pico testing

[atteb66]

My pico of 2 gal is just corals with 1 hermit crab and 1 ring cowrie. No fish!

My corals are: zoas, ricordeas, montiora cap

I am wanting to know if I should be testing for calcium?

I was doing weekly water changes, have noticed in doing so everything seems to pout a bit and I am wondering if I am keeping it to clean?

I have not had to clean the glass of this tank since I started it in Nov 2013

I have been adding 3 drops 3 times a week of Marine Snow which the softies really respond to.

I am thinking that maybe I should back off and do the water changes every 2 weeks instead?

Would love your thoughts on this as well as the testing for calcium

 

[terrypercula]

Being that your bio load is next to nothing you may be able to get away with even few water changes than that. That being said if you slow up your water changes the calcium alk and mag with slowly decline so that'd be something to watch for. How big are your water changes?

 

[Josh40996]

If you feel that your tank is starving, but you don't want to dose, I would just reduce the amount of time nutrient removal methods are active for (ie. limit the amount of time the skimmer is on, remove GFO) and feed more.

 

[atteb66]

My water changes are 8 cups of water.

Being that your bio load is next to nothing you may be able to get away with even few water changes than that. That being said if you slow up your water changes the calcium alk and mag with slowly decline so that'd be something to watch for. How big are your water changes?

 

[atteb66]

I don't have a skimmer on this small of tank, I use a HOB filter

I so feed the Marine Snow 3 times a week, should I add more of the Marine Snow more times than this?

I know when I had my water tested it showed my calcium was on the low side but have not had it checked as I don't have this test kit that is why I am wanting to know if its a test kit I should have?

If it were to be on the low side does one dose calcium in this small of tank or not?

If you feel that your tank is starving, but you don't want to dose, I would just reduce the amount of time nutrient removal methods are active for (ie. limit the amount of time the skimmer is on, remove GFO) and feed more.

 

[terrypercula]

You can dose just do very small doses, test and do that until you get a routine down.