Alk and SPS

[SifuMemphis]

I have a 49 gallon tank with 30 gallon sump, and in this tank, I have about 20 SPS frags I received over the last 2 months.

I know that SPS corals love alk, but it seems that I only dose about 1 ML per day to keep it around 9.5-10, with a 5 gallon weekly water change.

How long does it normally take SPS to settle in, and start draining alk/calc?

Everything is looking great so far, with pretty good PE.

Does it normally take weeks for SPS to finally settle in, before using up nutrients?

 

[Acro-night]

How young is the tank and what are your other parameters?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

1 mL of what?

 

[SifuMemphis]

How young is the tank and what are your other parameters?

Tank has been up for several months.

PH 8.1-8.2
Alk- 9.5
Calc 420
Phos 0
Nitrates 5ppm

Tank is extremely stable, and parameters are on spot.

 

[SifuMemphis]

1 mL of what?

I dose 1ML of 2 part Alk and Calc by B-ionic

This is set up with my bubble magnus auto doser

 

[hinovak]

I would give it a little time, once they start encrusting and growing, you will notice a increase in usage. Are you dosing mag? If not, I would probably start monitoring that as well. Good luck!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I dose 1ML of 2 part Alk and Calc by B-ionic

This is set up with my bubble magnus auto doser

OK, that's certainly isn't much demand.

I agree that I'd give it time, but are you feeding that tank at all?

 

[Acro-night]

It could take a lot longer. I have had a 1 inch frag of strawberry shortcake in my tank for eight months and it has done nothing. No loss or gain in color and absolutely no growth. Then I have a Nother frag from the same colony growing like wildfire 3 inches away. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason.

 

[SifuMemphis]

I would give it a little time, once they start encrusting and growing, you will notice a increase in usage. Are you dosing mag? If not, I would probably start monitoring that as well. Good luck!

My Mag has been stable at 1400, so dosing wasn't really needed.

OK, that's certainly isn't much demand.

I agree that I'd give it time, but are you feeding that tank at all?

Yeah, I feed the tank every other day... Phytofeast, Oyster feast, reef roids, reef chili, etc etc. (all on different days, to switch it up) They have their feeders out, and all SPS look pretty happy.

Tank currently has 2x Radion Xr30 pros over it hanging 8" above water line, at 50%, acliminating up to 55% over 6 weeks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree I'd just wait and watch.

 

[SifuMemphis]

I agree I'd just wait and watch.

Awesome Thanks everyone

 

[NanaReefer]

A watched pot never boils [emoji12] My corals only grow when I'm not looking-lol.

 

[hinovak]

Are they all looking healthy and happy? If so, I would not change a thing until you notice changes in your chemistry. Sometimes it can take forever for sps to take off. It always seems like in my tank, the acros that are ehhh.. Grow like crazy, and out compete everything, and the ones I love take forever...I guess that can explain some of the cost of high end acros..if they were easy and grew super fast. They would not cost so much...I made the mistake in the beginning of always being knee jerk about things I read online, and thinking oh if I don't do this or that, I will not have success. Fast forward to now, I have realized there are people on here that do nothing the same as me, and have success. Really, if you watch parameters and keep up with water changes, you are doing allot more than the average reefer. The fact you have 20 plus frags of sps and have not had massive losses is a great sign you are doing something right.