My field's been in engineering and advising / management consulting. What's the biggest thing clients hate? Some person in a dang "suite" coming in saying: "Your strategy and implementation aren't correct. I know X, Y, and Z and such and such." If it's worked in a few systems, it can work in yours. It depends on the client.
"It depends on the rest of the system."
I would disagree with
@Reef-Masters on one piece: for longterm quarantine,
I've kept all sorts of corals and other animals, including Acropora in sterile water. The key levers were: consistency, flow, and lighting. Austin Lefevre reiterated the same point in several MACNA talks, paraphrased as
"You can keep coral in a bucket as long as there are correct flow and lighting", and of course, water parameters. To be sure, there's no water more "over skimmed" (to use
@reef-Master's term) than that, unless they're referring to the: other goodies in the water, as well as the .. how to say,
je ne sais quois of the water. Let's ignore that for a moment:
To further
@Rouxdog's point, there is an entire buffet of methodologies that may be employed. For instance, OP has a tested alk of 6 dKH. That's low, albeit acceptable, for me, and some of my R2R peeps, but not others: and while
@ReefQueen82 recommended 8 as the ideal, I would say 8 is good for certain methodologies but bad for others (
"It depends on the rest of the system."). When I first entered the hobby (also decades ago, but who cares), I used at least a 9. Now, I use reduced very low nitrates and phosphates balanced with the KZ-recommended 6.5 to 8 dKH range (my set point is 7 dKH). 8 dKH is not bad unless the methodology you've selected is incompatible with that alkalinity.
@Randy Holmes-Farley has written quite exceptional works discussing alkalinity and other factors. If you wish to "TL;DR him", which I would dissuade you from doing (understanding the logic, the why, is truly helpful, rather than simply asking someone to provide the Cliff Notes to his work), then at least consult his charts as well as this pithy bit:
Jason Fox: we chat at MACNA one year: (paraphrased) 'Less alk? Less nutrients, less lighting. More alk? More nutrients, more lighting.' Application? Black Bucket plus 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates equal "you're gonna have a bad time."
This is my proposed implementation strategy. Key takeaways: (1) Different strategies will work. (2) Pick an actionable strategy. Don't promise yourself you'll exercise 7 days a week if this entire QT period you've never so much as jogged in place: so don't centre a strategy on a facet that will lead you to failure because of inconsistent execution.
Implementation:
- Select a methodology that appeals to you based on what you can and will do (e.g., high alk for fast growth, KZ/ZEOvit System). Consider this with due diligence, as this forms the basis of quite a few other things; latter changes will effect unnecessary costs and potentially adverse outcomes. Want to go KZ after you've already built out that Triton system .. how unfortunate of you.
- Select a salt mix with parameters that are aligned to the methodology you've selected. Like the high alk strategy? Black Bucket might be for you. Like KZ? Tropic Marin Pro Sea Salt might be the thing.
- Determine realistic and actionable goals for nitrate, phosphate, amino acids, solid coral foods, &c that are aligned to the methodology and the alkalinity, and execute those goals with the methodology selected (e.g., carbon dosing, AWC, algae scrubbing, DSB, 100% water changes, de-nitrators). How big your target (tolerance) is will be based on the animals selected. How difficult to hit that target (how realistic the goal) will be based on factors including personal skillset, experience, equipment and due diligence.
- Determine and execute a flow strategy consistent with the corals you wish to keep, independent of steps 1-3.
- Determine and execute the lighting strategy aligned to the methodology and alkalinity.
- Maintain consistency in these and do not deviate on items 1 thru 3 except to provide relief to distressed animals or to improve upon their health, but with the understanding that changes may in the short term be detrimental to their health.
lol
Simple scientific fact?
It sounds like a simple opinion without any supporting evidence.
What evidence do you have that overskimming is "common"?
What evidence do you have that anyone anywhere has actually overskimmed a reef tank?
What exactly do you think is the negative symptom of overskimming?
I am not saying you aren't correct but I do know that in the 25+ years I have had reef tanks "simple facts" sure have changed a lot.
