Question about Magnesium

You have an elegance coral? How long have you had the tank running? Thats a really hard coral to keep. Did you do some research before getting it? I dont think you should have that coral while your having trouble with your parameters.

 

Yes, I had it for two weeks so far, it is not that bad just lately it has been retracted somewhat but it does open up too, I keep it about 1/2 to the top under the lights. The tank has been up since August 1, 07

here is a pic, it is in the middle on top of the rock

 

Sorry to say but that elegance is a goner

 

That picture is not so good, I will try to get a better one but it has life, still has color too, but if I have to I was ask my LFS to hold it for a while.

 

The picture quality has nothing to do with it. The only time I have seen an elegance coral recede that far into its skeleton was when it was dying. It is nearly impossible to bring them back from the brink I'm afraid.

 

Are talking about the fleshless conical skeleton of a elegance on the top center of the picture just above the open brain coral ? Its thats the coral in question all I'd ask is how long has it been dead.. Buddy that elegance is toast . Today is the best that elegance is ever going to look again in anyones future..

 

I moved the elegance and it has been opening up again so I do not think it is dead just yet.

As for my chemistry

The Mg is up to around 1300, alk is 10 and the PH is 8.3 but the Ca is 300, I have been adding a tbs of turbo calc a day with no effect, I am afraid I am adding too much.

 

How big is your tank??? Tsp...I would add 1/4 to 1/3 cup then test water.

 

I agree lunitik , if he's dosing turbo calcium though every day ? with no movment up ?
sounds wild , depending on the load but it should go up ' his ALK must be fading low i ran into a simalar problem with getting the MAG up and keeping the ALK in a safe relm i like to keep it round 4.0 and PH on the high level

my tank read's
SAL . 1.025
PH . 8.2-8.4
ALK . 4.0
MAG . 1300
Cal. 400-450
-----------------

Also I began using "ions for reefs" ( Aguavitro ) by seachem
which helps raise MAG and maintains SR and boron

I'm always a little leary of "new snake oils" as i call them
but this stuff really seems to be working and helping "hold" water chemestry
and keep things steady for me ' but i run a 220gal. so any results are generaly slow to show signs of distress ( i add very slowly ) PAITENCE young grass hoppa !

I always see some peeps get all wadded up and then start adding this and that ' before ya know it ' the tank is a chemical soup from hell and on smaller tanks , thats a total disaster in the waiting .

 

If thats the elagance in the tank pick there it looks pretty bad' now i do know for a fact' that a buddy of mine tried one' it completely died of so he thought and so he left it in there LOW and BEHOLD some was left mayjust teeny weenie bit , but i began to grow back" and this was a 38 gal. tank with all soft corals in there' i was amazed that it came back .

But with that said elagance corals are just nortorious for failing in a tank ' hardly any one i know who has tried one' usealy fails , not because the reef keeper is a poor care taker .
these things ship poorly and most all will not survive in , but who knows it may bounce back