Parameters look good, now what?

kkgaskin90 · May 13, 2015

Hopefully these aren't going to be stupid questions... I feel like it's Reefkeeping 101 but maybe I'm missing something. We started up our 75 gallon tank in November 2013. It ran FOWLR until April 2015 when we added our first corals (transferred from our 29 gallon) and upgraded lighting. The tank seems to run pristine (all levels consistently in the ranges posted in the pinned post), BUT I'm using API tests and I hear those aren't the best. The only issue I had is Nitrates spiked up to 20 when I vastly improved water flow and kicked up a bunch of sedimentary yuck within the rock work. We have done 10g water changes every weekend since we first started up the tank. I got brave and put in some SPS (no experience with those in my other tank) and they are happy, so my question is... do we continue weekly 10g water changes? Should I go ahead and invest in better test kits (and if so, which ones)? Is there such a thing as a reef tank that doesn't require water changes without dosing a carbon source like vodka? I've done a lot of reading up on vodka dosing and understand the science of it, but wonder if we should even go that route if there isn't a problem to begin with (unless there is, and I need better tests to reveal the problem). Any advice?

JimWelsh · May 13, 2015

I like Salifert test kits for Alk, Ca, Mg, and NO3, and Elos Pro for PO4. If you're doing the water changes in order to control NO3, then you might consider carbon dosing as a less expensive alternative.

kkgaskin90 · May 13, 2015

Thanks! We have been doing water changes because we were told to do them as proper husbandry. I just didn't ever consider that maybe there was an alternative to constant water changes. Our NO3 hasn't been an issue except the one time aforementioned, but we also have been religious to weekly water changes.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 14, 2015

Water changes are useful for a variety of reasons, and I recommend them, but they are not usually the best way to keep nitrate low. That said, many c orals do not suffer, and some may benefit, from measurable nitrate in the water.

Vodka is a fine way to go (I use vinegar), but I'm not sure you'll notice a benefit and I might not do it at the moment.

Nitrate kits are among the most likely to be inaccurate that we use, so I'd be wary of doing much based on a kit reading alone. That's one of the reasons I haven't measured it for years.

kkgaskin90 · May 14, 2015

Do you go by other tests or judge based on if everything appears happy?
Should I continue with my weekly changes or only do them when they are needed?

luke33 · May 14, 2015

If what your doing is working, then why change it up : )

Only thing I would consider is a hanna checker for phosphate if your getting into sps. That's the only thing that tests po4 well imo

kkgaskin90 · May 14, 2015

Mostly because I don't have an RO/DI unit. So the weekly trips to the LFS for water is obnoxious and not cost effective. The funds aren't there for both an upgraded skimmer AND and RODI right now, so I'm trying to determine which route is better for us or if there's a third option I'm not aware of.
If we continue weekly water changes, we will get an RODI. If we do some form of carbon dosing, it will be a better skimmer.
Currently running a Coralife skimmer and while it works, I'm constantly battling bubbles in the DT

luke33 · May 14, 2015

Well I believe both are important but I would get a RODI 10 out of 10 times if I had to pick. Clean water is the most important thing for your tank.

kkgaskin90 · May 14, 2015

Oh I definitely agree both are important. Both are coming in the near future. Just needed to decide which first.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 14, 2015

kkgaskin90 said:
Do you go by other tests or judge based on if everything appears happy?
Should I continue with my weekly changes or only do them when they are needed?

I mostly go by the routine that I've used for twenty years, with a lot of measurement in the first five or so. Thus I know the routine keeps alk and calcium and such OK. I regularly measure salinity, temperature, and pH.

I recommend regular changes. I change 1% daily, automatically.