Hi guys!
Hope you all have had a good start to 2014.
MURPHYWhen you write that everything is going fine… I purchased some new SPS/LPS before X-mas. Two of the purchased colonies died within 24 hours in RTN and then it most likely spread to my montipora species and killed off most of my montis. A quarantine tank would likely have avoided this from happening but this is unfortunately not an option where we live today. The acropora corals were thankfully not affected.
During X-mas I was travelling for two weeks in Spain and then my KH dosing pump had failed almost immediately after I left... The skimmer was also overflowed when I got back. I need to give better instructions to the person checking up on the system while away and perhaps also install an IP camera to observe the tank remotely. One SPS colony and one LPS was dead when I got back and many colonies had lost color.
After a few weeks the situation and parameters have been stabilized but now I am having problem with low pH most likely due to the air exchange system not working correctly in the cold weather we are having (happened last year as well). The apartments in Finland are very well isolated so the C02 builds up quickly, especially if you have a built in stand. I have now installed a bathroom fan to circulate air out of the cabinet and also have the balcony door slightly open during the days. I will also try to reverse the light cycle on my refuge where I grow Chaeto to further stabilize the pH. I am also using a pH buffer.
Not any major problem and some set backs are part of the hobby - as long as you learn from them .
REFUGEI have started to place corals in the fuge and almost all species are fluorescent and it is starting to look nice when only the blues are on in the morning and evening. My new LEDs over the fuge are shown in the photo below with the day light on and the side panel removed.