LPS beginner question

[LukeSivyer45]

Now I know alot of people who would say no but my lfs has a discount on some euphyllia for a really good price. Ive only kept softies for about 5 weeks. I do not have any calcium or magnesium test kits so this is the problem. Do I buy it and do monthly water changes until christmas when I can get testers and dosing equipment or leave it? The frag is about 1 inch diameter.

 

[Oldsman]

Depending on the euphyllia , weekly water changes can be enough . They like stable parameters, and use alk and mag pretty steady..mine hardly use calcium at all. Keep up w normal maint

 

[LukeSivyer45]

Depending on the euphyllia , weekly water changes can be enough . They like stable parameters, and use alk and mag pretty steady..mine hardly use calcium at all. Keep up w normal maint

Would weekly roughly 30% waterchanges be enough?

 

[Cell]

Instead of planning on doing 3x water changes until Xmas, use the money you would have spent on all that extra salt and buy some test kits. Salifert Ca+ is less than $20.

 

[Oldsman]

Honestly I do 10 percent , unless something seems way off then ill do more . Most lfs shops can test your water to for the main elements then advise dosing.
What type lps are you looking at

 

[LukeSivyer45]

Honestly I do 10 percent , unless something seems way off then ill do more . Most lfs shops can test your water to for the main elements then advise dosing.
What type lps are you looking at

I forgot what type of euphyllia, i think if I remember it was a green and purple hammer or torch. They also had candy canes but Im not sure about those.

 

[dedragon]

what is the tank size, for smaller tanks its much easier to just keep up the water changes. Euphylia arent too hard just need a good water source (for most rodi) moderate flow, and good lighting.
Also the most important tests for coral would be alkalinity, and calcium. Good to have tests for nitrate, phosphate and magnesium as well with corals

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would suggest not to sweat the test kits so early in the game, daily testing and dosing is not needed IMO for a few beginner lps frags. Everything your corals need will be replenished in water changes. Just don't spend too much on the corals, just get some tester frags, that way if it doesn't work you don't lose much. It will give you a good indication of how your tank is doing.

 

[reefinatl]

Weekly or biweekly 10-20% waterchanges will work to keep a basic LPS tank healthy and growing. Not to say close monitoring of everything and dosing to keep things rock solid won't get better growth and color but there are thousands of LPS tanks that do just fine with minimal care.

 

[Goaway]

If you have no sps or lps already, the depletion of cal - alk - and mag is going to be very minimal, the water change on your part would be to remove excess nutrients. Nitrates and phosphates.
Depending on your tank size, 1 euphyllia isn't going to up your needs on a water change. 10% every other week would probably work, unless you have a heavy fish stock.
Take a water sample to your lfs and have them test your water. But do buy the test kits. You will spend a lot of money with a 30% weekly water change.

 

[LukeSivyer45]

If you have no sps or lps already, the depletion of cal - alk - and mag is going to be very minimal, the water change on your part would be to remove excess nutrients. Nitrates and phosphates.
Depending on your tank size, 1 euphyllia isn't going to up your needs on a water change. 10% every other week would probably work, unless you have a heavy fish stock.
Take a water sample to your lfs and have them test your water. But do buy the test kits. You will spend a lot of money with a 30% weekly water change.

I mean I have 2 clowns in the 9 gallon along with 3 nassarius, 1 trochus, a blood red fire shrimp and 2 sexy shrimp. Would it be worth waiting until christmas to get the hannah checkers or get red sea or salifert? I just keep getting alot of recommendations for hannah but they are quite high priced. Edit: I use red sea blue bucket? Or just there standard salt

 

[SPR1968]

I mean I have 2 clowns in the 9 gallon along with 3 nassarius, 1 trochus, a blood red fire shrimp and 2 sexy shrimp. Would it be worth waiting until christmas to get the hannah checkers or get red sea or salifert? I just keep getting alot of recommendations for hannah but they are quite high priced. Edit: I use red sea blue bucket? Or just there standard salt

The Hanna testers are expensive, I use the alkalinity one, but you could get a different kit, like Red Sea, Salifert, I use NYOS for everything other than alkalinity and there not expensive in the scheme of things

If you trying to get away with just water changes, take a look at the Red Sea Coral Pro salt as the elements are raised and its ideal for this type of situation as 10% water changes will replenish most elements back to acceptable levels.

Ultimately you need to get some test kits as the key to keeping a reef tank is stable parameters, just think of yourself as a ‘keeper of water’ and if you can do that you should be fine,

 

[LukeSivyer45]

The Hanna testers are expensive, I use the alkalinity one, but you could get a different kit, like Red Sea, Salifert, I use NYOS for everything other than alkalinity and there not expensive in the scheme of things

If you trying to get away with just water changes, take a look at the Red Sea Coral Pro salt as the elements are raised and its ideal for this type of situation as 10% water changes will replenish most elements back to acceptable levels.

Ultimately you need to get some test kits as the key to keeping a reef tank is stable parameters, just think of yourself as a ‘keeper of water’ and if you can do that you should be fine,

Ok I will definitely get test kits then coral. Im not trying to challenge anyone but how do people like World Wide Corals keep pico and 20 gallons packed with sps, lps and softies and only do monthly or weekly waterchanges without dosing? Is there salt levels just elevated or something?

 

[SPR1968]

Ok I will definitely get test kits then coral. Im not trying to challenge anyone but how do people like World Wide Corals keep pico and 20 gallons packed with sps, lps and softies and only do monthly or weekly waterchanges without dosing? Is there salt levels just elevated or something?

They ‘probably’ have the tanks linked together into one system who knows, (there also experts at it) but if you use something like Coral Pro you probably can. I believe that’s what it was originally designed for to maintain acceptable parameters with simple 10% water changes in smallish tanks

 

[LukeSivyer45]

They ‘probably’ have the tanks linked together into one system who knows, (there also experts at it) but if you use something like Coral Pro you probably can. I believe that’s what it was originally designed for to maintain acceptable parameters with simple 10% water changes

I would want to finish my blue bucket first before I move to the pro, I don’t want to leave and forget about it which is quite a common thing for me. Its the small bucket with about half the salt left.

 

[Goaway]

Ok I will definitely get test kits then coral. Im not trying to challenge anyone but how do people like World Wide Corals keep pico and 20 gallons packed with sps, lps and softies and only do monthly or weekly waterchanges without dosing? Is there salt levels just elevated or something?

Lots and lots of dosing alk - cal- mag - trace elements.

Also, I wouldn't worry about hana checkers if you can read tests yourself. Some are difficult to read.
Keep away from api, there calcium test isn't so bad though. It's usually pretty accurate. Redsea and saliferts kits are fine to be honest. Maybe a phosphate checker from hana.