Spontanious Questions.....

[Yellow Eye Tang]

Hey everyone, Ive been having thoughts about my tank lately and knew you all would know the answers I bought my R/O water from the LFS for about 4 months. I then, went and bought the Kent Marine Hi-S Maxxima R/O unit so i wouldnt have to buy it anymore. It seems that from about the time i started my own water that the coralline stopped growing. I had a minor outbreak of red slime algae and took the advice from this forum to add more actinic blue. The slime stopped growing and is slowly dissipating, but the coralline has yet to come back to growth. That wich was there already hasnt died, but its not spreading either. Ive been doing water changes about every 2 weeks, (10 gallons for a 55 gallon tank). I started my tank with all new rock (for live rock) that the LFS sold me too. I then, went and bought a rock totally covered in coralline algae and for about 8 months ive been growing everything. While buying the water from the LFS the coralline was showing up in spots and appeared to be growing. Ive been adding the Reef Plus and coralife calcium supplement to no avail. If anyone knows a trick for helping out the coralline id love to hear it!
Also -- Everytime i add the Reef Plus my durned skimmer seems to just skim it back out, yet the skimmer just skims a tiny bit in between treatments. Anyways- Thanks for reading all that sometimes i carry on

 

[Hara]

You might want to check your phosphate level. When it goes up, coraline growth goes way down.

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

I was just out in the garage and was thinking about the PH levels! Thanks, Hara, i think I need to test for that, acually. What is the best way to maintain PH? :|

 

[reefrunner69]

ph isn't an abbr. for phosphate. I would twst your alk levels as well as your ph. You are already doing one of the best things available to maintain ph...waterchanges. I am thinking the LFS was buffering the RO water they wre selling you, check with them and see. I think your gonna find your alk is a little low.

 

[Yellow Eye Tang]

Excellent! I went to the LFS today and talked to him about the buffers in his water. Believe it or not he said he added absolutly nothing to his water and that it came straaight from his R/O units. I then bought Ph / Alk tester and "Reef Builder" Alk supplement. When i got home i tested for these to find the PH was at about 7.8 and the ALk was at 1.7 meq/l. I added my first dose of the Reef Builder (it says each treatment is o.25 meq/l and says to do it twice a week. It also said you could add up to 1 meq/l a day. Should i go on ahead and add 1 today, or should i go ahead and slowly rise the level throught the next week or so? BTW, thanks for the replies to you both im on the road to better success!

 

[reefrunner69]

I would try to raise it over the course of a week or so. Wait a day to test as the buffer isn't always effective immediately.