Hows my tank doing?

[Jaftica]

hi everyone, I set up a red sea max 34 gallon tank about 2.5 weeks ago with a 10 gallon sump, with refugium with about 3 inches of live sand and cheato. i'm using the stock protien skimmer from the 130d. the tank has about 40 lbs of cured live rock that i purchased from aqua hut in coram, long island. there are some mushrooms on the rocks, also some other cool looking stuff. Tonight i checked my water chemistry and this is what it was using API kits,
ph 8.0
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphates 1.0
dkh 11
calcium 440
i am using esv B-ionic, and drip very little kalkwasser. (very little evap)

any tips from here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Your using ESV 2 part in a brand new tank? You shouldnt need to dose anything yet. My tanks been goin for 3 months and my levels are good just with water changes or are you using ESV seawater system? Usually you only need to dose once you have enough hard corals with skeletons that drain your water of the calcium and mag and such.

 

[Jaftica]

yes i have been doseing the b ionic , and no i'm not using ESV seawater system. should i be? i will be doing weekly water changes.

 

[JonnyJ]

your levels seem pretty good, why are you dosing anything?

 

[Jaftica]

good question, i guess ive been reading too much. i guess keeping the alk, calcium up is done with the water changes for now?

 

[JonnyJ]

I personally do water changes once a week on my 34gal softie/lps solana. I have never dosed anything. I do 4-5 gallon a week and my levels have been extremely stable.
I have a mix of zoas,palys,candycanes,xenia,mushrooms, & acans.

Using a good salt mix will replenish all the trace elements needed. Weekly water changes in a well stocked RSM with softies and lps is all you will probably need. Obviously every tank is stocked differently and you personally would have to monitor it to know your corals intake. My bet is that weekly water changes would be enough.

your tank is cycling and has nothing in it except a few mushroom hitchhikers. they definitely are not using enough of your trace elements that you would need to dose.

 

[Jaftica]

thanks for the advice jonny, i appreciate it.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I personally also would get some test kits by another brand than API- I have had my ph when I used API test 8.4 then test the water right after with my Saliferts to compare the 2 and it was 8.0 Your test kits may be accurate but since youve been dosing with 2 part and a kalkwasser drip already when no need to you may find your test results are off and some of your levels such as your calcium and your dKH could be higher than you believe them to be. Is just a good idea to know for sure.

You can use any salt you want and have great results. I like the ESV seawater system because its a 4 part you add the sodium chloride(salinity) magnesium sulfate(mag obviously) and the 2 liquid parts(all the major, minor and trace elements) separately so you can taylor your salt to your tanks need and isnt really any more expensive than IO Reef Crystals. But is all preferences, you can make ANY salt work for you so you go with what you like.

I also do weekly(religiously) W/C's and havent dosed a thing and my levels are good- had a drop in my alk & ph once but was when I was sick and didnt stay on track with my water changes. Have a 65G with a 29G sump probably 70G of actual water and I do 10G weekly and am good to go- I have 6 fish a pagoda cup, RBTA and a colony of zoos.

 

[SevTT]

any tips from here would be greatly appreciated.

I'd keep up with the kalk drip, but do you really need the two-part dosing at this point?

 

[SevTT]

your tank is cycling and has nothing in it except a few mushroom hitchhikers. they definitely are not using enough of your trace elements that you would need to dose.

Supplementing kalk to keep the pH and alk up will help increase the growth of coralline algae. If you have enough coralline, too, that can be a significant drain on the Ca/CO3 levels in the tank by itself.

 

[KathyC]

Supplementing kalk to keep the pH and alk up will help increase the growth of coralline algae. If you have enough coralline, too, that can be a significant drain on the Ca/CO3 levels in the tank by itself.

IMO he shouldn't be dosing anything at this point during his cycle.
It almost sounds like he is using the kalk drip to make up for evaporation. If so, his Ca/Alk/Ph are going to climb..and that isn't good.

You should be aiming for finishing your cycle and getting the tank stable based solely on the salt you are using.
Dosing with anything, including kalk, should be reserved for when it is necessary to make up for any ineffeciencies in your salt mix, but you won't know that because you are adding a bunch of stuff from the get-go.

The goal at this point is stability..and practicing patience

 

[JimmyR1rider]

+1 I havent dosed a thing and I have coralline thats growing- on my rocks, overflow box and glass. Was always told the 2 parts were for when the corals in your tanks start to tax your system and to replenish what they strip out of the water, not to grow coralline that will come on its own in a healthy system.