Water Parameters

[Texas Rick]

I was looking for a little suggestions on my water parameters. Here they are as follows

Salinity 1.025
NItrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
PH 8.0 to 8.15
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1350

Should i test for Alkalinity and Phospate?
I do have some acro, hammerhead, chalice and a couple of montis.
Is there any other test that i should be doing?

 

[Hydrored]

I would test alk. I test phosphates, nitrates, and salinity once a week. Are you dosing anything?

 

[Texas Rick]

I would test alk. I test phosphates, nitrates, and salinity once a week. Are you dosing anything?

Manually I add NO PO, coral nectar and absolute aminos. Thats about it. Usually just dose what it says to dose.
I've been thinking of using Trace and Minor Elements and coral nutrition from Red Sea

 

[Uncle99]

Those numbers are fine except nitrate, should be anywhere from trace 0.05 to 10ppm.
Need to test Alk frequently and keep absolutely stable in the 8-8.5 range.
Need to test phosphate and keep in the trace 0.03 to .15 range.

Corals need trace No3 and PO4, zero and they starve, to much limits growth.

The trick is getting them (and more important keeping them) the more stable the better, that goes for all parameters.

ATO and dosers do a great job of creating stability.

 

[Texas Rick]

Those numbers are fine except nitrate, should be anywhere from trace 0.05 to 10ppm.
Need to test Alk frequently and keep absolutely stable in the 8-8.5 range.
Need to test phosphate and keep in the trace 0.03 to .15 range.

Corals need trace No3 and PO4, zero and they starve, to much limits growth.

The trick is getting them (and more important keeping them) the more stable the better, that goes for all parameters.

ATO and dosers do a great job of creating stability.

Impressive tank! Someday i will get one like it. I just ordered a test kit (salifert) for phosphate and alkalinity. It should be in next week. As for Nitrates, how do i bring them up. Should I bring my PH up a little?

 

[Plunder]

I was looking for a little suggestions on my water parameters. Here they are as follows

Salinity 1.025
NItrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
PH 8.0 to 8.15
Calcium 450
Magnesium 1350

Should i test for Alkalinity and Phospate?
I do have some acro, hammerhead, chalice and a couple of montis.
Is there any other test that i should be doing?

Alkalinity is a must. It's one of the most important elements of reefing. Looks good though.

 

[Texas Rick]

Alkalinity is a must. It's one of the most important elements of reefing. Looks good though.

Just bought a test kit. Will be coming in next week.

 

[Uncle99]

Impressive tank! Someday i will get one like it. I just ordered a test kit (salifert) for phosphate and alkalinity. It should be in next week. As for Nitrates, how do i bring them up. Should I bring my PH up a little?

Never chase PH......Just forget this parameter.....my tank runs at 7.9 night.....8.0 days.
Just feed a bit more, more food, more poop, more nitrate.

 

[ScottB]

All good advice so far.
I test ALK very frequently -- every other day or so. Same with Salinity (even though I have an APEX conductivity probe.)
PO4 and NO3 every few days -- unless I am dealing with dinos because I let them get too low -- then it is every day.

You do want consistently available and measurable NO3 and PO4, and dead steady ALK and salinity.

Salifert is a good kit for ALK, Ca and Mg.
NYOS is my preferred kit for nitrates, but others work.
Hanna Phosphate (or Phosphorus) ULR is really the only game in town for PO4.

You can stop testing nitrites and ammonia unless you have fish deaths. Your cycle is over.

As to pH: unless you really do your homework on kalkwasser via ATO, do not dose anything to raise it pH. Full stop. If you want, you can look into ways of lowering or scrubbing CO2. Running an airline from your skimmer input to fresh outdoor air is a simple way to lower CO2 content. CO2 scrubbers can do a little more but comes with $ and time costs to maintain. But as @Uncle99 just wrote, as long as you stay above 7.8 you are fine.