Adding My First Corals

[Ippyroy]

I will receive my first corals in a few days. I will also be receiving the BRS alk and calcium setup as well. My current alk is at 6.5 on Hanna Checker. Would it be OK to up the alk quickly before I add any corals to the tank? I have 2 fish and snails in the tanks right now. I know that usually only small changes are prefered, but wouldn't be better to quickly raise alk and calcium before adding the corals. It shouldn't affect the fish nor the snails. I also added a couple of bottles of coraline algae 4 weeks ago. TIA

 

[andrewey]

What alkalinity are you targeting? If you have a few days, you actually have enough time to raise it to a decent level slowly.

I would first confirm the number from your hanna was accurate- that probably is the most important step with an alkalinity below 7. I usually don't raise my alkalinity by more than 0.5 a day when I need to make changes- if you were to do this, you could have an alkalinity of 8 by the time the coral arrived. Obviously since you don't have any coral (assuming you don't have any other sensitive creatures in the tank), you could get away with a larger raise, but that still brings up the question of what number you are targeting?

I'm also curious what your water change schedule is like? Do you have a lot of coraline algae/preciptation on your equipment/sand or calcifying organisms present? Assuming it's a true value and you just added coraline algae additives, I'm curious what is using up your alkalinity in what I assume is a relatively new tank (is that a safe assumption?)

 

[homer1475]

Agreed with above, while a large upswing won't be detrimental if there is currently no coral, I would be curious what number your targeting?

Have you tested a new batch of mixed up SW? In a new tank with no coral, until coralline really starts to take off, WC's usually are enough to supplement the "big 3".

 

[AcroNem]

I agree with the above as well, and will echo that a good water change should raise it from 6.5 if that number is accurate. You can raise it .5-1.0 each day but I've run systems at 7-8 so it doesn't have to go that far. It's not so much about the number exactly but how stable it is.

 

[Ippyroy]

I have been 6.5 for the month that the tank has been running. I do a 10% water change once a week. I am using Tropic Marin Bio Activ salt mix. I just want to get around 7.5. Not really targeting any specific number, I just know that I low. I haven't worried about it so far due to no corals as of yet. I will switching to the TM ReefPro in about a month.

 

[homer1475]

With nothing in the tank, the 1DKH jump would be fine.

Just use a calculator to determine how much to add. This one inpeticular I have used for years. For the BRS 2 part solutions, just choose Randy's recipe 1 as that is what their chems are based off.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[homer1475]

FWIW.....

No need to change salts(if your happy with your current brand), just supplement your fresh mix before adding it to the tank.

 

[andrewey]

I very much suspect your test results are faulty. I would start there. You can buy/make a standard to confirm your hanna results are accurate and that it isn't a user error/expired reagent situation. Another option would be to bring your water to a LFS for them to test, buy another test kit to confirm your results, etc.

 

[Ippyroy]

FWIW.....

No need to change salts(if your happy with your current brand), just supplement your fresh mix before adding it to the tank.

The plan was to switch. I cycled with IO in a brute for 4 months. Then cycled in tank with TM bio activ to help the bacteria. Bucket almost done. It seemed to work great. Accidentally overdosed ammonia to almost 3 and it was gone in 30 hours but it mixes cloudy.

 

[homer1475]

And I have used IO nearly all my reefing career.

We're all different, use what you like. Was just throwing that out there if matching parameters was the only reason for switching.

 

[Ippyroy]

I will be setting up a larger tank in the fall and I will actually have time to work on it. I am working 80 hours a week right now with only one day off. I want to use the easiest salt I can. trying to figure out dosing will be hard with my schedule. Most likely I will switch to IO this winter. It is so much cheaper and easily available, but I am not sure how to adjust the parameters right now.

 

[X-37B]

Before I setup my carx I dosed 2 part once a day.
The swing was 1dkh and their was no issues.
I agree a .5 dkh increase a day is good.
You need to pick a range to keep your alk at and strive to keep it their.
My range is 7-7.5 and my tank has run within that range for 4+ months since lowering my range from 8-8.5.