chasing numbers

[sergifed91]

even though I'm new. everyone tells me don't chase numbers. just use your eyes. so that's what I do. but are there any numbers that you do chase. I still chase the nitrates, magnesium, calcium and alk. not so much PH. any more. On occasion I test for ammonia but I don't freak out about it. since I know there be lowered on them selves. like yesterday I tested it and it was at 0.25. tested again in the evening and 0 ppm. so no worries. although nitrates are a little high. I say at 10. will do a water change on Friday. I don't do a wc every week. more like every 2 weeks. even then the water is not even high enough to be changed yet but I do it.

 

[HotRocks]

How old is your tank?

Nitrate @ 10ppm, may not be abnormal at all.

 

[Montiman]

My goal has always been to match my tanks parameters to that of newly mixed saltwater. This lets me do big water changes without concern.

I also feel there is a difference between chasing parameters and maintaining stability. It is often more difficult to maintain a stable nitrate level of 10 than it is to maintain a level of near 0.

 

[Eastlake]

Not chasing numbers is great advice. Are there days where your corals look super fluffy or for some reason they look more amazing today than they did all last week? Check your numbers then and shoot for that. I learned a long time ago that SPS in my tank hate alk above 7.5 but a lot of people here keep beautiful sps tanks at 8.2 and above, I tried that and got stn like crazy.

 

[sergifed91]

my biggest thing I would like to raise my ph to 8.0 or 8.2. it's stuck at 7.8 ppm. I'm going to run my air hose to the skimmer to the out side and then put a air stone at the end of it to keep the ants and other desirables out of it. that should raise it a little. where I should be happier with the results. even though its a little bit of a distance about 25 to 30 feet. it should still work hopefully.