Should I dose now?

[Goodersgold]

Hi everyone, my 20gal AIO is now three months old and fish are very happy, but corals (LPS) not so much. My current numbers are Salinity 1.027 7.7 dkh Ph 8.1 PO4 0.7 (dosing Lanthanum Chloride and Rowaphos to lower this) calcium 544, my alkalinity is on the low side, should I dose, and what to improve coral growth? I run a skimmer and 25% water changes every week. Water is from LFS and the numbers are spot on before it goes into the tank. Thank you in advance

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If the corals are not doing well in a 3 month old tank, its not because you are not dosing, something about the tank is making them unhappy. Dosing will not improve their health and happiness, you have to correct and stabilize your tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone, my 20gal AIO is now three months old and fish are very happy, but corals (LPS) not so much. My current numbers are Salinity 1.027 7.7 dkh Ph 8.1 PO4 0.7 (dosing Lanthanum Chloride and Rowaphos to lower this) calcium 544, my alkalinity is on the low side, should I dose, and what to improve coral growth? I run a skimmer and 25% water changes every week. Water is from LFS and the numbers are spot on before it goes into the tank. Thank you in advance

Alk is indeed low and may be affecting calcium also
Salinity is high and should come down to 1.035 and high salinity will upset lps
The LFS water may have low slk and through evaporation, if you’re replenishing with saltwater, you will get this increase

 

[shakacuz]

Alk is indeed low and may be affecting calcium also
Salinity is high and should come down to 1.025 and high salinity will upset lps
The LFS water may have low alk and through evaporation, if you’re replenishing with saltwater, you will get this increase

he meant 1.025 .

 

[Goodersgold]

Alk is indeed low and may be affecting calcium also
Salinity is high and should come down to 1.035 and high salinity will upset lps
The LFS water may have low slk and through evaporation, if you’re replenishing with saltwater, you will get this increase

ATO with RO. I would not consider the salinity to be considered high at 1.027

 

[Goodersgold]

If the corals are not doing well in a 3 month old tank, its not because you are not dosing, something about the tank is making them unhappy. Dosing will not improve their health and happiness, you have to correct and stabilize your tank

Alk has been low for a couple of weeks now, which led me to think that improving the Alk level would help in stabilising the system?

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

My alk is at 7.2 and my corals is thriving. It has gotten as low as 6.4 without issue. I dose alk and trying to increase it to 8 over a long period. I think your alk is fine.

What are you using to test your parameters?

Do you have a full tank pic?

What's your number for ...

Nitrate
Magnesium

There are other factors as well. Lighting and flow to name a few.

Define "unhappy" no PE? No growth?

 

[Goodersgold]

My alk is at 7.2 and my corals is thriving. It has gotten as low as 6.4 without issue. I dose alk and trying to increase it to 8 over a long period. I think your alk is fine.

What are you using to test your parameters?

Do you have a full tank pic?

What's your number for ...

Nitrate
Magnesium

There are other factors as well. Lighting and flow to name a few.

Define "unhappy" no PE? No growth?

Hanna checkers used. Nitrates at 1.2 not tested for magnesium, flow is low and my Red Sea reef 50 is 90% blue, 40% whites on a 12 hour cycle. Duncan corals are known to be good indicators of poor water quality, my new Duncan frag opened nicely when introduced to the tank, but has not opened today despite a water change. I know these things take time but I want to be prepared if things go south.

 

[Sawyer Breslow]

.7 phosphate might be your issue.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

What salt mix?

My corals stay open the entire time I do my water change which is 5 gallons on a 50 gallon tank. Not saying that corals closing is bad during a wc.

I do ensure salinity matches along with temp. I periodically do a alk check on a fresh batch of salt water .

Mag is one of the major elements that is necessary to test if keeping corals.

 

[gbru316]

Nitrates at 1.2

Reduce Po4, increase No3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't think I'd consider 7.7 dKH low. If you want it higher, dose it up, but almost no coral in the ocean sees as high as 7.7 dKH.

 

[vetteguy53081]

ATO with RO. I would not consider the salinity to be considered high at 1.027

At 1.927 most of my softies look sad