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middletonmark · 01-15-2004, 07:51 PM

Well, I'll take the bait

Now, I have two tanks, one soft coral with a few `LPS' ... one mostly SPS and a clam, with a few `LPS'. I'll talk mainly about my 58g stony tank, as that's the one I'm more picky about.

I test for:
SG - refractometer - about every few days. Used to do it daily for a half year +, now slacking.
1.026 is my `ideal' ... don't want it more than .001 above/below as it seems like my corals/inverts like it like that.

pH - Salifert - once a week or every other.
8.1-8.4 is sort of my strived for range, seems like that's good ... I'd rather have little movement here than any exact #. Stability!

Calcium - Seachem - Started twice a week, now every other week.
460 it's been recently, I'll take 400 - 490. I like to `push' this envelope as it anecdotally seems like I get fastest growth with it 450 - 480. Not sure if it matters.

Alkalinity - Salifert - Same time as Calcium.
11's dKh ... I'll take 9-11 range. Want this to balance Calcium, generally keep high as it promotes stable pH and seems like it may have other positive effects [slows bubble algae that I'm `winning' the battle with, ? maybe helps coloration ?].

Nitrate - Salifert - Same as above, a little less.
Recently 2-3 ppm .... I'll take anything under 5, max of 10. Seems like this is highly emphasized, and things do better with it near zero - but I'm not obsessed with zero. As I don't run a DSB in this tank, I expect to have minimal #'s and don't stress it. No major algae problems, so I don't stress it too hard. [other tank has DSB 'fuge, zero nitrates]

---
That's anything I test for regularly. Have cheaper Ammonia / Nitrite test kits, but don't use them much as everything has been really stable. Have them `in case' ... but presence of either I'd want to respond with water changes and analysis of why to.

Probably will get Magnesium, maybe Sr and Iodine kits in the future - but as I don't dose them and can maintain high Ca/Alk [so Mg isn't too low] ... I'm not stressing it.

Only dose Kalk and 2-part solutions [was CBalance, then Ocean's Blend, now Bionic ... probably going back to CBalance].

Generally I tested a LOT more for the first 3-4 months ... have slowly slacked off more in meantime [used to test Amm and Nitrite, until zeros made wonder why]. Now I try for twice a month [every other water change, prior to] ... but sometimes I let it go longer. As readings even over a month period seem pretty stable - I think I have my dosing & w/c rhythm down, and if something looks `funny' ... I'm testing as analysis step #1.

Generally the biggest thing I strive for is stability ... that IMO is key to anything. Now stable imbalanced Ca/Alk or high Nitrates ... not ideal - but it seems to me like when my #'s are `spot on' for a few weeks, I really see my SPS grow rapidly. That IMO is the sign that things are well. I've been suprised to see low-level Nitrates with rapid growth - IMO it's not the boogeyman I first understood it to be. I'm sure things would be `better' with zero - and I think I'm getting there as my newish fuge is kicking in and skimmer is more supercharged as of late ... but that's just my experience.

That ok? [probably too wordy, but that's me

]

01-15-2004, 07:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
middletonmark Star Polyps Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 165 View Gallery Karma Komment	Well, I'll take the bait Now, I have two tanks, one soft coral with a few `LPS' ... one mostly SPS and a clam, with a few `LPS'. I'll talk mainly about my 58g stony tank, as that's the one I'm more picky about. I test for: SG - refractometer - about every few days. Used to do it daily for a half year +, now slacking. 1.026 is my `ideal' ... don't want it more than .001 above/below as it seems like my corals/inverts like it like that. pH - Salifert - once a week or every other. 8.1-8.4 is sort of my strived for range, seems like that's good ... I'd rather have little movement here than any exact #. Stability! Calcium - Seachem - Started twice a week, now every other week. 460 it's been recently, I'll take 400 - 490. I like to `push' this envelope as it anecdotally seems like I get fastest growth with it 450 - 480. Not sure if it matters. Alkalinity - Salifert - Same time as Calcium. 11's dKh ... I'll take 9-11 range. Want this to balance Calcium, generally keep high as it promotes stable pH and seems like it may have other positive effects [slows bubble algae that I'm `winning' the battle with, ? maybe helps coloration ?]. Nitrate - Salifert - Same as above, a little less. Recently 2-3 ppm .... I'll take anything under 5, max of 10. Seems like this is highly emphasized, and things do better with it near zero - but I'm not obsessed with zero. As I don't run a DSB in this tank, I expect to have minimal #'s and don't stress it. No major algae problems, so I don't stress it too hard. [other tank has DSB 'fuge, zero nitrates] --- That's anything I test for regularly. Have cheaper Ammonia / Nitrite test kits, but don't use them much as everything has been really stable. Have them `in case' ... but presence of either I'd want to respond with water changes and analysis of why to. Probably will get Magnesium, maybe Sr and Iodine kits in the future - but as I don't dose them and can maintain high Ca/Alk [so Mg isn't too low] ... I'm not stressing it. Only dose Kalk and 2-part solutions [was CBalance, then Ocean's Blend, now Bionic ... probably going back to CBalance]. Generally I tested a LOT more for the first 3-4 months ... have slowly slacked off more in meantime [used to test Amm and Nitrite, until zeros made wonder why]. Now I try for twice a month [every other water change, prior to] ... but sometimes I let it go longer. As readings even over a month period seem pretty stable - I think I have my dosing & w/c rhythm down, and if something looks `funny' ... I'm testing as analysis step #1. Generally the biggest thing I strive for is stability ... that IMO is key to anything. Now stable imbalanced Ca/Alk or high Nitrates ... not ideal - but it seems to me like when my #'s are `spot on' for a few weeks, I really see my SPS grow rapidly. That IMO is the sign that things are well. I've been suprised to see low-level Nitrates with rapid growth - IMO it's not the boogeyman I first understood it to be. I'm sure things would be `better' with zero - and I think I'm getting there as my newish fuge is kicking in and skimmer is more supercharged as of late ... but that's just my experience. That ok? [probably too wordy, but that's me ] __________________ smile smile smile Last edited by middletonmark : 01-15-2004 at 07:55 PM.