Grins' 55g Reef
- Thread starter Grins
- Start date
Hey Grins,
Question because I read one of your posts on another thread about testing your params (figured I would ask you here in your monster thread
) and testing for Magnesium... how often do you test your water? What do you test for and when?
I do not test for Magnesium, never have, but have read about it before, just curious how often you really do it and if you have noticed any swings in your params related to it. I have noticed that sometimes, for no reason, I am dosing everything as I always do, testing bi-weekly, and all of the sudden my CA dips low, talking 300, when it is usually avg. 375 to 400 for a month. I have changed nothing, doesn't seem to be a pattern to it at all. Usually it happens a couple of days before my water change is scheduled, but it has occurred once or twice like 4 days after a water change.
It is not a big deal, it climbs back up after I dose, then it goes away for a couple of weeks. So I was just curious what your dosing schedule was, and what your testing regimen is... ps. this would be a good opportunity to update us on that two part solution, hint hint!
Question because I read one of your posts on another thread about testing your params (figured I would ask you here in your monster thread
) and testing for Magnesium... how often do you test your water? What do you test for and when? I do not test for Magnesium, never have, but have read about it before, just curious how often you really do it and if you have noticed any swings in your params related to it. I have noticed that sometimes, for no reason, I am dosing everything as I always do, testing bi-weekly, and all of the sudden my CA dips low, talking 300, when it is usually avg. 375 to 400 for a month. I have changed nothing, doesn't seem to be a pattern to it at all. Usually it happens a couple of days before my water change is scheduled, but it has occurred once or twice like 4 days after a water change.
It is not a big deal, it climbs back up after I dose, then it goes away for a couple of weeks. So I was just curious what your dosing schedule was, and what your testing regimen is... ps. this would be a good opportunity to update us on that two part solution, hint hint!
I run all but the Mg about 1x a week. The Mg I test 1x month.
When I was attempting to get my Ca and Alk balanced I tested daily for those. The two part worked fabulously, I use ReefPlenish which is new and the makers are in my reef club. Because it is still in the launch period they are offering free shipping for those ordering it. It took about 3 weeks to slowly bring my numbers up and since they have been maintaining at 420 and 10dkh. I'm very happy with it.
If your Ca is dipping I'd look at your Alk and Mg. You don't have a high calcium load do you? Clams? I don't think you have a ton of stonies if I remember.
When I was attempting to get my Ca and Alk balanced I tested daily for those. The two part worked fabulously, I use ReefPlenish which is new and the makers are in my reef club. Because it is still in the launch period they are offering free shipping for those ordering it. It took about 3 weeks to slowly bring my numbers up and since they have been maintaining at 420 and 10dkh. I'm very happy with it.
If your Ca is dipping I'd look at your Alk and Mg. You don't have a high calcium load do you? Clams? I don't think you have a ton of stonies if I remember.
Not really,
No clams or SPS.
Here is my tank load currently, I haven't posted it in a while:
Tank description:
100 gallon tank
6.1 wpg MH and PC
35 gal wet/dry/sump
Protein Skimmer
UV Sterilizer (off)
1 yellow tang
1 pac blue tang
2 reef chromis
mated pair percula clowns
2 lyretail chromis
2 spotted cardinal fish
1 engineer goby
1 solo perc clown
current cleanup crew: 25 turbos, 25 blue leg hermits
Inverts: GSP, yellow colony polyp, leather coral, pulsing Xenia, 1 sand sifter star, 1 colony each of: eagle eye zoa and halloween. Toadstools, frogspawn, recovering BTA.
No clams or SPS.
Here is my tank load currently, I haven't posted it in a while:
Tank description:
100 gallon tank
6.1 wpg MH and PC
35 gal wet/dry/sump
Protein Skimmer
UV Sterilizer (off)
1 yellow tang
1 pac blue tang
2 reef chromis
mated pair percula clowns
2 lyretail chromis
2 spotted cardinal fish
1 engineer goby
1 solo perc clown
current cleanup crew: 25 turbos, 25 blue leg hermits
Inverts: GSP, yellow colony polyp, leather coral, pulsing Xenia, 1 sand sifter star, 1 colony each of: eagle eye zoa and halloween. Toadstools, frogspawn, recovering BTA.
forgot to add sorry, because I know you will ask Grins:
I test bi-weekly for:
CA
Iodine
PH
trates
Monthly for:
trites
Ammonia
PO4
I should be testing and don't:
Magnesium and Alk.
I need to find a good kit for each of those, that could explain my occassional dip in CA.
As we have discussed before, I am tempted to try the two part again, I keep waffling on that one. I should really just stop and do a couple of hours of research and do it already. I just remember reading some articles about two part solutions not working out so well for larger tanks.
I test bi-weekly for:
CA
Iodine
PH
trates
Monthly for:
trites
Ammonia
PO4
I should be testing and don't:
Magnesium and Alk.
I need to find a good kit for each of those, that could explain my occassional dip in CA.
As we have discussed before, I am tempted to try the two part again, I keep waffling on that one. I should really just stop and do a couple of hours of research and do it already. I just remember reading some articles about two part solutions not working out so well for larger tanks.
I'd use a reactor if I had a large densly populated tank. But most of your Ca pull would be coming from your frogspawn, snails, and coraline which isn't a high demand when totalled. I'd get a test kid for Alk and Mg and see where you are in balance. Your Alk could be high. Or your Mg could be out whack.
No, not a Kalk reactor but a Ca reactor: http://www.saltycritter.com/calcium-reactors/geo-calcium-reactors.htm
Joe, I use a two part on my 120 and it works just fine, IMO, mostly SPS and fairly stocked. Would like to get a reactor when I can afford it, we'll see, have to do lights first $$$.
Grins, I took pics, now pacing in my head, whether or not to put them up. How is everything going in your tank these days, Apitasia? Any thing new? I haven't check your blog for a week or so. I hope no more tickets or being drug through the woods for you, oh and I forgot about the water issue.
Matt
I think the reason that 2 parts are hard for large tanks are probably due to:
1. It would get expensive. I know the 2 part solution goes pretty fast in my 29g tank, I can only imagine how much you'd have to add to keep up with a 180!
2. When you add a lot of it at one time there's the chance of it injuring something before it disolves in the water. This would mean that you'd really (for safety sake) have to add it slowly, which would be time consuming. I use 10 mL a day of each part in my 29g, so it you had a well stocked 180 you'd probably need to add roughly 70 mL of each per day....
I think a reactor is just easier...it's automated.
1. It would get expensive. I know the 2 part solution goes pretty fast in my 29g tank, I can only imagine how much you'd have to add to keep up with a 180!
2. When you add a lot of it at one time there's the chance of it injuring something before it disolves in the water. This would mean that you'd really (for safety sake) have to add it slowly, which would be time consuming. I use 10 mL a day of each part in my 29g, so it you had a well stocked 180 you'd probably need to add roughly 70 mL of each per day....
I think a reactor is just easier...it's automated.
