Just started dosing BRS Calc, Alk, Mag

[Zeal]

Stability is the key. If you can test daily so you see what your daily consumption is this way you can start dosing daily then when you get your doser down the road it will just add to your stability but spreading the dosings out over more time. WWC corals have be living in rock solid stable tanks so they are just upset with the tank change you’ll be fine tho.

Well now that I’m dosing I’m obsessed with testing every couple hours lol

 

[Joe Batt]

Ca test weekly, Mg rest Weekly, Kh test daily.
Don’t chase numbers remember the test kits are hobby grade and are thus inaccurate. Your testing will be inaccurate since it will be slightly different each time. Look for trends and correct those.

 

[Hitman]

No need to test every few hours you’ll just wast your testing materials. Pick a time of your day you know your free and stick with it every day. Test CA and Alk no need to test Mg every day ever in my mind. Once you have had the same results for a few days you know you have found your tanks needs with your dosing. I then changed to checking Alk everyother day and CA to once a week. After I did that for 2 months with stable results I went to Alk every 4 days and Ca every two weeks and MG every other month.

 

[Zeal]

Ca test weekly, Mg rest Weekly, Kh test daily.
Don’t chase numbers remember the test kits are hobby grade and are thus inaccurate. Your testing will be inaccurate since it will be slightly different each time. Look for trends and correct those.

Well now I’m obsessed with keeping my alk as stable as possible. How much of a daily swing is “ok” until I get this dosing pump

 

[Zeal]

Ca test weekly, Mg rest Weekly, Kh test daily.
Don’t chase numbers remember the test kits are hobby grade and are thus inaccurate. Your testing will be inaccurate since it will be slightly different each time. Look for trends and correct those.

Understood I do a water change every Sunday so this Sunday let’s say after the WC my alk is 8.6 and I want 9.0 I’ll dose to 9 and try and hold that all week and check alk every day at the same time?

 

[Hitman]

You should dose your water mix to the levels you want before adding it to the tank not after. So if the parameters you keep in your tank are for example:
Salinity 1.026
Ca 440 ppm
Alk 8 dkh
Mg 1350
Then you test your new saltwater mix and adjust it to this parameters then add to your tank. This is how you keep it stable.

 

[Joe Batt]

To keep things nice and simple, especially at the start, test a newly mixed batch of water. Use that as a baseline for your Kh, (providing its in the range of 7-11 which it should be) That way when you do your weekly water change, if you have managed to keep the kH stable all week, the water change won't affect it. If your wanting to keep the tank at a higher kH than the freshly minted water, then add kH to the freshly mixed water before you add it to the tank. That way you shouldn't really effect anything.

There is much debate on the daily/hourly/weekly etc etc kH swing that is acceptable. It also depends on the coral types you keep. Softies are the most tolerant of swings, LPS less so and SPS tend to be intolerant of much of a swing at all. Try to test the kH at the same time each day, since it does vary throughout the day. Not hugely so but it does. I would aim for less than 1 dKh per day and preferably less than 0.5 dKh. That takes time and patience. Every time you do something to your tank the kH will vary, thats why you shouldn't obsess about the numbers and let it be. Adjust to trends not to a specific reading.

 

[Zeal]

To keep things nice and simple, especially at the start, test a newly mixed batch of water. Use that as a baseline for your Kh, (providing its in the range of 7-11 which it should be) That way when you do your weekly water change, if you have managed to keep the kH stable all week, the water change won't affect it. If your wanting to keep the tank at a higher kH than the freshly minted water, then add kH to the freshly mixed water before you add it to the tank. That way you shouldn't really effect anything.

There is much debate on the daily/hourly/weekly etc etc kH swing that is acceptable. It also depends on the coral types you keep. Softies are the most tolerant of swings, LPS less so and SPS tend to be intolerant of much of a swing at all. Try to test the kH at the same time each day, since it does vary throughout the day. Not hugely so but it does. I would aim for less than 1 dKh per day and preferably less than 0.5 dKh. That takes time and patience. Every time you do something to your tank the kH will vary, thats why you shouldn't obsess about the numbers and let it be. Adjust to trends not to a specific reading.

Will do makes sense. I have a mixed reef no Acros yet but lots of LPS love em..

What would be an ideal range for alk and calc from your experience? I’ve read for mixed reef it should be a bit higher then usual

 

[Joe Batt]

I would suggest around the 8 dKh mark and 420-440 Ca. Reasons are that you don't want to be below 7 dKh and at the 8 dKh you have a margin for test kit error, plus user error, plus the odd mistake. The higher dKh ranges can also be less forgiving of nutrient mistakes. The Ocean is also around the 7-8 dKh mark plus most salts (except the specialist 'Pro' salts) mix up around the 8 dKh area.

Don't worry if it 8 or 7.9 or 8.2, its not important the exact number the important part is that you keep it in the range of where it is.

 

[Zeal]

I would suggest around the 8 dKh mark and 420-440 Ca. Reasons are that you don't want to be below 7 dKh and at the 8 dKh you have a margin for test kit error, plus user error, plus the odd mistake. The higher dKh ranges can also be less forgiving of nutrient mistakes. The Ocean is also around the 7-8 dKh mark plus most salts (except the specialist 'Pro' salts) mix up around the 8 dKh area.

Don't worry if it 8 or 7.9 or 8.2, its not important the exact number the important part is that you keep it in the range of where it is.

So just did a WC,

Salt 1.025
Alk 8.5
Calc 350
Mag 1410

Gonna try and hold these numbers all week I’ll be testing every morning

I also use Red Sea Pro 5g every week

 

[Joe Batt]

Red Sea Pro salt has a very high dKh, (something like 11.5 if I remember correctly) I personally found that it was too high for me and now use the Red Sea Blue bucket....(normal one). If you do water changes with the Pro you will elevate the kH each time you do the water change.

Your parameters:-

I would go for 35 ppt as opposed to 1.025 Sg. I use ppt for various reasons that you will find on the internet, but its not a big deal either way.

Your Ca is a little on the low side. Dose it up daily over a week to get it to the 420-440 range.

Mg is a little high but nothing to worry about .

Kh perfect. Aim to keep it there or there about's. Don't obsess on the number and don't chase it

 

[Zeal]

Red Sea Pro salt has a very high dKh, (something like 11.5 if I remember correctly) I personally found that it was too high for me and now use the Red Sea Blue bucket....(normal one). If you do water changes with the Pro you will elevate the kH each time you do the water change.

Your parameters:-

I would go for 35 ppt as opposed to 1.025 Sg. I use ppt for various reasons that you will find on the internet, but its not a big deal either way.

Your Ca is a little on the low side. Dose it up daily over a week to get it to the 420-440 range.

Mg is a little high but nothing to worry about .

Kh perfect. Aim to keep it there or there about's. Don't obsess on the number and don't chase it

Holy typo, Calc was 450***************

Ill check my parameters tonight to see where its at. And dose accordingly.

Im gonna strive the rest of the week to hold 8.6 alk

 

[Joe Batt]

450 is much better Ca and Mg will change very slowly Kh fluctuates much more.

 

[Zeal]

450 is much better Ca and Mg will change very slowly Kh fluctuates much more.

Got home, tested not much changed. Ill recheck in the morning and dose accordingly.

Thx for all the help.

 

[Zeal]

Checked calc and all this morning nothing changed... weird...

 

[Joe Batt]

Checked calc and all this morning nothing changed... weird...

Calc changes very slowly. You really shouldn’t find it drops much at all. Mg the same. Kh will change day to day (even hour to hour) but if your dosing correctly it shouldn’t change much.

Test Kh daily, Ca and Mg weekly, there is no point in more often it just waists test reagent and makes you chase numbers