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Bought another sea hare to eat some long hair algae but seems like it's just going for the film algae again! Dammit. Checked my alk and it's at 10.2kh. Never been this high is it because a majority of my sps is dead so it's raising? Is this causing more sps to die cuz it's still happening. Guess I should lower my alk doser

Just wondering what salt do you use?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skim (Post 918496)

Just wondering what salt do you use?

Been using instant ocean sea salt since day 1. Talked to my LFS and apparently I'm supposed to be using the instant ocean reef crystals instead

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot (Post 918034)

Despite some seeming evidence, I am skeptical about low P04 linked to STN and RTN of SPS. I think it is more the rapid change in parameters especially KH that SPS don't like.

I say this, because my SPS grew fastest (and I mean really fast) and had the best colour when my P04 and N03 were the lowest. When I say low, my P04 usually measured zero with my Hanna checker (only occasionally up to .02 to .04). Then last spring due to some issues (mistakes) it went up to 0.10 and my N03 to 30 ppm. My SPS then lost some colour and growth drastically slowed. But then in the summer I had another problem where my KH dropped to 5 (doser plugged), and that was a fatal blow to some of my SPS. It started with some STN and burnt tips on my SPS, and turned to full out RTN on some others. This continued for a while even after correcting my KH and bringing my P04 and N03 back down. But the good news now, a few months later, everything is turning good again, with SPS colour and growth returning. Even with some of my badly injured SPS (which I had cut off the dead parts) I have signs of life and new growth again.

So I think the big thing with SPS is they don't like change. And once they become unhappy, it takes them a while to recover. Get your parameters in check, and keep them stable, and with a bit of time, things should recover. But if you keep tinkering and changing things, you may continue to have problems. Anyway, that's my theory,... FWIW.

+1 to all of this. I have had identical experiences. And once a coral is angry enough you're almost better off tossing it and replacing it for how long it will take to recover

I don't think I have the heart to just throw it away if it's still alive. Too much time, effort and lots of $$ been spent on my so called reef

More and more rtn happening each day. Hammers,frogspawn and such are all still closed. Even my candy came colony looks like it is slowly melting. Is there really nth I can do but watch my whole tank slowly die?

IMO slowly lower your kh to around 8.* and do a massive water change

My 3rd sea hare I added on sat is pretty much dead again. Black splitting and is now half it's size.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason604 (Post 918789)

My 3rd sea hare I added on sat is pretty much dead again. Black splitting and is now half it's size.

Ya I'd stop adding seahares, it's probably making the situation worse

Best thing you can do now is a water change once a week and run carbon until your parameters are at par . Also you must chill out cuz you can't stop nature she will do what she wants . We have all been through tank crashes and if you haven't you are new to reefing or a god .Yes it sucks Jason but nothing you do is going to stop this crash its going to run its course.Just look at it this way you can always rebuild. Good luck things will turn around .