As a NTTH person, you likely sit by your tank for hours; and fuss and futz and want Something To Do.
Let's make it interesting.
Got your test kits? Salinity/temperature/Nitrate/ammonia/alkalinity/calcium/magnesium:---and want to try a skill challenge?
Test daily. (for one thing, your skills at that operation will improve)
Report your numbers in this thread every day or every few days, whatever you can manage. See how many days running you can hold it.
Your target numbers:
salinity 1.024 to 1.026 (a fish-only can be 1.019)
temperature: 78 to 80
ammonia: 0
nitrate: under 20
alkalinity: 7.9 to 8.3
calcium: 420: this is really important for a reef. Fish-only may be down as far as 400, but 420 makes an easier balance.
magnesium: 1350 or a shade higher; no lower than 1200.
The object is to see how many days in a row you can keep all this spot on.
The prize in general is a tank that's going to have far fewer problems.
[target numbers are set for fairly easy balance. You may figure if you are badly 'out' on any of these, you may have sickened a pretend-fish. just say: 'all on target' or post the one that's 'off'.
Now: how to cope with a sinking but not 'out' number. If your alk is falling, you need to check your mg, which is closely related to it. Bring the mg up to snuff; test in 8 hours; THEN dose the alk buffer, to bring the alk back stable; the calcium is related to both of these. Sounds like a balancing act, right?
It is. And the point of balance is the magnesium: if it's in the zone, the other two readings will behave. If you learn that from this exercise, your life in this hobby will be much easier.
If you have a controller, cool. It's an allowable 'cheat'. If you don't, also cool: I've run for decades with no controller, just tests and hand-dosing---and kalk. I'll explain that: if you add 2 tsp per gallon of kalk to your topoff reservoir and your mg level is 1350 or so, the kalk will supply alk and cal so long as the reservoir holds out. It's another 'cheat' and very easy to do.
I will happily answer questions like: my nitrate is 30---what should I do? and other problems, too.
Let's make it interesting.
Got your test kits? Salinity/temperature/Nitrate/ammonia/alkalinity/calcium/magnesium:---and want to try a skill challenge?
Test daily. (for one thing, your skills at that operation will improve)
Report your numbers in this thread every day or every few days, whatever you can manage. See how many days running you can hold it.
Your target numbers:
salinity 1.024 to 1.026 (a fish-only can be 1.019)
temperature: 78 to 80
ammonia: 0
nitrate: under 20
alkalinity: 7.9 to 8.3
calcium: 420: this is really important for a reef. Fish-only may be down as far as 400, but 420 makes an easier balance.
magnesium: 1350 or a shade higher; no lower than 1200.
The object is to see how many days in a row you can keep all this spot on.
The prize in general is a tank that's going to have far fewer problems.
[target numbers are set for fairly easy balance. You may figure if you are badly 'out' on any of these, you may have sickened a pretend-fish. just say: 'all on target' or post the one that's 'off'.
Now: how to cope with a sinking but not 'out' number. If your alk is falling, you need to check your mg, which is closely related to it. Bring the mg up to snuff; test in 8 hours; THEN dose the alk buffer, to bring the alk back stable; the calcium is related to both of these. Sounds like a balancing act, right?
It is. And the point of balance is the magnesium: if it's in the zone, the other two readings will behave. If you learn that from this exercise, your life in this hobby will be much easier.
If you have a controller, cool. It's an allowable 'cheat'. If you don't, also cool: I've run for decades with no controller, just tests and hand-dosing---and kalk. I'll explain that: if you add 2 tsp per gallon of kalk to your topoff reservoir and your mg level is 1350 or so, the kalk will supply alk and cal so long as the reservoir holds out. It's another 'cheat' and very easy to do.
I will happily answer questions like: my nitrate is 30---what should I do? and other problems, too.
Last edited:
LOL. Anyway it is pretty old, maybe 1.5 yrs. The BRS Mag solution was difficult to make (one of the powders was caked together and I had to scrape it and ripped my knuckles up on the razor sharp opening) and I did not want to use all of it bringing the mag to normal. However, at this point I will use it tonight to do just that.
