Candy Cane

you've gotten good advise, but i want to throw in some more thoughts.

calcium doesn't have much to do with it. they don't really need Ca to maintain, only to grow.

The hardness and Mg are probably your main culprits here. I would advise stabilizing Mg and SG before correcting Alk and then Ca. In that order.

Your anemone comment raises flags. Sounds like you have multiple. Sounds like you aren't aware they don't use Ca. Anemones are rather difficult creatures to keep and can not handle unstable tanks. Losing one (and it can be sudden and surprising since they die inside/out) can crash a tank... You might want to reconsider having them...

Regardless, good luck!
P

 

Now that's the spirit! Just keep adding supplements until you reach the proper levels again. It will come around.

A friend of mine gave me his tank when he moved to Canada and it had a Duncan that was all but dead. I brought the cal, mag, and Kh back up to proper levels and it came back in less than a week.

 

wouldnt my Calcium be low if the Magnesium was a problem ?
Seems like the candy cane is coming on better now, I am going to do another water change this evening, probably 10%, that should set my water up. I will test the water and post back here

Thanks Guys

 

Mg does impact Ca levels. True. That's why you should get Mg where you need it and stable b4 adding any Ca. If you add Ca first, then add Mg, you may suddenly find yourself with way too high Ca.

 

im off to buy a testing kit, and some magnesium, just in case

 

OK so the water changes are still on going . . . . . . .

PH 8.2
Nitrate 0
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
KH 143 Dkh 8
Calcium 500
Phospate 0

I did check the Calcium level of the made up replacement salt water and thats sitting at 500 ?

Am I on the right track ? I bought Mag, but couldnt find a test kit anywhere, so havent added anything, every thing seems great and the candy cane seems to be getting colour back too.

So a couple of questions . . . . . . . .I am replacing alomost 5 litres of water a day due to evaporation, is this normal ? The water that comes off the skimmer, should I be throwing that away ? I have taken off the "poop" and just the water remains, this appear to count for about a litre a day ?

 

I did check the Calcium level of the made up replacement salt water and thats sitting at 500 ?
that's pretty high. did you add any or is that all from the mix?

Am I on the right track ? I bought Mag, but couldnt find a test kit anywhere, so havent added anything,
good call

every thing seems great and the candy cane seems to be getting colour back too. let the coral be your indicator

So a couple of questions . . . . . . . .I am replacing alomost 5 litres of water a day due to evaporation, is this normal ?
not really feeling like doing math, but I go through 5 gallons a week due to top offs. Climate has a lot to do with it. When it's dry out, sometimes I go through 10 gallons a week.
The water that comes off the skimmer, should I be throwing that away ?
you are meaning in the collection cup? yeah, that's trash. For me, that's about 2 cups of water a month at this point. early on, it was more.
I have taken off the "poop" and just the water remains, i have no idea what this means? Are you straining skimmate? yuck. this appear to count for about a litre a day ?

 

So the water that comes away from the thick slime, is supposed to be thrown away ? Thank god for that. ;D

 

Good luck on this, I lost some awhile back on my huge colony. Ended up being a bad test kit.