+BobcatReefer Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 These two pieces are looking like they could be happier. This one was from the frag-meet at Just Reef, and it seems to be growing, but the whiteness also seems to be advancing. This one was from C4, and I'm seeing white tips on it as well. Parameters: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 White tips are usually growth or ALK burn. If there are Polyps then it's growth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like alk burn to me. What is your alkalinity at and has it changed recently? I don't think I've ever seen white tips on my setosa except when something is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Setosa definitely looks like alk issues. The other acro looks more like a lighting issue and it's slightly bleaching but it's hard to tell especially since it's not uncommon for corals to change colors when changing environments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like alk burn to me. What is your alkalinity at and has it changed recently? I don't think I've ever seen white tips on my setosa except when something is wrong. I'm assuming Alk burn would be from too much Alk, yes? Looks more like my issue has been keeping it up (that's what she said?) than too much. Parameters: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 The other acro looks more like a lighting issue and it's slightly bleaching but it's hard to tell especially since it's not uncommon for corals to change colors when changing environments. He's been in there a couple of months now, and it seems to be getting worse. What kind of lighting issue? Too much? I thought I had to keep SPS high up in my tank since I don't have high PAR (think it's around 120-130 where it is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 It could be a combination of higher alk and high light too. What are your nutrient levels looking like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 Help me out w/ the high light thing...I thought my lights were less bright than what most of you run...4 T5s (https://goo.gl/J1KnEK) Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphate - all zero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan H Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Focus on the Alk first. That will kill them a lot faster than lighting issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 The other acro looks more like a lighting issue and it's slightly bleaching but it's hard to tell especially since it's not uncommon for corals to change colors when changing environments. He's been in there a couple of months now, and it seems to be getting worse. What kind of lighting issue? Too much? I thought I had to keep SPS high up in my tank since I don't have high PAR (think it's around 120-130 where it is). Would be too high of light, but completely agree on getting the alk stable before worrying about anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Alk burn... are you running any sort of carbon dosing? Vodka? Biopellets? You'll usually get that type of burn when your nutrients are too low and your alk above 8.0 dKh. Aim for about 5-10 nitrates and 0.03-0.08 ppm phosphates for SPS. There is literally not enough nutrients for the fleshy growth to keep up with the deposition of calcium carbonate and the result is the white tips you are probably seeing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 I have a BRS dual reactor w/ carbon and GFO. Should I turn it off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Personally, I'd never had an issue with too low phosphates. It's your zero nitrates that are the issue. I'd leave the reactor as is. Maybe feed more or start dosing aminos or potassium nitrate in the tank to bring up your nitrate levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 OK - I can handle feeding more. Looks like I'll be picking up some more CUC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 That and you could always let your alk go down a bit to below 8.0 dKh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like alk burn to me. What is your alkalinity at and has it changed recently? I don't think I've ever seen white tips on my setosa except when something is wrong. I'm assuming Alk burn would be from too much Alk, yes? Looks more like my issue has been keeping it up (that's what she said?) than too much. Parameters: A swing of 0.75 dKH up or down is enough to cause it. It looks like you've had a few swings of >1 dKH in September to October. Are you aiming for 10 dKH? Alk burn... are you running any sort of carbon dosing? Vodka? Biopellets? You'll usually get that type of burn when your nutrients are too low and your alk above 8.0 dKh. Aim for about 5-10 nitrates and 0.03-0.08 ppm phosphates for SPS. There is literally not enough nutrients for the fleshy growth to keep up with the deposition of calcium carbonate and the result is the white tips you are probably seeing. This recently happened to me. Two days after ceasing carbon dosing and the corals look better already. Really, I've been fighting ULN for a few months and failed to achieve a balance between dosing and my nitrogen load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 huh...I may have had some poor calculating going on... My goal parameters were 145-165ppm, which equates to 8.1-9.2, and I'm pretty sure I picked that based on this thread: http://www.austinreefclub.com/topic/36417-whats-your-alkalinity-level/? Maybe I should aim for 130-145 (7.26-8.1)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 I prefer the lower range of 7.26-8.1 but just my preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Everyone keeps their alk at different levels. I think anywhere between 7.5 and 9 is okay as long as you keep it relatively steady. I only asked about your goal because I saw you went above 175 ppm twice. I didn't mean anything by it. My preference is 135-145 ppm. Oh and Ty, it's 0.056 not 0.56. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Everyone keeps their alk at different levels. I think anywhere between 7.5 and 9 is okay as long as you keep it relatively steady. I only asked about your goal because I saw you went above 175 ppm twice. I didn't mean anything by it. My preference is 135-145 ppm. Oh and Ty, it's 0.056 not 0.56. Huh? Where did I type 0.56? If I did, its a typo. I run that calculation daily so pretty familiar with it. Should be 0.056. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Posted 28 March 2016 - 09:28 PM Sascha D., on 28 Mar 2016 - 9:27 PM, said: FarmerTy, on 28 Mar 2016 - 4:02 PM, said: 150ppm x 0.56 = 8.4 dKhOh,no he diddnit! Haha!Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2 Boom! Knowledge! Check the link he posted above. I didn't catch it the first time because I use ppm and don't regularly do the calculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 How reckless! I'm just spreading misinformation all over this forum and nobody is calling me out! [emoji15] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 How wreckless! I'm just spreading misinformation all over this forum and nobody is calling me out! [emoji15] !!!! No wonder why I can't keep anything but softies in my tank. TY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted November 14, 2016 Author Share Posted November 14, 2016 Personally, I'd never had an issue with too low phosphates. It's your zero nitrates that are the issue. I'd leave the reactor as is. Maybe feed more or start dosing aminos or potassium nitrate in the tank to bring up your nitrate levels. Started feeding twice a day, algae growth is definitely up, but still zero nitrates. As far as ALK burn, I stopped the Kalkwasser drip, as I couldn't get it to be a consistent flow and having to fill it up every day is a bit of a beating. Now I'm dosing 15ml Seachem Fusion 2 after lights out and testing every morning between 9a-10a to see if I can find the sweet spot. Letting CA go for now as I'm convinced my testing chems are no good. There's no way I add no CA for a week and the levels bounce back and forth from 400-600, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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