Disaster!

[Timbits]

Ahhhhh I think you guys are right! It made me think that though because only the top of the sps's branches were losing color not the bottom part or the top heads of my frogspawn. The part closest to the light.

Anyways I think I found the culprit. I tested the tds of my ro and it was 17!!! Omg I guess my membrane is finally done cuz I replaced all the other filters like a week ago! Argh I'm so mad.

How bad is this? Going to replace the membrane today. Should I do a large water change after I make new water? How much should I do? My tank volume is roughly 40 g I think.

My Sps and lps were looking better today though sigh...

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Timbits

Anyways I think I found the culprit. I tested the tds of my ro and it was 17!!! Omg I guess my membrane is finally done cuz I replaced all the other filters like a week ago! Argh I'm so mad.

How bad is this? Going to replace the membrane today. Should I do a large water change after I make new water? How much should I do? My tank volume is roughly 40 g I think.

My Sps and lps were looking better today though sigh...

Lots of people use tap water with much higher TDS, I don't think that is the issue.

[Starry]

whats your alk?

[Timbits]

Originally Posted by Starry

whats your alk?

Wow ok so I tested for alkalinity and was shocked to find it at 0 ppm. Ph was low too at around 7.5. That is definitely the problem. What I dont understand is why all my corals/fish were looking the best I've ever seen, I do a water change and I get problems right away. If my alk was low, shouldn't the water change raise my levels a bit. Did around 30% change. Why was it still at 0.

Adding a buffer to the tank atm to get levels back in check and will monitor more closely in the future.

Corals are all looking 100 times better. Just a little color loss but no losses.

[daniella3d]

how is that possible to get 0 as a reading for alkalinity? don't you test from time to time and dose when necessary?

My guess is that it would take a long time to get the alkalinity down to such a low value?

[jtbadco]

i would double check those readings before you start to dose.

0ppm sounds kinda off.

[Timbits]

I did regularly test and everytime I did, levels were in check. So I admit I did slack off on the testing for a while.

Would a sudden decrease in phosphate lower alk? Or chemi clean in the system too long? Do u guys add anything to your top off water? Can't think of anything else that would have caused this.

Got levels back in check now and corals are looking good.