What is the best Alk/calcium level for sps

[trueblackpercula]

Hi all I have been checking my water every Sunday like always and wanted to know is keeping my Alk at 8.3 to 8.6 ideal for sps only? I was think about raising it to 9.0 but would like to hear from others. What is the best number to be at in conjunction with calcium?

Here is what my levels are at now.
ALk 8.3 to 8.6
Calcium 570
Magnisium 1,380
Salinity 1.0255
Nitrate 0.03
Phosphate .2 was high today so I changed 5 gallons of water must be the target feeding of my sps
Ph 8.1
Temp 77 to 80 low to high

Thanks looking for color over growth

 

[bdsage]

my ca. was 420 alk 8 a mon.ago started ms.wages pickeling lime @50% sat. checked today its up ca.480 alk 11 coraline has exploded.sps has colered up from brown out and showing new growth but im cutting back on kalk cuz i dont think my alk. should get any higher...

 

[Reef264]

Alkalinity shouldn't vary to far lower than 8dKH, definitely keep it above 7dKH.It's more about consistency than what dKH it runs at.I just try to keep mine above 8, it gets sucked out pretty quick in my tank.

Calcium is fine anywhere from 380-450ppm.

Your levels look okay, maybe get the Calcium down lower to around the previous stated levels.

Nitrates should be 0, Phosphates Shouldn't be any higher than 0.05ppm.

pH is fine.

I try to keep my temperature swing within .5 of a change a day.

With SPS I can tell you now, Good lighting, a good skimmer, regular water changes with a good salt, and consistent parameters will get you farther than most other things will.It's all about keeping it balanced.

-Ray

 

[Denadai]

For me alk 6/7 ca 380 / 420

best regards

 

[MammothReefer]

I just shoot for around 9ish Alk as long as calcium is in the mid 300's or above my tank is happy. Upper 500's seems high for calc imop. I don't see the need to run it super high as long as you can maintain it at a steady level the corals will just keep pulling what they need.

 

[a.browning]

I keep alkalinity around 7-8dkh and calcium around 400-420ppm. I have noticed better colors and growth with lower alkalinity. The real key is stability. Keep your values stable, and don't worry too much about any specific value. This is the key to keeping colorful sps.

 

[MarinaP]

What is the best number to be at in conjunction with calcium?

This calculator will help. It will give you balanced calcium at any given alk

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[trueblackpercula]

This calculator will help. It will give you balanced calcium at any given alk

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

Thanks Marina


Is raising my Alk to 9 ok ?

 

[CHSUB]

how are you testing no3? no3 of .03 ppm? what testing device reads that low?

 

[trueblackpercula]

I just shoot for around 9ish Alk as long as calcium is in the mid 300's or above my tank is happy. Upper 500's seems high for calc imop. I don't see the need to run it super high as long as you can maintain it at a steady level the corals will just keep pulling what they need.

I can easily get it to 9 as I use a dosing pump that's why I was asking if 9 or higher is better. The reason my calcium is high is do to a bad test kit and I have been lowering it little by little. As soon as I get to the 350 to 400 mark I will start dosing my two part again.

 

[trueblackpercula]

how are you testing no3? no3 of .03 ppm? what testing device reads that low?

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/salifert-nitrate-aquarium-test-kit.html

 

[trueblackpercula]

Here is a picture of the test kit chart

 

[sasharotty]

I use the same kit and its really hard to decipher the colors on it. That being said alk-8.6 cal-420-450 for me.

 

[Triggercdog]

For me, I keep my alk at 11 dkh and calcium around 480...awesome coraline growth, great polyp extension, growth, and coloration on all of my corals...

 

[trueblackpercula]

For me, I keep my alk at 11 dkh and calcium around 480...awesome coraline growth, great polyp extension, growth, and coloration on all of my corals...

Can you post a few pictures?
Thanks

 

[CHSUB]

you have po4 and no3 reversed, no3 = .2, po4 = .03....numbers are fine.

 

[Andyf30]

Alk 8-9, Calc 430-460, Mag >1350. Getting great growth out of sps and lps alike.

 

[joe22883]

I say try slowly bumping it up to 9-9.5 and see. Testkits are not always that accurate. If things look better then great...
I see better polyp extension when kalk dosing, raising the ph to 8.4. Do you use kalk?

Lower alk is safer for what reason idk but carbon dosing etc will burn sps in a high alk tank. I stay at 8, close to nsw.

 

[biggles]

7.5/420 in a very ULNS SPS system.

 

[MammothReefer]

Just an FYI when people are posting ALK. Remember that different tests kit brands have a HUGE variance between each other. One persons 7 might be another persons 9.