Some questions I came up with last night taking notes and doing research.
-How do I raise my pH, phosphates, calcium and alkalinity?
-Best affordable test kit for magnesium and potassium?
Suggestions welcomed 😊
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@BradMac5618
1y
This can vary alot The main things we track or dose in reef tanks is Nitrate Phosphate Alkalinity Calcium Magnesium Your Nitrates and Phosphates come from your food and fish waste. These things are not commonly added intentionally to a system unless it's a very high end tank that consumes it faster then it rises on its own. Alkalinity is very important no matter what types of corals you keep in a tank. Alkalinity controls how well your water buffers things like PH and contributes to the consumption rates of Calc, Mag, and all other elements in your tank. Calcium is more important for reefs with stoney corals. If you have LPS they will consume less of it then if you have SPS which will consume more. This we add to make sure it's present in the water column enough to allow corals to metabolize it into a skeleton. Magnesium is much the same and is consumed by all types of corals some more then others. If your newer to the hobby these as well as temperature and Salinty are the only things I would practice keeping in range. Trying to early to find the very minute traces like potassium, manganese, boron, etc will likely cause you to chase numbers and add things to your reef without understanding them and messing the balance up. If you track and dose any well known supplement line that tends to follow what your tank consumes (learn what the tank uses by testing weekly or so on) Anything like All for Reef Aquavitro: 8 4, Calcification,ions Red Sea 2 part Etc Some products like all for reef add everything in a precalculated dose. While others allow you to target the individual need. Not all tanks will consume things the same rate bc we all have different corals and growth rates! Focusing on these key elements is the foundational basics you can use to grow your knowledge and corals and decide if you want to begin tracking and tweaking the more minute traces elements in your reef! Hope this is helpful and not too much information at once.
@BradMac5618
1y
I also found the salifert test kits to be a accurate affordable starting set.
@MalEficent
1y
This!!! Great explanation. I’m still new to the hobby but sums up a lot of what I’ve learned. I use the Salifert testing kits and they are easier than the API and more accurate and very easy to read. Love them without having to pay $70 a pop for Hanna’s
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I’ve had good success with just dosing All for Reef. Just make sure you’re testing water parameters so you dose according to what your tank is using
Does that have copper in it? I seen a post somewhere that said it did and I’ve read that copper can kill your inverts. Is there instructions for smaller tanks? Mines a 30 gallon
It does contain copper, but at low levels that should not bother inverts