nanomano

wow I went to bed and you guys have taught me a lot here! not to sure why the alk is high, it always has been, with lower CA. hopefully it balances out

[MMAX]

Now now daniella, no need to get worked up.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

huh...I was talking to nanomano, not to you.

That hurts....