Tank prep for coral

[harsha22]

Hello, Can someone please advise on this.
I have a new 35 gallon waterbox. Have 4 fishes and I am planning to add corals starting with hardy softy ones. I started prepping my tank by adding 5 ml of "All for Reef" in order to have the right CA,Mg and Alk parameters before I add the corals. Is this even needed or should I just add corals and then add the 1 part dosing?

 

[blaxsun]

You'll want to invest in good alkalinity, calcium and magnesium testing kits (Hanna, Salifert, Nyos, Red Sea) so you can monitor these parameters for your corals and adjust any dosing accordingly.

 

[harsha22]

You'll want to invest in good alkalinity, calcium and magnesium testing kits (Hanna, Salifert, Nyos, Red Sea) so you can monitor these parameters for your corals and adjust any dosing accordingly.

I do check with Red Sea and noticed that all parameters were in the nominal range except clacium which was slowly shooting up. Is it because there are no corals to consume these elements and I keep dosing All-for-Reef?

 

[SchrutesReefs]

I do check with Red Sea and noticed that all parameters were in the nominal range except clacium which was slowly shooting up. Is it because there are no corals to consume these elements and I keep dosing All-for-Reef?

When they are consuming them it will go down. What are the actual numbers you are getting?

 

[harsha22]

When they are consuming them it will go down. What are the actual numbers you are getting?

Ca 450 (a week ago)
Ca 480 (currently)
Mg 1560
Alk 10.92
Nitrate <2
Ph 7.92 )

Can I use Brightwell PH+ Boost? kalkwasser in ATO and All for reef don't seem to impact PH a lot.
Also I added kalkwasser to ATO, will wean it off since I am using All-for-reef now and I don't want to overdose Ca.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Alk a little high in my opinion which I also suffer from but following for help

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Once you add some hard corals or develop some coralline the calcium will drop steadily. Me personally I wouldn’t dose anything, especially if the tank is new(ish). Once things establish it’ll take off on it’s own. Save dosing for when it’s necessary, like supply and demand. Too many nutrients are going to cause an algae storm, which can be discouraging.
For the ph, have you considered a CO2 scrubber since you’re running a skimmer?

 

[harsha22]

Alk a little high in my opinion which I also suffer from but following for help

Since AFReef is the only thing I dose, Alk, Ca and Mg are all dependent on this. Ca and Mg should stabilize once I add the corals. But what about my Alk? Do I just let AFreef handle Alk or is there another dosing chemical?

 

[harsha22]

Once you add some hard corals or develop some coralline the calcium will drop steadily. Me personally I wouldn’t dose anything, especially if the tank is new(ish). Once things establish it’ll take off on it’s own. Save dosing for when it’s necessary, like supply and demand. Too many nutrients are going to cause an algae storm, which can be discouraging.
For the ph, have you considered a CO2 scrubber since you’re running a skimmer?

Yes, I agree with you. I should stop dosing.
What about PH, should I dose that with PH+ or just leave that even for now?

Now regarding skimmer, I use the Waterbox marineX 60.2. I tried aquamaxx WS-1 which ran for a week with micro bubbles. So right now the tank is running skimmerless. I will add it once the bio load increases.
The tank does have carbon bags, Brightwell bio cubes, No3 reduction cubes, and UV. These along with Brightwell clean and Brightwell Bio Fuel seem to be holding quite well since 2 months with low nitrates.

 

[SchrutesReefs]

Yes, I agree with you. I should stop dosing.
What about PH, should I dose that with PH+ or just leave that even for now?

Now regarding skimmer, I use the Waterbox marineX 60.2. I tried aquamaxx WS-1 which ran for a week with micro bubbles. So right now the tank is running skimmerless. I will add it once the bio load increases.
The tank does have carbon bags, Brightwell bio cubes, No3 reduction cubes, and UV. These along with Brightwell clean and Brightwell Bio Fuel seem to be holding quite well since 2 months with low nitrates.

The co2 scrubber can help with ph. Minimal maintenance, and soda lime is cheap. I like the Chemi-Pure blue and elite over plain carbon, just my opinion. Not sure if it helps with ph as well or just keeping phosphates down. I have never tried kalk, but it seems to be a popular additive.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Since AFReef is the only thing I dose, Alk, Ca and Mg are all dependent on this. Ca and Mg should stabilize once I add the corals. But what about my Alk? Do I just let AFreef handle Alk or is there another dosing chemical?

I don't dose anything, I use seachem prime and stability during water change, my alk is 10-11 but due a water change (fortnightly), my tap water is 5-6 and my filtered water we drink from is a little higher strangely... Did read that tap water and salt could increase alk levels

 

[JNalley]

Stop dosing. There is no need for it. You have nothing currently consuming your Calc, Alk, or Mag. While you're learning the hobby, you want to do 2 things.

1) Pick a salt mix that is closest to the values you want to start with (All of them give a Calc, Alk, and Mag rating at a specified specific gravity
2) Perform weekly water changes which will replenish these things with the WC.

Once you determine that a water change is not enough to combat the uptake done by your corals, THEN you start dosing.

(This was really hard for me to say, as I'm usually the guy who's like "don't water change if you don't have to". But new reefers should learn fundamentals first, and then perform wizardry second...)

 

[harsha22]

The co2 scrubber can help with ph. Minimal maintenance, and soda lime is cheap. I like the Chemi-Pure blue and elite over plain carbon, just my opinion. Not sure if it helps with ph as well or just keeping phosphates down. I have never tried kalk, but it seems to be a popular additive.

The issue with kalk in ATO is its a pain to dissolve it and since I am already using AFR I am really afraid that I might double dose here with kalk in ATO. So I stopped adding more kalk and now I intend to stop dosing everything until I add corals as discussed above.
Also with kalk i saw the PH slightly increasing and holding but it never touches 8.04. Could be because I am dosing in ATO. But I really like the bicarbonate approach along with AFR mentioned above in the thread.

 

[harsha22]

I don't dose anything, I use seachem prime and stability during water change, my alk is 10-11 but due a water change (fortnightly), my tap water is 5-6 and my filtered water we drink from is a little higher strangely... Did read that tap water and salt could increase alk levels

This is new. So you just use tap water and not Rodi? What about algae? Do you use any of DrTims or Brightwell to prevent that?

 

[Dburr1014]

Stop dosing. There is no need for it. You have nothing currently consuming your Calc, Alk, or Mag. While you're learning the hobby, you want to do 2 things.

1) Pick a salt mix that is closest to the values you want to start with (All of them give a Calc, Alk, and Mag rating at a specified specific gravity
2) Perform weekly water changes which will replenish these things with the WC.

Once you determine that a water change is not enough to combat the uptake done by your corals, THEN you start dosing.

(This was really hard for me to say, as I'm usually the guy who's like "don't water change if you don't have to". But new reefers should learn fundamentals first, and then perform wizardry second...)

+1

The issue with kalk in ATO is its a pain to dissolve it and since I am already using AFR I am really afraid that I might double dose here with kalk in ATO. So I stopped adding more kalk and now I intend to stop dosing everything until I add corals as discussed above.
Also with kalk i saw the PH slightly increasing and holding but it never touches 8.04. Could be because I am dosing in ATO. But I really like the bicarbonate approach along with AFR mentioned above in the thread.

Kalk does not completely disolve.
Did you know this?
Don't dose the slurry at the bottom.

 

[harsha22]

+1

Kalk does not completely disolve.
Did you know this?
Don't dose the slurry at the bottom.

Didnt know until I started using it. But either ways it doesn't seem to be helping a lot in PH.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Stop dosing. There is no need for it. You have nothing currently consuming your Calc, Alk, or Mag. While you're learning the hobby, you want to do 2 things.

1) Pick a salt mix that is closest to the values you want to start with (All of them give a Calc, Alk, and Mag rating at a specified specific gravity
2) Perform weekly water changes which will replenish these things with the WC.

Once you determine that a water change is not enough to combat the uptake done by your corals, THEN you start dosing.

(This was really hard for me to say, as I'm usually the guy who's like "don't water change if you don't have to". But new reefers should learn fundamentals first, and then perform wizardry second...)
[/QUOT

This is new. So you just use tap water and not Rodi? What about algae? Do you use any of DrTims or Brightwell to prevent that?

I tested my water sources as alk high in my aquriam, nope no chemicals added except seachem prime and stability during water change

 

[Rick's Reviews]

I tested my water sources as alk high in my aquriam, nope no chemicals added except seachem prime and stability during water change

 

[Tiki_Reef]

Didnt know until I started using it. But either ways it doesn't seem to be helping a lot in PH.

How are you measuring your Ph?

 

[harsha22]

How are you measuring your Ph?

Using the Apex neptune probe.