Ca Problem?? And algae

[tntfish]

Is there a way where my newly introduced clam is sucking up all the Ca in my tank? my coral are not doing so sharp my mushrooms are not opening up my xenia is looking kind of wierd my montis are getting white kenya tree is shriviled this clam is huge so could he be sucking up all the calcuim i dose my tank with purple up and coral vite like every 2 days or so eveything was looking really nice until i introduce my clam i am also having a hige algae Problem ist a lime green algae and it wont go away i just did a water change and have been leaving my fixture in dusk mode but its still expanding i havent tested my calcuim of PO i brought the master kit today and will do my testing when i get outta class at around eight tonight i will do my testing i dose it about 2 mins ago so makes no sence do testing now alot of question

 

[ccCapt]

Probably not, in fact I would say definitely not. A clam extracts calcium to build it's shell. You would need to see alot of new shell growth really fast...and that doesn't happen.

PurpleUp is not a product to supplement calcium. It's such a weak solution that you can probably pour the whole bottle in and only see a small rise in your calcium level.

So the questions for you....
What salt do you use?
What kind of water for water changes and top offs? RO/DI? tap? well?
Water parameters - nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium?

 

[neilanh]

Definately what Larry said. We'll need to see those answers to help figure out what's going on.

Also, how long has the tank been running? How heavily loaded is it in terms of corals?

 

[tntfish]

Ok my levels are not so good no idea need help asap no idea how these levels got so outta wak exept i was dosing wit purple up i just did a water change wit instant ocean reef crystal salt i use ro water dont have alk or mag test kit yet will go out and buy one tmrrow

Nitrate- 20ppm
Ca- 560 ppm
Carbonate Hardness-12dkh
Phosphate-2.0
Ph 8.8
Ammonia 0

 

[neilanh]

What salinity is your water at?

Ca of 560 - I didn't even know it was possible to get that much in the water. Maybe retest that one.

The phosphates are likely what's causing the algae bloom. You want to try to keep your PO4 undetectable.

 

[tntfish]

gravity is 1.028

 

[tntfish]

i will redo test

 

[ccCapt]

Drop your salinity by removing saltwater and adding fresh water. There is no reason to be higher than 1.026. How are you measuring it? Swing arm hydrometer or refractometer? Dropping the salinity will also drop your alk and calcium levels. Using Reef Crystals, a fresh mix at 1.026 should be around 490 calcium and 13 dKH alk.

You definitely need to lower your phosphate. Look into getting some GFO and a reactor for it.

Neilan, a fresh mix of Oceanic reads 580 calcium and Coralife is 560.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505

 

[tntfish]

Wuts a GFO will replace some saltwater with FW tonight and i am testing with a hydrometer

 

[tntfish]

Ca is 500ish

 

[neilanh]

THanks Larry - I never realized. I struggle to keep my tank above 400 dosing 2-part.

 

[SHARPiE]

Wuts a GFO will replace some saltwater with FW tonight and i am testing with a hydrometer

Granular Ferric Oxide!

 

[tntfish]

Guys i did that water change my levels are better

Ca-460
Gravity is 1.024
phospate is still up there
nitrate went down to 10ppm
evrything looks better exept my montis they are pretty bleached how can i get them back on track

 

[ccCapt]

How big of a water change did you do? If your nitrate was 20 and now it's 10, you would have had to do a 50% water change with 0 nitrate saltwater.

montis they are pretty bleached how can i get them back on track

Your phoshate must be 0. You have to stabalize your parameters (salinity, alk, calcium, magnesium). Can't let them start high, drop down, go up again, then back down, etc. Invest in a refractometer. Nothing happens fast....except disasters.

 

[tntfish]

I agree wil invest in refractometer asap

 

[tntfish]

I think i have a problem my levels are still the same doing test evryday so far so good everything looks way less strees my mushrooms are all opned up nice and wide so are the star polyps but today i moved my monties lower in the tank and there were a whole bunch of lil bugs under them is this a good thing or a bad thing??

 

[melosu58]

Probably just pods. They are OK. Do they look shrimp like?

 

[tntfish]

Kinda welll ther really hard to see there tinyy nad greyish brown

 

[brian242pa]

Your salinity is a bit high... If you are using a hydromiter i would always take something skinny and hit the hing so if there are any air bubbles bringing the hing up you will eliminate that and you will have a more acurate reading. And i would definatly lower phosphates. I thought mine that is .25 is high. You should check your fish food for phosphates. I don't have a RO/RI system because i dont have money. The cheap way out is to use a britta filter to philter your tap water. It will only get the large particles out but it is better than nothing. If you don't have much money like me i would get a 35$ in tank refugium and grow macro algea in it so you can lower phosphates and all that nasty stuff!!! I'm only 12 that why i don't have much $.

 

[ccCapt]

Your salinity is a bit high...

How did you come to that conclusion? He said..."Gravity is 1.024". Natural seawater around the reefs average 1.026.