2 part,dosing increasing

[stingythingy45]

Holy smokes.
Since I got the SPS in the tank and the new halide lights.
I went from dosing 3- 30ml shots of alk/Ca to 6-30ml.
Oh man,I can't get a calcium reactor yet.

 

[JayM]

welcome to SPS-level consumption fed by halides Wait til you have more of them.

if it's any consolation, I add at least 1-2 hand fulls of Ca, 1-2 handfuls of Magflake and 1 handfuls of baked baking soda to my week's worth of topoff water. One of these weeks I'll check my levels and make sure they're OK.

The simple fact is, if my xenia pulses in my tank, the alk is on, and if my birdsnest look happy, my Mg is on, and when my acro and caps put out new growth, I know Ca is about right. The other 'sensor' is coralline growth.

Also, If the growth of HA in the overflow, and cheato in the refugium isn't bad, I know phosphates are in check.

The only thing I do watch is pH by sensor, salinity 1x a week or so, and nitrates right before a water change to see if I need to make it any bigger. Even after totally tearing down my 72 3 weeks ago, and moving it 8 feet to do the kitchen floors, I never saw detectable nitrates.

All in all, my hands-off lazy, keep-your-hands-out-of-the-tank husbandry has led me to the most success with my tanks......

 

[stingythingy45]

No detectable nitrates,Jay?
I guess that RDSB is working really well for you.

 

[SharkLover]

The simple fact is, if my xenia pulses in my tank, the alk is on, and if my birdsnest look happy, my Mg is on, and when my acro and caps put out new growth, I know Ca is about right. The other 'sensor' is coralline growth.

Also, If the growth of HA in the overflow, and cheato in the refugium isn't bad, I know phosphates are in check.

great observations. thank you for the wise insight.

 

[JayM]

in fairness, my system is a few years old now, and intentionally way over-engineered for low maintenance.

There are 2 tanks upstairs, a 72, and a 92. They connect together to over 300 gallons in my basement fish room. The 150 sump must have 300 pounds of LR in it for nitrate export. I have a WHOLE 40g breeder for a cheato fuge. I have another 40G breeder as an RDSB, another 40g breeder as a frag tank, and another 40g breeder the skimmer sits in - where an askoll powered sick cone skimmer skims wet all the time.. Add in a timeout tank, and 15 gallons as a slow-flow cryptic zone full of LR rubble and sponge, and you start to get the picture.

as you get deeper into the hobby, you can almost start to get the zen of your system, and can see by observation what your tests will only confirm.

I'll stop going all new age-y now, I might lose my rep as a crank here.

 

[stingythingy45]

"I might lose my rep as a crank here."

That'll never happen.
Man,I keep forgetting how much more you've added to you're system over the past few years.

 

[UncleJT]

heh, my new system isn't even up yet and I'm already looking to expand it.

 

[JayM]

yeah, just about got it the way I wanted it....too bad it's all coming down next month.....

big moving sale FS threads coming soon to a forum near you.

 

[stingythingy45]

yeah, just about got it the way I wanted it....too bad it's all coming down next month.....

big moving sale FS threads coming soon to a forum near you.

Seriously?

Are you moving,downsizing?

 

[Joel A]

fwiw i don't have any detectable nitrates either...

but i did allow phosphate to creep up on me recently, and since i added a large cap to my tank CA dropped a bit more than i wanted..

that orange cap you've got their will literally EAT ca/alk bob.. it's amazing how much those things consume.

 

[stingythingy45]

fwiw i don't have any detectable nitrates either...

but i did allow phosphate to creep up on me recently, and since i added a large cap to my tank CA dropped a bit more than i wanted..

that orange cap you've got their will literally EAT ca/alk bob.. it's amazing how much those things consume.

I had some nitrates but did a water change last weekend and it went back to 0.
That orange cap is huge now.I'm not able to run my magfloat across the front glass by it.The cap closed a that gap in a just over a weeks time.
I also have a green cap with purple rim.That one got inhabited by a rhodactis mushroom that I had to kill.It had a 1 inch size dead spot before I got the halides.Now it closing that wound and doing the swirl.
I might have to frag that orange very soon.

 

[stingythingy45]

Here's a picture taken a few weeks ago.
I've moved the large toadstool down to the lower right corner.
I broke one of the outer pedals of the cap off and it was like 4 1/2 inches long.
Took it to the lfs for credit.