sps novice with questions

[Potsy]

I've been keeping reef tanks for 16 years now but I've never maintained an sps dominant reef. I've had Montipora digitata and M. cap. do very well, growing rapidly with bright coloration. So, I've sold off my sinularia and added two small frags - a green polyped stylophora and what I believe to be an Acro. valida. It has only been a few days but polyps are extended.

Tank is a 50 gallon 36x18x18" lit by an old Aquactinics TX5 with 3 ATI blue plus and two ATI Coral plus. Typically, the fixture gets about 190 - 200 par on the sandbed (other reefer's par measurements @ similar depths)

My parameters are as follows:

- Salifert nitrate = 0

- Hanna phosphate meter = 0

- Salifert Magnesium = ~1350

- API Alk = 11 dkh

I plan on dosing two part and eventually automating it when the dosing demand becomes high enough.

My question: is the alk too high considering how low my nitrate and phosphate are? I don't carbon dose and run the tank barebottom with four small fish. My IO salt mix is 11 dkh right out of the bucket so I have no way of lowering it.

 

[Imax]

11 KH is in the high range, but its better to be high and stable, than give your corals a unstable value, and SPS can handle 11 KH. I wouldnt worry if your corals seems happy. Instead i would start saving for a doser, so you dont have to dose manually and end up with unstable values in the end.

 

[Potsy]

Correction: upon retesting under brighter lighting, the API alk kit is registering 12dkh both in the bucket and in the aquarium. I must have misread greenish-yellow as bright yellow with the kit in dimmer conditions.

 

[tripdad]

Nothing to get overly concerned with but try and bring it down SLOWLY over a few weeks, just makes it a little easier. What salt do you use? Is it mixing high on ALk? Maybe let phos get to .02 and nitrate to 2 or 3, a little food for them to grow on.

 

[Potsy]

Nothing to get overly concerned with but try and bring it down SLOWLY over a few weeks, just makes it a little easier. What salt do you use? Is it mixing high on ALk? Maybe let phos get to .02 and nitrate to 2 or 3, a little food for them to grow on.

I use Instant Ocean and it does mix high on alk. As I acquire more sps I'll be sure to let the alk slowly drift down a bit. I've been trying to feed my fish a little more frequently and I'm avoiding vacuuming out what little detritus settles in the corner. I'd add more fish but my ocellaris clownfish pair are jerks. I'm rather attached to them as I've kept them for about 5 years. Otherwise, I'd put them up for adoption.

 

[mbingha]

Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable with alk that high and nutrients that low. I wouldn't change anything quickly, but I would lower alk and increase po4 and nitrates a bit.

 

[ajcanale]

The single most important level to monitor in regards to SPS is alkalinity... get a better test kit for it!!

 

[tmantaylor18]

I had to switch from IO for that reason. I was pretty shocked how high the alkalinity was with that stuff.

 

[Potsy]

The single most important level to monitor in regards to SPS is alkalinity... get a better test kit for it!!

Salifert or Lamotte?

 

[Potsy]

I had to switch from IO for that reason. I was pretty shocked how high the alkalinity was with that stuff.

Unfortunately, I have about 200 gallons worth of it. As I acquire more sps and they start to take up more carbonate, I'll let the alk drift down. I only have two small frags so that might take a while. I'm not carbon dosing and I don't see any burnt tips on the acro.

 

[ajcanale]

Salifert or Lamotte?

Either, or Hannah checker, even Red Sea would be a good choice.

 

[mbingha]

As I acquire more sps and they start to take up more carbonate, I'll let the alk drift down. I only have two small frags so that might take a while.

Lol buy a clam, you'll see some immediate uptake. At least I did...