I do api but I’ve been bring it to my LFS as of late as o don’t trust my judgement
I have the basics
Nitrates
Nitrites
Ammonia
Phosphate
Calcium
Silicate
I have a refractometer
What else should I get?
My calcium has been high 400s closer to 500
My alkalinity has been kind of low closer to seven not quite sure why and to be honest with you I don’t want to start dosing if I don’t have to. I do run an ATO system my LFS said that after I do my water change today to turn off my ATO system and top it off with salt water that should hopefully raise my salinity which is also been running around 1.023 lately which hopefully will increase my Alkalinity.
Your calcium is fine at that level. I keep mine at 460 and had it up close to 500 for a while for not sure of the reason cuz I wasn't dosing it at the time (obviously no need). You'll definitely have to dose alkalinity especially if you have hard corals like the Candies. Alkalinity is probably one of the most added elements into a reef tank along with magnesium. Almost everything requires it to grow as their hard rock like bodies use alkalinity, calcium and magnesium to flourish. Enough water changes with a good salt can help to keep the levels where you want them but not always. Different salts have different alkalinity levels, magnesium, Calcium and other trace elements. Some salts have Trace elements others don't. So it's just good to test and have the additives in case.
That is correct about raising your salinity. I would just not be afraid to test it several times to make sure it's getting there. You could always mix up a small Dixie cup of extra salty water and add that but just be cautious not to make it go to High. Just test it after even if you have to test it 10 times. Also give the water time to mix into the system and make sure the salt is dissolved so you're not pouring a bunch of particles into your tank. I keep mine between 1.024 and 1.025 so you're not very far from it. Again having a refractometer makes it very easy and accurate to test. Make sure your refractometer is calibrated as well. I re-calibrate mine once a month with Brightwell Aquatics calibrating solution. They will come uncalibrated overtime so it's important.
As far as test kits go I would definitely get a magnesium & alkalinity test kit. Magnesium is very important as it helps to buffer the balance between calcium and alkalinity and allows corals to absorb it. You want to keep your magnesium around 1350 ppm. Other people will tell you different levels higher certainly not much lower but that's where I keep mine and a very good success. It is going to cost a little bit of money but I would suggest investing in some "real test kits". Redsea, Salifert, or Nyos. ATIs just aren't very accurate. I use Redsea for most of mine Salifert for the one that Redsea doesn't make like Strontium and I have 3 digital Hanna Checkers for alkalinity, phosphates and nitrites (that I use to test iodine with the Red Sea iodine reagents, it's a little hack a scientist found). As far as dosing goes you are definitely going to have to start to dose alkalinity at some point. You can keep alkalinity anywhere between 8 and 11 dkh. I run my tank at 9.5. Correct alkalinity will also help to buffer your PH.
Any more questions keep them coming! I dos about 20 different things into my tank. It's certainly not necessary but my tank definitely shows the extra attention and care. I dose things like iodine, strontium, iron, amino acids and vitamins for corals, boron, potassium, beneficial bacteria, bio fuel and a handful of others. I am strictly Brightwell Aquatics, it's just my personal choice. Love their stuff.
