So in the middle of the waterchange during my red bug treatment I had to open a new pail of Kent salt. Normally I test it for Ca, Mg and Alk before using it but I was in a hurry and well, I had to do the water change anyways to dilute the interceptor. I ended up doing the testing after the water change and was floored to find that Ca = 500+, Alk = 13.2 and Mg=1500+. I checked the parameters on my tank and everything was normal (Ca=435, Mg=1335, Alk=7.2). So I figured nothing of it. Later on I was thinking how odd it was that those levels were so high and what else in the salt was high that I couldn't test for? About a week later I was poised to do my next regular waterchange when I noticed that several pieces of SPS had burned tips on them. Thinking my alk must be high or something I tested again and alk was still steady at about 7.5. Weird. I immediately thought there must be something in the salt so I went off to the local store and bought another pail of Kent, thinking mine must just be a bad batch or something. The new bucket tested at Ca=500, Mg=1500 and Alk=15. WTF? I fired off an email to Kent to find out if they had any other complaints about my lot number but they hadn't and asked me to test it again at SG 1.023. The numbers were still high. I decided to take the second bucket back and have the store test water mixed up from both buckets. Their test kits (Aquarium Pharmeceuticals) tested out fine so I'm not sure what the hell is going on other than the fact that something in the tank is not right. Anyway, I returned that bucket and since they didn't have any instant ocean in stock (which is usually what I switch to) I got a bucket of Seachem. I've tried this salt before and wasn't wholly impressed with it but I was pretty desperate, I need to dilute out whatever is causing the issues in the tank because carbon certainly isn't getting the job done. We'll see how it goes with the Seachem.
I also noted last week (forgot to post) that my wrasse has a fluffy white thing growing on one of his pectoral fins. It seems to be less prevalent today although some of it is left. Now I see my neon goby has some sort of white fluffy bit on his abdomen and my powder blue is developing some sort of weird lumpy issue on his sides. I've seen it before on a batch of powder blues at the store. They come in fine but develop this condition in a matter of weeks and usually croak from it or complications from it. Its really rather revolting to look at, like the skin is bubbling from underneath. I certainly hope this little guy can manage to fight it off. So far there isn't that much of it, its pretty subtle looking, and perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a molehill since I'm so paranoid about having him in the tank because they're such hard to keep fish. None of the fish have lost their appetites so far which is a good sign and the neon goby is still cleaning everyone and eating as if its business as usual. He probly got his affliction from munching it off of the wrasse. Now to keep him healthy so he can get rid of it himself.
Ok on to photos :)
clam zoos
lined blenny and mucho wafer algae
gorgeous yellow acro
blueygrey acro
supposed to be A. abrotanoides, I'm not so sure
Love that tricolor acro
Pink pocilipora and slimer in STN mode
ugly brown stag that grows like stink (so typical)
wee maxima
maxima crocea and zoos
caps
yellow porites and pink stylophora
purple acro
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