Screwgunner
Valuable Member
Well, I have my alkalinity stable at 8.5 is this good or bad? Do not have a heavy calcium load for corals yet. Still holding off on sps. I have one montipora that is doing great growing slow . Have a couple spots of coraline algae starting finally one about the size of a dime and the other one is very small but growing . After alkalinity is stable what should I look for next. I know I have to keep ph and phosphate at good levels. So, I am running 120 total gallons with ats 150 protein skimmer, a reactor with 3 tablespoons phosgaurd and 7 tablespoons carbon. Ph =8.2 nitrates undetectable phosphate = .02 temp= 78 mag 1300 alkalinity = 8.5. I do add seachems plus twice a week for amino acids and trace. I am trying to get away with out water changes . For now I am doing 5 gallons on the week end . To adjust salinity I am at 1.024 will hold at 1.025 calcium is 490 . I change carbon and phosgaurd every 2 weeks still trying to get phosphates stable . If I feed flake food it will climb to .07 and go down slowly over time . So I only feed flake 1 or 2 times a week and stick to frozen. My chromis had a bad gash on his side and the others picked on him a lot . But he looks to be 100% now. 7 chromis 2 clarkii clowns 1 foxface 1 Yellow tang 1 neon goby 1 six line . Hand full of snails. Ordered from California to Indiana few didn't make the ride . I am putting a half teaspoon of reef builder in my make up water jugs that are one gallon jugs my tanks evaporation is 1 gallon a day. Give or take alittle on the weather. That has me stable on my alkalinity.
This is my third go at a reef tank over the years and have learned what not to do. Just trying to do the best I can this time around. So far its looking good . The big turbo snails like pushing stuff all around keeps me busy.
My rock was cycled in a trash can for 4 months be for I started the tank up so,rock has been cycled for 8 months in the tank for 5 months .
This is my third go at a reef tank over the years and have learned what not to do. Just trying to do the best I can this time around. So far its looking good . The big turbo snails like pushing stuff all around keeps me busy.
My rock was cycled in a trash can for 4 months be for I started the tank up so,rock has been cycled for 8 months in the tank for 5 months .
