STARTING SPS REEF.. ALOT OF QUESTIONS.. PLEASE HELP

[jiggy]

right now i have a 60lx18wx24h open top 120g bb fowlr that im looking to convert into an sps/clam only reef.. i will be running 2 hamilton 400w 14k DE MH pendants.. asm g3 skimmer.. and 2 seio 2600's as well as the mag 9.5 running my sump, a fluval 404 that i use kent phos remover in, and another 800gph powerhead..

1. what are ideal water chemistry parameters to keep healthy colorful sps?

i plan to dose kalkwasser mixed with my topoff (1-2 gallons daily) via gravity drip..

2. should kalkwasser be mixed with topoff a day prior to dosing, or can it be mixed right before dosing?
3. is there anything else that i would need to dose (magnesium, strotonium, etc..)?
4. how would i know how much to dose? (dose to appropriate levels, then test the following day, and overcompensate for the amount lost?)
5. if i need to dose anything else other than kalkwasser, could i mix it all with my topoff water, or do i need to dose it seperately?

please help.. i wanna learn as much as i can before i jump into it..
thanks

 

[Froggy]

1. Alkalinity 7-10 DKH would be a good goal ( some run as high as 12 DKH). Calcium 400-450 PPM
Magnesium 1300-1400 PPM
0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate is the goal as well as less than .03 PPM phosphate.
2. Mix up kalkwasser at least a few hours prior to dosing and only drip the clear fluid. Usually dosed at night as Kalkwasser has a high PH ( around 12) and PH in the aquarium is lowest at night. Drip the amount needed to match the evaporation rate of the tank.
3. Only dose what you can test for. Really the only chemical additions needed are whatever means you choose to maintain calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium within the above parameters.
4. test the tank and find out the levels. Choose a product to raise them to the desired goal 1st, if needed. test again several hours later and obtain the new levels. Test once more at the same time of day as the last test and subtract the number from your last test. This will be approximately your tanks demand and you can dose the amount needed to make up for the daily demand. Kalkwasser alone may be enough but may not. You can choose another method to supplement the kalkwasser. This calculator helps in choosing products and what the effect will be based on how much you dose. http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
5. If you dose another product in addition to the kalkwasser as topoff ( like 2 part solutions etc ), you will have to add them seperately as they will precipitate out of solution if added together in the toppoff.
I hope some of this helps. Do some searching and reading in the reef chemistry forum. There are several great links and articles to be found there regarding the subject.

 

[jiggy]

how many hours a day should i keep my lights on? ive seen posts where people keep them on for 10-12hrs, and some where people only keep them on for like 4-6hrs.. i will not be supplementing with actinics, just the 2 400w 14k MH's..

 

[dvanacker]

If your going SPS reef.....do yourself a favor and get a Calcium Reactor....the kalk will only put a small dent into the calc/alk demand that you must replace.

With out a calcium reactor get ready for daily dosing on a SPS/clam tank

 

[jiggy]

i would have to topoff daily anyway..
i would rather use a kalk reactor than a calcium reactor

 

[bergzy]

okay,

who is the lr wh*re here!!!

 

[jiggy]

lol..
i will be an sps whore soon, hopefully..