Help me get ready for SPS - 3 Big problems.

The parameters are on top of the Red Sea coral pro salt. I think cal is 450, alk is 12.2 and mag is 1350. But that salt is used for growth. I test my freshly made water and add the big three to match my tank parameters. That's how I keep my tank stable. But then again I'm using the Red Sea coral salt which those parameters are lower than the pro salt. Also the parameters for the coral salt are for colors of your corals. I found this out the hard way and was ending up with your same parameters until I talked to the rep of Red Sea. Just giving you a heads up.

 

Thanks. Its not that expensive to get the Red Sea stuff. And I think that would be better quality than any DIY stuff I could come up with lol. But if I did know the exact ingredients I could make up solutions at work (Medical Research Laboratory) and bring them home. Benefit of this is they would be medical grade too.

Thanks I will definately turn my LED levels down. There are currently at 100%.

I did use biopellets a while back. But I never got the right flow. Im looking into a reef octopus reactor and a nice big pump to get them churning.

I have an iodine supplement but I have stopped dosing that completely as I think it contributed to some of my inverts dying.

But it would still be good to have more of the elements in the salt than not in the salt?

 

Day 4 results:

Ca: 450
Alk: 9.0
Mg: 1320

These are the result of dosing supplements last night. I will continue to add alittle bit more Ca and a little bit more Mg.

 

I, too, would prefer to use only what's made for aquariums.

That's one of the main reasons for failure for new LED owners. Some start around 20% and let their corals tell them when they need more light.

Unless you're testing for iodide and maintaining NSW levels, I wouldn't recommend dosing it at all. It is all too easy to OD your tank.

If you are supplementing the make-up water to match your tank's parameters (recommended), then it doesn't really matter. A lot of long-timers use plain IO for the stability and consistency, then dose everything to where they need it.

 

The article I posted is explicitly dealing with dosing saltwater tanks... I would recommend BRS (Bulk Reef Supply) for the dosing DIY chemicals, but I'm not sure how that would work with you being in Australia.

 

Only the measurable elements. I had to get the colors pro test kit just to see where my other elements were only to find out my iodide and potassium were spot on and zero iron. So now I have added another dosing regime now and once my iron gets to safe levels I will eventually have to start dosing the other two.

 

so Ryan, do you have it figured out? It sounds like you're on a good path. How is the sps that you have in the tank doing?

 

Not sure im quite on the road yet.

Today I came home to my elegance coral and hammer coral looking quite retracted and ill.

Last night I turned the LED power down from 100% to 60%. Levels are still holding nicely where I want them.

Is it possible there is something going on aside from parameters and light?

 

There is much going on besides parameters and light. Much of it we will never understand. I'm not much if an LPS expert, but I understand it is difficult to maintain conditions favorable to both SPS and LPS.

 

could be your LPS are just getting used to the dosing and changes in light....you've had alittle bit of swings there with raising your levels and such.....