Hello to everyone on the forum!
I am very new to saltwater tanks, I am just getting mine set up. I will get right to my question, and then give some background on what I have so far in case that helps diagnose what I observed.
I tested the pH, and it seemed to be a tad lower (7.8-8.0, hard to gauge with the color tester) than it was the last time I tested, so I decided to add some marine buffer, a mere 5g to the tank. After doing so, I noticed that the small coral formations on the live rock seemed to 'lose' their tentacle-like growth from their tops, elongate, and break off. It was more pronounced I think because of the addition of the marine buffer which had not completely dissolved and because of all the air bubbles from the powerhead & filtration unit. My immediate reaction was that I killed whatever was growing. I am confused because I read that any type of coral demands higher pH, so I cannot understand how a marine buffer would in any way damage growth on a coral. Or is it just my imagination?
Here is what I have done so far:
About 2 weeks ago, I got the tank, and set up the substrate, heater, and filter. It is a 20L tank with 2 20W bulbs (one for inverts, one for the fishies). I let all of this sit for awhile as I was waiting for the aquarium center near me to get a new shipment of live rock. It arrived last night, and I put about 14 lbs of it in. It is really nice, with lots of different algae growth, a few sponges, and some coral (even got a clam on it!). I also got a powerhead hoping to create a better current.
I am letting the tank cycle before I introduce any fish. I was told this is the safest way, and the least stressful on the fish. I am diligently recording the levels each day so I can catch problems before they start. Any thoughts/tips/suggestions would be much appreciated... I hope this board will be another great resource as I am doing a lot of research so I can do this thing right!
I am very new to saltwater tanks, I am just getting mine set up. I will get right to my question, and then give some background on what I have so far in case that helps diagnose what I observed.
I tested the pH, and it seemed to be a tad lower (7.8-8.0, hard to gauge with the color tester) than it was the last time I tested, so I decided to add some marine buffer, a mere 5g to the tank. After doing so, I noticed that the small coral formations on the live rock seemed to 'lose' their tentacle-like growth from their tops, elongate, and break off. It was more pronounced I think because of the addition of the marine buffer which had not completely dissolved and because of all the air bubbles from the powerhead & filtration unit. My immediate reaction was that I killed whatever was growing. I am confused because I read that any type of coral demands higher pH, so I cannot understand how a marine buffer would in any way damage growth on a coral. Or is it just my imagination?
Here is what I have done so far:
About 2 weeks ago, I got the tank, and set up the substrate, heater, and filter. It is a 20L tank with 2 20W bulbs (one for inverts, one for the fishies). I let all of this sit for awhile as I was waiting for the aquarium center near me to get a new shipment of live rock. It arrived last night, and I put about 14 lbs of it in. It is really nice, with lots of different algae growth, a few sponges, and some coral (even got a clam on it!). I also got a powerhead hoping to create a better current.
I am letting the tank cycle before I introduce any fish. I was told this is the safest way, and the least stressful on the fish. I am diligently recording the levels each day so I can catch problems before they start. Any thoughts/tips/suggestions would be much appreciated... I hope this board will be another great resource as I am doing a lot of research so I can do this thing right!
