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Offline lazylivin

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Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« on: March 07, 2018, 23:19:23 »
Corals are on a roller coaster ride. Can’t seem to get anything stable.

Offline CoralBeauties

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2018, 23:49:12 »
The alk would be my biggest concern to stabilize.  Has your ph been pretty stable with such swings in alk?  I strive to keep my phos below .1  I start to see hair algae with higher phos levels.
Like you mentioned on my last visit your stock levels constantly changing could be causing your stability issues.
Jeff

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2018, 07:27:38 »
How did the alk hit 15 so fast?

Offline erky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2018, 08:16:00 »
time for an alk monitor!

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2018, 09:15:52 »
The alk would be my biggest concern to stabilize.  Has your ph been pretty stable with such swings in alk?  I strive to keep my phos below .1  I start to see hair algae with higher phos levels.
Like you mentioned on my last visit your stock levels constantly changing could be causing your stability issues.
Jeff
I agree changing stocking levels is likely contributing to the issue. PH is relatively stable compared to the ALK. The tangs keep the algae in check pretty well.

How did the alk hit 15 so fast?
I am not sure what happen to the alk to increase so much. It was weird. I shutoff alk for 1.5 days to bring it back down to 9.5 then plugged back in. After plugging back in thought it would start going up again but it went down and I had to add additional minutes on the timer. Weird.

time for an alk monitor!
I can't wait until the Trident comes out!

Offline docsky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2018, 10:27:15 »
Is your two part staying in liquid form? I had my alk settle out on me a couple months ago. This cause me to dose to little then as my solution ran low it became very concentrated.

I think my settling had to do with my 2 part 5 gal. jugs sitting on a cold tile floor. i since raised them and have not had it happen since.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2018, 11:57:31 »
They are staying in liquid form. Do you think you may have had saltwater backup into your dosing jugs for them to precipitate back out like that?

Offline docsky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2018, 12:05:18 »
Don't think it is possible the way it is set up. My lines hang about 12" above the water line. I was thinking it had to do more with hastily mixing the alk part which can be a pain and the colder temps.
I have since modified the way i mix up the Alk part and i have the jugs elevated off the cold tiles.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2018, 13:30:14 »
ah okay that makes sense. Getting it to mix in can be pain. I have a pump in a 5g bucket and mix it that way. Then pour it through a funnel into the dosing jug. I am always paranoid a chunk would block the dosing tube so I have been using the funnel style with the stainless steel mesh filter on the end. You can get them at Autozone if anyone is looking for one.

Offline lazylivin

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2018, 13:33:28 »
On a side note anyone notice BRS changed their carbonate pricing and packaging. They no longer offer the 5g buckets. I was able to get 3 5g buckets of the Calcium and 1 of each Magnesium before they ran out. The soda ash buckets were already out of stock but I have one full one left. That should last me about 6 months so will need to figure something out because the new stuff is expensive.

Offline docsky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2018, 13:41:40 »
Thats not good. I buy it by the 5g buckets also.

Offline erky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2018, 14:01:51 »
I make my own, takes just a little time and have never had an issue.

Randys #1 mix's

Offline docsky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2018, 14:24:20 »
Dr. Smith&Foster still sells it in the 5g bucket but it runs $80 each

Offline SweetReefOH

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2018, 15:28:46 »
I mix BRS 2 part and have found a trick to get the alk mixed better. I take the gallon jug of RODI and put it in the kitchen sink. Run really hot water over the jug until the RODI water is about bath water temp. Then mix the alk/water into a pitcher. No more clumping....

ah okay that makes sense. Getting it to mix in can be pain. I have a pump in a 5g bucket and mix it that way. Then pour it through a funnel into the dosing jug. I am always paranoid a chunk would block the dosing tube so I have been using the funnel style with the stainless steel mesh filter on the end. You can get them at Autozone if anyone is looking for one.

Offline CoralBeauties

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2018, 19:02:21 »
calcium reactor for me!! I might spend maybe $30 a year.  :thewave
Jeff

Offline erky

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2018, 08:08:02 »
calcium reactor for me!! I might spend maybe $30 a year.  :thewave
Jeff

i should of pulled the trigger on a reactor when we talked about them, but 2 part is what i'm invested in now.

Offline Warhawk937

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Re: Water chemistry roller coaster ride
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2018, 20:53:47 »
Your apex looks like mine hi can not seem to get calc and alc in to spec at the same tim what worked for you

 

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