Coral prep
- Thread starter JonV88
- Start date
Reef Frog
New member
Reef Crystals is a brand of salt and magnesium is not really nutrition, it is ONE of the BIG THREE minerals hard corals use everyday and they almost always need to be added in controlled doses, often everyday. Calcium & Alkalinity are the other two elements that need to be observed and added as well.
First, read up on the topic here on RC. Then buy good test kits like Salifert or Red Sea to see where you are now. Then with the knowledge you have you can buy or make cheaply everything you need, and add it correctly. You will have to make a choice at this time on the method you will use - 2 part or limewater are the 2 most used methods.
If you are keeping only soft corals the use of good reef grade salt and regular water changes may be able to keep the levels stable because they use less of it. But yes, you will have to keep levels, or "parameters" of these 3 items at certain levels and more importantly stable if you wish to keep LPS & SPS corals. If this is your plan it is a huge advantage to get THE BIG THREE right before adding hard corals. If you learn as you go you will kill stuff for sure.
First, read up on the topic here on RC. Then buy good test kits like Salifert or Red Sea to see where you are now. Then with the knowledge you have you can buy or make cheaply everything you need, and add it correctly. You will have to make a choice at this time on the method you will use - 2 part or limewater are the 2 most used methods.
If you are keeping only soft corals the use of good reef grade salt and regular water changes may be able to keep the levels stable because they use less of it. But yes, you will have to keep levels, or "parameters" of these 3 items at certain levels and more importantly stable if you wish to keep LPS & SPS corals. If this is your plan it is a huge advantage to get THE BIG THREE right before adding hard corals. If you learn as you go you will kill stuff for sure.
These are the things I have ready but my question is is it bad to add these elements when no coral are in tank for a period of time and if so how soon before adding coral should I add these elements
Reef Frog
New member
It all depends on your test results. This isn't like feeding a house plant where you use an arbitrary amount every X weeks. If you don't test, don't add anything and dont add hard corals but perhaps zoas or softies would be fine.
Yes, it is a GREAT idea to have your Ca, ALK & Mg levels at or near ideal levels before adding hard corals. Also you need to measure water salinity to succeed.
Yes, it is a GREAT idea to have your Ca, ALK & Mg levels at or near ideal levels before adding hard corals. Also you need to measure water salinity to succeed.
Thanks for all the great info I'm actually testing everything now to see what I need to add
thatreefguy22
New member
Not to steal this thread, but I just put in a order for my tank.
one of the items is indeed a T5HO fixture with blue actinics/10,000k builbs. Dual, to be exact. It's the aquaticlife t5 fixture. it is going on my 20 gal. long, I'm excited to introduce maybe...zoanthids, GSP, or mushrooms
one of those.
No way I'll be keeping stony corals with just a dual set up though. even with good trace elements in the water. But this fixture allows me to link up to 3 fixtures, totaling out with 6 bulbs. so I have a good chance to add a stony if I decide on making that dedication to testing and dosing. I do have a red sea test kit, I'm prepared if I come to it.
I have 2 simple questions...can corals get diseases that can spread in the tank? and do they add to the bioload?
one of the items is indeed a T5HO fixture with blue actinics/10,000k builbs. Dual, to be exact. It's the aquaticlife t5 fixture. it is going on my 20 gal. long, I'm excited to introduce maybe...zoanthids, GSP, or mushrooms
one of those.
No way I'll be keeping stony corals with just a dual set up though. even with good trace elements in the water. But this fixture allows me to link up to 3 fixtures, totaling out with 6 bulbs. so I have a good chance to add a stony if I decide on making that dedication to testing and dosing. I do have a red sea test kit, I'm prepared if I come to it.
I have 2 simple questions...can corals get diseases that can spread in the tank? and do they add to the bioload?
thatreefguy22
New member
some say 1500 is pretty high, the ideal level would be 1200~1350.
Reef Frog
New member
Those parameters look pretty good. The Mg isn't terribly high but I'd stop dosing it until it returns to the 1400ppm range. Exact numbers are less important than STABILITY which, when its maintained, is basically the key to keeping stony corals. The other key item is too keep nutrient levels low...there are several techniques available to accomplish this.
Now that you have good levels and your tank is a few months post cycle, it's the right time to experiment with adding a stony coral or two. Try some of the easier species like candy cane/trumpet on the LPS side or montipora when & if you want to get into SPS.
As they grow & you add more, yes...these elements will be gradually depleted as they are incorporated into the coral skeleton as they grow. Keep testing and add your supplements by hand and you will develop a usage pattern. Then at that point you can continue dosing by hand, by limewater drip (Mg will need to be dosed by hand), or 2 part solution dosing with dosing pumps and a daily automatic timer or controller of some kind. Your job will be to keep levels stable. You will determine daily usage and put that amount back in the tank usually everyday but perhaps less than that in the beginning. Check out Dr. Farley's excellent reef calculator which will help you determine how much of what to add.
This discovery period may seem difficult at first. Read up on it before stuffing the tank with coral. Test often & accurately & keep a log sheet to establish your usage pattern, & the calculator will tell you how mich of each to add. Recommendations on most product labels are generalizations & really shouldn't be followed. Good luck.
Now that you have good levels and your tank is a few months post cycle, it's the right time to experiment with adding a stony coral or two. Try some of the easier species like candy cane/trumpet on the LPS side or montipora when & if you want to get into SPS.
As they grow & you add more, yes...these elements will be gradually depleted as they are incorporated into the coral skeleton as they grow. Keep testing and add your supplements by hand and you will develop a usage pattern. Then at that point you can continue dosing by hand, by limewater drip (Mg will need to be dosed by hand), or 2 part solution dosing with dosing pumps and a daily automatic timer or controller of some kind. Your job will be to keep levels stable. You will determine daily usage and put that amount back in the tank usually everyday but perhaps less than that in the beginning. Check out Dr. Farley's excellent reef calculator which will help you determine how much of what to add.
This discovery period may seem difficult at first. Read up on it before stuffing the tank with coral. Test often & accurately & keep a log sheet to establish your usage pattern, & the calculator will tell you how mich of each to add. Recommendations on most product labels are generalizations & really shouldn't be followed. Good luck.
thatreefguy22
New member
just stop dosing.
thatreefguy22
New member
My tank has been up since October 2013. I finally get a T5HO fixture tomorrow in the mail! along with a hydor nano 425 to add some more current to my tank aside from my return jet.
My tank has only had few turbo snails since the initial cycle has gone through with itslef.
2 clowns were added but I put them in the Q.T. for a reason. They do not have ich...just to let anyone who reads this, know.
you should post some pictures of your tank, man!!
My tank has only had few turbo snails since the initial cycle has gone through with itslef.
2 clowns were added but I put them in the Q.T. for a reason. They do not have ich...just to let anyone who reads this, know.
you should post some pictures of your tank, man!!
thatreefguy22
New member
heres 1 pic it's been up for 8 months
nano, hmmm. I have a 20L display tank with a sump...I'd say it's about 10 gallon sump.
I see you only have a HOB...I started with one but decided to go with the sump. It's really great to have one. Even though I haven't done much with mine, yet..I have room to add things such as a good skimmer, reactor, and ATO later down the road.
I like your set up though. Did you only want that little bit of rock work?
what size is your tank?
and if you could, would you upgrade your filtration?
just a few questions I could come up with
Yeah I didn't want to much rock because fish wise I'm prob only getting 1 more max 2 so bio load shouldn't be a problem coral wise I'm getting a rose bubble tip anemone and it will be the only coral in this tank hopefully for feb I'm planning to upgrade filtration to a 302 fluval canister filter, skimmer I have is a psk 75
