azbigjohn
Valuable Member
I am running a 210 gallon tank that is fairly new. This was a "fresh start" tank, and I am trying to do things the right way. It is going to be a mixed reef. I'm giving lots of background here, so if you want to jump to the question, look for the parameters list below, the questions will be there.
I had it maturing and building up the ammonia processing for quite a while, and added in the few fish I had run through qt a couple weeks ago. Currently two good-sized Ocellaris Clowns, a large PJ Cardinal, and a Bi-color blenny. I have a Kole Tang and some Barletts anthias in QT as we speak. I have been doing water changes and getting it ready to start adding in corals. After getting my levels where I wanted them (at least the big 3) I placed all of the frags that were remaining from my previous tank that have been chilling out in my FRAG tank for a couple months. Nothing too exotic, some hammers, a green slimer frag, a pocillopora frag, some mushrooms and toadstools.
Before adding the fish, I had added chaeto to the fuge, and after watching the BRS fuge lighting videos, I purchased some full-spectrum LED grow bulbs running in the standard "garage reflectors." Chaeto growth has been amazing, and I have no detectable nitrates. I started with a large softball 3 weeks ago, and pulled a volleyball sized mass out today, leaving the same amount in the tank. The tank was scaped with all new Marco rock cemented together, and I still have a higher level of phos than I would like. I have BRS 2-part and a dosing pump ready to start up once I add some more coral in (currently I am hand-dosing every couple days after measuring levels). I think I would like to run lower (but detectable) nitrates and phos, but am looking for other thoughts or advice.
Current Parameters are:
SG 1.026 (refractometer)
pH - 8.2 - 8.3 (Salifert test - run skimmer with outside air line / reverse lighting schedule)
Ammonia - 0 (Salifert)
Nitrite 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate o (Red Sea - literally stays blue)
Alkalinity 8.3 dkh (Salifert)
Calcium 430 (Salifert)
Magnesium 1320 (Salifert)
Phosphate 0.17 (Hanna Checker)
So, should I dose some sort of nitrate? Should I run GFO to try and pull more phosphate out? (I figure I have a little leaching going on from the new rock.)
Or should I be happy, and wait for it to fully mature?
I had it maturing and building up the ammonia processing for quite a while, and added in the few fish I had run through qt a couple weeks ago. Currently two good-sized Ocellaris Clowns, a large PJ Cardinal, and a Bi-color blenny. I have a Kole Tang and some Barletts anthias in QT as we speak. I have been doing water changes and getting it ready to start adding in corals. After getting my levels where I wanted them (at least the big 3) I placed all of the frags that were remaining from my previous tank that have been chilling out in my FRAG tank for a couple months. Nothing too exotic, some hammers, a green slimer frag, a pocillopora frag, some mushrooms and toadstools.
Before adding the fish, I had added chaeto to the fuge, and after watching the BRS fuge lighting videos, I purchased some full-spectrum LED grow bulbs running in the standard "garage reflectors." Chaeto growth has been amazing, and I have no detectable nitrates. I started with a large softball 3 weeks ago, and pulled a volleyball sized mass out today, leaving the same amount in the tank. The tank was scaped with all new Marco rock cemented together, and I still have a higher level of phos than I would like. I have BRS 2-part and a dosing pump ready to start up once I add some more coral in (currently I am hand-dosing every couple days after measuring levels). I think I would like to run lower (but detectable) nitrates and phos, but am looking for other thoughts or advice.
Current Parameters are:
SG 1.026 (refractometer)
pH - 8.2 - 8.3 (Salifert test - run skimmer with outside air line / reverse lighting schedule)
Ammonia - 0 (Salifert)
Nitrite 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate o (Red Sea - literally stays blue)
Alkalinity 8.3 dkh (Salifert)
Calcium 430 (Salifert)
Magnesium 1320 (Salifert)
Phosphate 0.17 (Hanna Checker)
So, should I dose some sort of nitrate? Should I run GFO to try and pull more phosphate out? (I figure I have a little leaching going on from the new rock.)
Or should I be happy, and wait for it to fully mature?
