Params for SPS?

[Fishinwall]

My tank is about 10 months old. I do have a a few Sps already:
Monti cap
Monti spongodes
Monti satosa
Green slimer
All small and not drawing much.
Some LPS:
Torch coral
Hammerhead coral
Acans
BTA
Ricardia and
zoas

My alk stays consistent without dosing and 10% water changes with Red Sea Pro salt.

Alk 7 Seifert
Calcium 420. Seifert
Nitrates 0. API
Phosphates 0. Hanna
PH 7.8. API
TEMP fluctuates the most 77-82

This is a 65gal tall with radion pro LEDs, sump with refugium, reef octopus skimmer, no reactors.
Growth has been very slow.

My question is should I just maintain my alk at 7 right now or try to get it up to 8?

What should I do to be able to grow and maintain an SPS dominated tank?
I'm highly considering following the Triton method.

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[twilliard]

8DKH and yes do your research on triton.
any questions about triton just ask!

 

[Reefcowboy]

I also use the same salt doing 20% wc's weekly on a 57gal sps tank, and dose lots of two part to keep the alk from going down.
The sweet spot for alk is 8. At that range you should have a balanced system prompt for sps success.

Water changes alone would be sufficient with lower demanding systems such as softies, lps...not sps

 

[Fishinwall]

8DKH and yes do your research on triton.
any questions about triton just ask!

Thanks. Are you running Triton?
After you submit you test, do they tell you specifically what to do to make corrections?
I don't recall seeing anything from anyone else showing suggested correction directions.

 

[Fishinwall]

I also use the same salt doing 20% wc's weekly on a 57gal sps tank, and dose lots of two part to keep the alk from going down.
The sweet spot for alk is 8. At that range you should have a balanced system prompt for sps success.

Water changes alone would be sufficient with lower demanding systems such as softies, lps...not sps

Ok I will.
My challenge is the Red Sea pro has a high alk of 11 when I mix it, so when I do a 10% change how do I keep it from swinging?

 

[Chaz D]

You're not seeing any growth because you have zero nitrates and phosphates combined with very strong leds.

 

[Fishinwall]

You're not seeing any growth because you have zero nitrates and phosphates combined with very strong leds.

I can't seem to get phosphates up.
I just got back from vacation and had a pretty good (heavy) feeding schedule and still no register of any.
Any suggestions?

 

[Chaz D]

Can you describe what you're feeding and what you're running in those canisters (gfo,carbon maybe)? What is your fish load like?

 

[Reefcowboy]

Ok I will.
My challenge is the Red Sea pro has a high alk of 11 when I mix it, so when I do a 10% change how do I keep it from swinging?

I see lots of people switching from salts with this concern in mind. If you have a system with alk at 8 and do WC s with 10% , 20% of total volume, even if your used salt has a bit higher alk, it will impact little on the overall alk. If you are doing 10% WC in yours, the alk will go up with no issues to the corals. RSCP is a great salt IMO.
As far as Nitrates, phosphates, aim for keeping them low with good export, but feed heavy the tank and make sure you have enough fish to produce the waste needed to keep some of the two in the tank to feed the sps.
Good luck

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok I will.
My challenge is the Red Sea pro has a high alk of 11 when I mix it, so when I do a 10% change how do I keep it from swinging?

A tank at 8 dKH changing 10% of its water at 11 dKH only bumps to 8.3 dKH, which is fine.

 

[twilliard]

Thanks. Are you running Triton?
After you submit you test, do they tell you specifically what to do to make corrections?
I don't recall seeing anything from anyone else showing suggested correction directions.

Yes I am doing the triton method.
when you get your results they make recommendations on how to correct any potential issues.
on the triton site you will find the detailed corrections they suggest as a downloadable pdf.

If you have questions about how to properly set up a triton method please ask as it is more than just dosing the elementz

 

[Fishinwall]

Can you describe what you're feeding and what you're running in those canisters (gfo,carbon maybe)? What is your fish load like?

My fish load:
I have eight fish:
3 chromis
2 clowns
1 yellow tang
1 mandarin
1 tail spot Blenny

I do have about two tablespoons of GFO in a bag, rarely change.
And I do have about a cup of activated carbon in a bag changed monthly.

 

[Fishinwall]

Yes I am doing the triton method.
when you get your results they make recommendations on how to correct any potential issues.
on the triton site you will find the detailed corrections they suggest as a downloadable pdf.

If you have questions about how to properly set up a triton method please ask as it is more than just dosing the elementz

I'm currently removing the sand from my refugium. I only have chaetomorpha in my sump with some live rock. It is growing like weeds.

Wondering if I need more macro diversity.

Skimmer is in first chamber but can't change that.

I plan to get the alk to 8 before sending in the test water.

 

[twilliard]

I'm currently removing the sand from my refugium. I only have chaetomorpha in my sump with some live rock. It is growing like weeds.

Wondering if I need more macro diversity.

Skimmer is in first chamber but can't change that.

I plan to get the alk to 8 before sending in the test water.

Yes macros is what the goal will be. As many different types as you can fit and still grow freely.
Skimmer in first section is ok, it will still work.
Are you already set up dose the Elementz?

 

[Fishinwall]

No not set up yet with a doser...when I was dosing I did it by hand.
I don't own any Triton products yet.

 

[twilliard]

Well I suggest going to their site and reading all you can.
here is how I dose it

 

[Fishinwall]

Well I suggest going to their site and reading all you can.
here is how I dose it

Ok Yes - I believe I saw what you were dosing with on another post I started about dosers. I think I need to go with a doser that is more mainstream so that it can be easily programmed etc for aquarium use and I can go to them for support. I like the Kore 5, I just hope that the support on R2R sponsor thread will be enough.

 

[Fishinwall]

@twilliard I'd like to see more photos of your tank... or do you have a tank thread?

 

[twilliard]

I don't have a tank thread yet. Working on one to be posted under Orphek.
Once the wife is done with school I will bust out the Nikon (I use a tablet to post and camera has a normal SD card) and jump on her laptop

 

[twilliard]

Ok wife is done with school so give me just a few and I will snap pictures.
what would you like to see? Full tank shot or just the corals?
determines my lens and settings