Kaos
"Lurker"
Up until a few days ago I couldn't imagine spending $5-10 a pound for LR. Then it finally got through that this was part of my filtration system. You see, I have no problem spending a couple of hundred dollars on a filter that I know works but never really applied that to LR. Well, I broke down and bought 9lbs. of cured LR from the LFS for my 55 to supplement the base rock that was already in there(the LR is a branching and porous type so 9lbs. is really allot). When I stuck the LR in my tank Friday my param's where:
pH: 8.2
Amonia: 1.0-0 (varied)
Nitrite: 5.0 :eek1:
Nitrate: 20-40 (varied)
Phosphate: 2.0 or above (maxed out the test kit)
Today (almost 3 days later) I tested my param's and got:
pH: 8.2
Amonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Phosphate: 1.0
Before the LR, my param's were unstable. One day they would start to lower and the next they would sky rocket. I know it has only been 3 days but I can really feel the tank stablizing. I will never do another SW tank w/out LR (this is my 4th to date).
The moral of the story is, if you think LR is too expensive, think of it as a MOSTLY full proof filter system that is ALMOST guaranteed to lower amonia, trite, and trate (and in my case my PO4 for some reason).
pH: 8.2
Amonia: 1.0-0 (varied)
Nitrite: 5.0 :eek1:
Nitrate: 20-40 (varied)
Phosphate: 2.0 or above (maxed out the test kit)
Today (almost 3 days later) I tested my param's and got:
pH: 8.2
Amonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Phosphate: 1.0
Before the LR, my param's were unstable. One day they would start to lower and the next they would sky rocket. I know it has only been 3 days but I can really feel the tank stablizing. I will never do another SW tank w/out LR (this is my 4th to date).
The moral of the story is, if you think LR is too expensive, think of it as a MOSTLY full proof filter system that is ALMOST guaranteed to lower amonia, trite, and trate (and in my case my PO4 for some reason).
