Alk is 8.3 and yes sorry typo on calcium
I do a 20% water change every 5 days with my LFS pre made water
I test with API and salifert but this brand is not easy to read I find!
TMC refractometer
Yes I think you are right I jumped into corals a little too quickly
My ammonia and nitrite levels were at 0 until I added box fish 12 days ago and with increased feeding to give the little fish the best chance I am excessively feeding (he is eating very well though) I got snails at the weekend to help with food waste on the sand bed,
It’s my first tank so huge amount to learn despite researching for months prior.
I am so so grateful for your help and advice
Thank you
Have you calibrated your refractometer? If not, then I would start there first to make sure your salinity is okay. It could be fine and your refractometer is just off. After calibration, make sure your source water and system water is around 1.026 or 35ppt. That is a good starting point. At those levels ,it will help get your parameters where they need to be.
API is not a bad kit. They just don't have the precision range that is acceptable(in my oponion). Salifert are good kits and I have serveral of them that I use. I use Hanna for Alk, NO3, PO4, Iodine, pH, and Iron. I use Salifert for Calcium and Magnesium. I also have Salifert for Alkalinity, Iodine, Nitrate, and Oxygen if I ever need to test them against other tests.
I could be wrong, though. Your system may now be suitable for SPS, and the coral was simply unhappy. I personally would wait a couple more months before adding any more SPS. I would test daily for Alk and weekly for Cal, Mag, NO3, and PO4 to establish a trend for dosing, etc.
In my opinion, the best way to learn is through experience. I learn something new every day.
Don't stress about losing a coral. Things happen, so just make sure you have stability and patience. That is the thing with this hobby.
I have lost a lot of corals and have gone through ups and downs. Apart from stability, one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you is to not be concerned about algae. With the trend of dry rock going around these days, algae seems to be more of a nuisance than it ever was with the live rock we had back in the day. There are so many products out there to kill algae, and with Instagram, YouTube, etc most new hobbyists feel their tanks need to be sterile to have a "nice" tank. Don't feel the need to turn to chemicals, etc when you have algae, cyano, etc. A little bit of elbow grease and water changes go a long way.
I know from experience. Against my better judgment, I was convinced to use Vibrant, Fluconazole, etc in 2019. This was the end result.
That was one of many learning lessons, and I keep these corals on the wall next to my tank as a reminder.
We are all in this hobby together and if you ever have any questions, etc just reach out, and I will help in any way I can.
