Help getting started towards keeping corals???

[K_Tibbs70]

Hi everyone!

I've been keeping a fish-only tank for several years now, with fair to decent luck. I'm looking to start getting into corals & inverts. I decided to start of by just trying to get coralline algae to grow in the tank. Just this past friday, I did a 10 gallon water change, added 13 pounds live rock with a good amount of coralline on it on top of my existing base rock, and over the course of the next 2 days have added 2 to 3 teaspoons of reef builder, reef advantage calcium, and 5 teaspoons of reef advantage magneseum in the top-off water ( not at the same time, mind you. a different buffer with each water addition). I need some advice on exactly how I should go about this process. It appears that a good portion of the coralline on one rock near a powerhead has turned white already. I bought a seachem alk & ph test kit, and a calcium test kit, and to be honest, I'm not sure how to read the results. I know that on the alk test it took me 20 drops to change from bue to yellow, and you divide the # of drops by 2, but what does that tell you? the calcium test took about the same amount of drops to complete. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful. The tank is a 55 gallon with a 10 gal wet/dry sump and an Excalibur hang-on skimmer and a Customsealife powercompact light fixture with 4 65-watt bulbs( 2 white, 2 actinic) and 4 moon lights.Thanks!!

Kenny

[Bruce]

Hmm well with that size tank u should get a supp test kit for all the supps...and then it will take time to get all the levels up...because of course u cannot add them all at once but...u will need iodine (proably lugals solution is the best, just 2 drops a week) calcium, stontium molybitiom lol sry bout spelling...and if u want to get trace u can but that can be done with water changes...

o wait, is the tank u r setting up for reef have fish or anything in it...if not u can put alot more supps at once other wise it will just take time to get up...

[FragOutpost]

It seems like you are adding alot of supplements very quickly. I would suggest starting off dosing 1/4 - 1/2 of the recommended dose and work your way up slowly to full strength. As with everything in this hobby - slow and steady is the key to success.

Nitrates and phosphates will slow coraline growth. You will probably experience some degree of die off with the new live rock you added. So just keep up the water changes.

Coraline grows quickly in areas of high flow, so for faster growth maybe add another powerhead.

Other than that is seems as if you are on the right track. Just remember to take it slow and your patience will be rewarded.

[Birdlady]

Hello Kenny!

I also use the seachem test kits and am upgrading to Salifert as I run out. I found the Seachem pH test kit difficult to read. Run the control solution and read it to see if you are reading correctly. I was discerning 1-2 points off with that. (low).

The alkalinity looks good. With the info you give, 20 drops divided by 2 = 10 dKh. That is good.

Calcium kit is not calculated by drops. Read the directions again You need to add the correct amt of tank water, plus the pink vial full of ro/di or distilled water. Add the powder, 1 level scoop after 30 seconds . Then fill the syringe all the way to the 1 marking. Then, you don't need to count the drops. When it turns true blue (it will go purple and then 1 more drop should turn it blue) the read what is left in the syringe and look at the given chart on the directions for your reading. You want it to be around 400-450.

Also, get a magnesium test kit. Check that as well. It should be around 1300-1400. If Magnesium is not high enough, you won't be able to keep the calcium up either no matter how much you add.

The one rule I will give is , if you are putting in a supplement, make sure you TEST for it. You can oversaturate you water and cause all of it to precipitate out, causing what looks like a snow storm in the tank.

I would not put all those other additives in until you decide what you need, based on what you want to keep. It is also possible to retain all trace elements with a good salt and water changes if that is the route you choose to take.

You probably won't be able to keep SPS (small polyp stony) corals with the lighting you have.

You can start with soft corals (xenia, star polyps are pretty easy) and maybe some large polyp stonies that don't need intense lighting.

What types of corals do you like and are you thinking about getting?

Also, if you go to your Profile and edit the Sig box, you can add your tank details and it will show each time you post to help us help you!

Sorry, it would appear that I have rambled on a bit...

[hoodoo]

well, my calcium test is done with drops. It's pretty standart where I am. There it is 20 per drop. So you would be around 400 which is not too bad.

[Birdlady]

Hoodoo, Oh, OK... thanks!....I thought all the seachems ran the same? He is good at 400, I agree!