Parameters good but... Corals not

[anthonygf]

I am using API and you are not the first or second person to say that. What kit should I use?

Hanna Phosphorous ULR. Red Sea Magnesium. Salifert for Nitrate, alkalinity and calcium. I just found they read closer to ICP testing than the rest.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am using API and you are not the first or second person to say that. What kit should I use?

Salifert or Hanna. This is a difference maker when getting false results.

 

[anthonygf]

Nice start.

 

[anthonygf]

Salifert or Hanna. This is a difference maker when getting false results.

What do you mean?

 

[SizilStank]

Here is my 46 gallon bowfront that was about 4-5 years old until I upgrade to 75 last November.
#2 from last month.

Beautiful! I love it! I wanted to start small to learn and play it safe. I want a bigger tank now lol but, probably gana wait a year or two until I get a really good grasp.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What do you mean?

meaning , when depending on API and he receives what he thought were accurate numbers, getting reliable kits will change everything when he is closer to real values when testing

 

[anthonygf]

I have been using Hanna alkalinity checker for several years and when my ICP test came back with 9.3 dKH and was reading 8.2 Hanna, I used the Salifert kit I still have I get a reading of 9.3. So my alk has been creeping up and my tester did not.
Same with Calcium, was 635 with ICP, Hanna 445, Salifert maxout at 500.
Magnesium I thought was 1440 with Salifert, 1235 with ICP, Red Sea at 1200.
That is why I will go with what I have stated. I will Use the test kits that come close to ICP test results.

 

[anthonygf]

Beautiful! I love it! I wanted to start small to learn and play it safe. I want a bigger tank now lol but, probably gana wait a year or two until I get a really good grasp.

Thanks. It has taken a few years to grow. Don't get crabs! I got rid of all my hermits for destroying my branching monti, the only sps coral I could grow at the time. they would climb up and break branches off, I would remove them and the next day they are back and brought along some guests. Well I gave up and as I remove them sent them back to my LFS for credit. I have maybe 200 snails and will be getting 80 more this week from ReefCleaners.com, They have a great selection. Most are so small, 1/8" and some are bigger.

 

[anthonygf]

Hey all, new to saltwater reef tanks. All my parameters are good or so i think. Im using the api test kits (ph is 8.4, ammonia is 0ppm, nitrite is 0ppm, nitrate is 0ppm, calcium is 480, and alk is 8dkh). My has been cycling for 3 months. Its 30 gal cube. I have a protein skimmer and a media reactor with gfo and activated carbon. I have two clownfish and 4 corals. My question is two are really happy one is a green star (looks like really green grass) and the happy one is a zoa. The other two im not sure both are soft corals though. The other two closed and wont open. I do have an algae bloom right now. Any ideas? Ill attach some pics. I have 13 new corals coming tomorrow aswell. I probably jumped the gun on the new corals.

Get a small in tank UV sterilizer with built in pump, will clear up algae blooms in water column. Carbon will not. I have mine in my sump now and run it when main lights are off, 12 hours a day. I have the in tank type for my 75 gallon fresh and only use it on rare occasions, will raise water temp if run 24/7.

 

[SizilStank]

Get a small in tank UV sterilizer with built in pump, will clear up algae blooms in water column. Carbon will not. I have mine in my sump now and run it when main lights are off, 12 hours a day. I have the in tank type for my 75 gallon fresh and only use it on rare occasions, will raise water temp if run 24/7.

Ill look at that. The wife will kill me if i keep buying stuff for this tank lol!

 

[anthonygf]

Ill look at that. The wife will kill me if i keep buying stuff for this tank lol!

Smallest on amazon is $50.

 

[anthonygf]

Signing off now. Hope you have good success with your reef. Lots of helpful folks here so keep reading all the forums and threads you can, lots of good info here.

 

[Spare time]

I have been feeding once a week with reef roids. And reef trace.

Trace elements are not food but the once a week dose is still probably good for the tank.

 

[blasterman]

I would rather have nitrates consistently at 5-10 (higher under the right circumstances) and phosphate at around .03 (no lower) than feed weird stuff and not have those values.

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Greetings, yes API test kits are the least reliable. With a Salifert test kit ( economical and reliable) your 0 Nitrates are probably more like 5-15. Also i broadcast feek my corals Reef Roids. My 2 clams are doing great. I agree with the above post stop the gfo. The brownish film algae are diatoms and should disappear on their own soon. Cool tank though.