Frogspawn and hammer corals losing head

[Coleus]

Well, my frogspawn and hammer corals are dying.

They keep losing one head per day. It is not brown slime but shrink and fall off. I notice this problem after i start doising my vodka. I started out a very small amount but increase the dosing over a week.

I have stopped the dosing now but they are still dying. Someone told me that it is because my potassium is low, is it true? I am not sure what is going on anymore.

All my other corals are doing fine except for brain corals but I think they are being picked by the angel fish.

Any suggestions of what i need to do. My water parameters are

Mg: 1380 - 1400
Alk: 10
Calc: 420-440
Nitrate: 15 (I knows it is high but i has been like that for long time)
ph: 8.2 (test kit) 8.7 (ph probe, calibrate it twice and still the same result, probably broken probe)

Potassium: no idea because no test kit

[Seamazter]

Potasium is required for a low nutirent system like zeovit, or in your case vodka.
Even if this is not the cause of this problem, you should definly test your levels.
I did see some test kits at redcoral for a fair price.
Basicly if your going to dose you must test, this goes for potasium as much as it does for anything else you add to your reef.

[blueyota]

Your DKH is really high for dosing vodka imo try to keep it more around 7 dkh
...maybe try lowering it a bit and see if that helps

[Coleus]

The dying rate has been slowed down after i stop dosing vodka. My system is high nutrient that is why i was trying to dosing vodka to bring the level down. I think probably i dosed too fast at once instead let it drip.

HEre is how it dies
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/picture.php?albumid=237&pictureid=2745

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/picture.php?albumid=237&pictureid=2748

[Carmen]

Mine did the same thing when I dosed coral snow.

[mark]

re: your pH, say probe calibrated but think broken. Does the probe calibrate ok?

I never had luck with the test kits, but will trust my calibrated probe.

[Coleus]

yeah got the new one and now it is sitting at 8.0

[whatcaneyedo]

Polyp bailout can happen when the coral is really stressed (from the vodka maybe) or when calcification is inhibited due to high phosphate levels or from toxins in the water released by leathers and algae conducting chemical warfare with your stonies. What is your phosphate at? Do you run any carbon? What is your water change schedule like?

[Coleus]

I tested my phosphate and it is sitting at zero. I have carbon and rowa phosphate reactor running. I change 10% water weekly. Leathers can produce toxin?