55 gallon SPS reef- new additions (12/18/14)

aquavitro balance is 1 way to raise without raising alk or calcium. Atleast that is what it says. I never have used it but was asking same question a while back and someone had pointed me to it

 

Raised alk to 3.5. pH at 7.61 this morning.

 

so it's confirmed that it was your Sheetrock that fell in? hope your tank stabilizes again quickly.

 

Yeah, I watched it fall in. Didn't think too much of it until my dead SPS felt soft to the touch. Then I thought about lower pH eating away at the skeleton. I used the YSI meter and it is really low; too low for calcification to occur and low enough to cause CaCO3 to dissolve.

 

that really blows. lesson learned unfortunately.

 

Yep.

I think I am on the road to recovery. I did two 5 gallon water changes and added lime to my system. The pH was initially 8.4, then dropped to 8.20 after the second water change and yesterday and for a few days prior, it was 7.9. If it stays there, it should be okay.

I may see one of my SPS showing a growth tip now, not sure.

 

nice!. I'm glad to hear

 

That same sps is beginning to encrust over it's bold skeleton and the tip is definitely coring up. Two others look to be coloring up a little more too.

 

Montipora and birdsnest are showing great growth over the last week. Things are binning to color back up again and regrow over their exposed skeleton.

 

that's great news Kevin!