Hard coral

[Buklau]

Have a small piece of hard coral in my tank and I think it is a cats paw. It has green polyps on it. Last night all the polyps closed up and are very slowly coming back out today. The only thing that I did last night was dose some calcium to the tank. I have done that I the past and nothing happened. Does anyone have any thoughts? Here is pic of the coral.

 

[mr_X]

How much did you add? How fast did you put it in? What size tank is this?

 

[Buklau]

I added 15ml into the sump all at once. My tank is a 90 gal with a 20 gal sump.

 

[mr_X]

Adding calcium like that will effect your alkalinity. Alkalinity swings are a major cause of stony coral deaths in closed systems. Be careful to add slowly and adjust your alk accordingly. I would drip it in. Invest in a dosing pump. Bulk reef supply sells them.

 

[Buklau]

Good to know!!! Would putting the calcium and alkalinity in my ato be better than the pump?

 

[Buklau]

If I got a dosing pump. Should I mix calcium and alkalinity together and dose at the same time with the pump? Or get two pumps?

 

[mr_X]

No. you can't mix it together. You might want to add them at different intervals. you can add it directly to the tank but just don't' add it all at once. Stability is the key to a successful reef.
How did you know you needed 15ml? test kit? Have you checked your alk?

 

[Buklau]

I have been adding 10ml of calcium and alkalinity, and my levels have been staying the same. Calcium have been at 460 and alkalinity has been at 7. I was gone from the tank for about a week and I thought 15ml would be ok to put in. also do you think alkalinity at 7 is too low? Should I be dosing more alkalinity than calcium?

 

[Feelthereefer]

Way to low i keep my alk at 10 11..

 

[Buklau]

Is it unsafe to raise alk fast.

 

[carey]

I keep my alkalinity at about 10. You shouldnt raise it more than 1 dkh per day. I'd try a good size water change, that should up the alkalinity.

 

[Feelthereefer]

Just raise it over like a couple days time..

 

[mr_X]

yes. raise it very slowly.

 

[Buklau]

Thanks for the help.