SPS this weekend? Help appreciated...

[JTrigger]

Hey all,

My tank's been up for 4 months now and I've been recording values on the typical parameters since the first week. For the past 3 months, without dosing anything I have the following parameters:

pH 8.2-8.4
Ca 420-440 (currently 430)
KH 11-12.5 (currently 12.5)
NH3 / NO3 / NO2 - Nil

I don't have a Mg kit yet, but was just wondering if my setup would be considered to be in reasonable range before diving in to 2-parts, Ca Reactor, Kalk Reactor, etc.

I've had about a dozen pieces of LPS (torch, f-spawn, hammer, favia sp, scolys, alveopora, cynarina, etc) since month 1 and every single piece has been doing quite well with good coloration, continuous growth, etc... I only had troubles with a red Goniopora, but then I know these aren't the hardiest anyhow...

I was looking to start with a few basic pieces like Monti caps or perhaps some hardy acros, ...

Outside of the chemistry discussion, I have 4 x Reef Brite LEDs = 72LEDs for my tank which is 48 x 18 x 24" bowfront with a 40gal sump. Again, no dosing outside of the first couple weeks when I added things like Kent Essential Elements, Iodine, Kent's Liquid Calcium (minimal) which I since stopped.

Any suggestions?

 

[JTrigger]

Ne1?

 

[MrKite24]

The KH seems a bit high, but everything else seems perfect. What salt do you use? Have you tested your water change water to see if the KH is just as high from the salt? If I were you I wouldn't dose anything until I start to see the Ca and KH start to come down from the coral consumption. There's no point in dosing if you don't need it. Are you doing regular water changes, too?

IME, there isn't such a thing as a "hardy" SPS coral. They are all difficult to keep and can die or suffer unexpectedly if your water parameters aren't set correctly and stable. If you would like to start with SPS, you could always try a montipora digitada or montipora cap.

Hope this helps!

 

[mike_cmu04]

I agree that thE kh is Too high try lowering it with some water changes

 

[JTrigger]

Great ideas, thx. I'm going to test the KH of my RO/DI first then will do another routine water change. I was performing water changes every two weeks.

 

[MrKite24]

Great ideas, thx. I'm going to test the KH of my RO/DI first then will do another routine water change. I was performing water changes every two weeks.

Not just RO/DI, but the salt mixed with the RO/DI before you do the water change. That will tell you what kind of water quality is going into your system

 

[JTrigger]

Will prepare some saltwater a little later tonight, but the RO/DI water has an KH of 1.6 only! I was almost sure it'd be much higher! :hmm2:

 

[JTrigger]

OK, and the alk after mixed saltwater to SG 1.025 = 7.4

 

[MrKite24]

That isn't bad. You should do some daily water changes until the alkalinity is around 9 dkh. Then you can also test the mg to make sure that everything is correct. Until then don't dose anything.

 

[JTrigger]

Getting a Mg kit today to check the parameters. This might be a stupid question, but in general, is it more based on the size of the colony rather than genus/species that the calcium will drop based on how much it uses?

 

[Reef Bass]

I would agree that, for sps, generally the size of the coral determines calcium consumption compared to genus. Might there be variations in calcium metabolism between genus? Sure, I'd be surprised if there weren't. But for any given sps, a big one will consume more calcium than a little one.

 

[JTrigger]

OK, so got a Mg kit and Mg level = 1410
Yep, I plan to start with small Monti cap frags

 

[Felixc395]

That isn't bad. You should do some daily water changes until the alkalinity is around 9 dkh. Then you can also test the mg to make sure that everything is correct. Until then don't dose anything.

this sounds like a good plan. should help you out with keeping SPS. looks like your headed in the right direction, but be warned when you get the SPS bug there's no going back! haha, good luck!

 

[JTrigger]

So, I've added a handful of frags since posting this, a couple caps, 1 slimer, 1 colony of rose millepora, and an acropora tricolor... I light acclimated them per standard recs and all seem to be doing quite well and have great color. The slimer and millepora have grown noticeably within 1 month. I guess I'm at a little loss seeing as that every week, my Ca is still around 450-460 and KH after multiple water changes is still around 10, but things all look good... am I to feel guilty that I'm not dosing 2 part or have a reactor?

 

[wesleyforbes2]

Following.