Water Parameters

[Texas Rick]

Hey guys, i just want to make sure these water parameters are good.

Calcium 420
Magnesium 1200
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate .2
Alkalinity 10.2
Phosphate 0

I have 2 wonderwoman acro, 1 pink Cadillac acro, hammerhead, 2 montis, 2 clownfish, 1 dory, 2 scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp
I've had the acro for about 2 weeks now and the polyps don't seem like they want to come out. They are not bleached. the colors are all there.
I do weekly water changes. Im not sure what to do with the acro since the polyps don't come out

 

[andrewey]

Couple things. Your alkalinity is a bit high for so little nutrients. You risk burning the tips of your acro. I would suggest either increasing your nutrients or decreasing your alkalinity.

What are you using to test your phosphate and nitrate?

Additionally, your magnesium is a bit low. Do you dose magnesium? If so, that's an easy fix. Otherwise, what salt are you using?

 

[Texas Rick]

Couple things. Your alkalinity is a bit high for so little nutrients. You risk burning the tips of your acro. I would suggest either increasing your nutrients or decreasing your alkalinity.

What are you using to test your phosphate and nitrate?

Additionally, your magnesium is a bit low. Do you dose magnesium? If so, that's an easy fix. Otherwise, what salt are you using?

I use Salifert to test water parameters.
I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt
I don't dose magnesium. What is the proper level in magnesium?

 

[Fishko]

Be careful with the coral pro not to get a large alk swing from a wc. I think the salt mixes to around 11.7 dkh. I killed a really nice hammer that way.

 

[Texas Rick]

Be careful with the coral pro not to get a large alk swing from a wc. I think the salt mixes to around 11.7 dkh. I killed a really nice hammer that way.

How do I fix this?

 

[andrewey]

Interesting. Normally, Red Sea Coral pro mixes somewhere around 1300, give or take 20ppm. Seawater is around 1280 and the normal range for reef tanks is usually around 1280-1400 (some run slightly higher, but don't worry about that). Your water changes should get you in the ballpark in terms of magnesium as the daily consumption should be around 1-3ppm depending on your system.

Raising your mag won't hurt anything and will make keeping your alk/calcium in check easier. As far as the rest of your parameters, I would be careful with chasing numbers or monkeying around too much. If your coral are happy and your tank looks good, I would leave things alone, although increasing feeding to raise your nutrients a smidge wouldn't hurt and would help to curtail some bad outcomes from bottoming out your phosphate or nitrate. That way you don't have to mess around with your alkalinity and chase numbers.

 

[Fishko]

How do I fix this?

It happened to me cause i did a very large water change in my 29g when i was using coral pro. You can always test the new salts alk to be safe for a larger wc. For smaller wc you should be fine.

 

[Texas Rick]

Interesting. Normally, Red Sea Coral pro mixes somewhere around 1300, give or take 20ppm. Seawater is around 1280 and the normal range for reef tanks is usually around 1280-1400 (some run slightly higher, but don't worry about that). Your water changes should get you in the ballpark in terms of magnesium as the daily consumption should be around 1-3ppm depending on your system.

Raising your mag won't hurt anything and will make keeping your alk/calcium in check easier. As far as the rest of your parameters, I would be careful with chasing numbers or monkeying around too much. If your coral are happy and your tank looks good, I would leave things alone, although increasing feeding to raise your nutrients a smidge wouldn't hurt and would help to curtail some bad outcomes from bottoming out your phosphate or nitrate. That way you don't have to mess around with your alkalinity and chase numbers.

I always check right before water changes, I want to see what it was before and compare from week to week water changes.
Should i also check right after a water change?

 

[Fishko]

I always check right before water changes, I want to see what it was before and compare from week to week water changes.
Should i also check right after a water change?

Doesnt hurt for the first few times. Currently i am trying to use up all my coral pro so im mixing half coral pro and half tropic marin pro, comes out to roughly 8.0 dkh. And thats were i like to keep it.

 

[andrewey]

You can, but honestly if you're water change is consistent, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It should come up in time. I'd focus on feeding a bit more and you should be good. It's possible the salt wasn't mixed thoroughly in the bucket and you'll eventually hit the "magnesium laden" section of salt. Since it goes down so slowly, it's not important on a day by day or week by week basis- many people that dose magnesium do so infrequently (I do so once a month).

 

[Texas Rick]

You can, but honestly if you're water change is consistent, I wouldn't worry too much about it. It should come up in time. I'd focus on feeding a bit more and you should be good. It's possible the salt wasn't mixed thoroughly in the bucket and you'll eventually hit the "magnesium laden" section of salt. Since it goes down so slowly, it's not important on a day by day or week by week basis- many people that dose magnesium do so infrequently (I do so once a month).

Yes, i started to feed a little bit more. I use frozen food plus Nyos pellets. I keep a variety of food for them. They seem to enjoy it.
Its possible about the mixing part. I usually mix in a 5 gallon bucket with my spare pump i have for the tank. Let it mix for about 2 hours