REEF ?

[plinko60]

after all of my water parameters are stable, what #s should i look at to get my corals to grow.

 

[kkeller416]

Calcium and alk are the main ones..the more coral you add the more you have to supplement..
starting a good test schedule and tank maintenance is critical for healthy livestock

 

[Chris A.]

Calcium 380-500
Alk 7-11
Magnesium ~ 1350

Main thing is consistency. Don’t let those levels fluctuate and your there. Remember every time you add hard corals specially sps those numbers will need to be checked and if needed adjusted.

 

[plinko60]

ok got it, only have a little 32 biocube led ..... so only lps and i will do water changes 1-2 weeks..... can anyone recommend a good test kit

 

[Chris A.]

It’s going to be a personal preference,
I like salifert for most tests and use Hanna checker ulr phosphorus for phosphate.

 

[Chris A.]

If you’re going only lps you might not even need to dose if you do weekly water changes.
I’d just use the salt brand the has the numbers you like , that way you don’t chang them with water changes

 

[Jaime]

Correct me if I am misunderstanding what I am reading. So with weekly water changes and the proper salt I can have softies? Without any Carbon reactor or Phosphate remover. I do have a larger skimmer and vu

 

[aresangel]

That should be correct. Calcium alkalinity and magnesium are used up in skeleton formation. If you are keeping leathers and zoas you should be able to maintain parameters with water changes. But you should still test somewhat regularly. Lps tend to use up alkalinity and calcium at slower rates than sps because lps grow slower. Sps grow faster and drain calcium and alkalinity from the tank faster. Test regularly to see what they use up. If water changes restore the levels you desire then no need to dose.


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[Chris A.]

Correct , even lps can be maintained for a long time just on water changes.
I’d still run carbon to keep the water clean and clear.

 

[Jaime]

Any particular salt that's best for reefing?

 

[JohnK]

Best value is probably instant ocean. That said, some of the others have elevated Ca/Alk which would be advantageous if you are going with frequent water changes to maintain those parameters.

Here's a link you might want to read;
http://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/best-aquarium-salt-mix-review-popular-reef-salt-mix-options/

 

[cilyjr]

any salt mix commercially available will work. there are some things to be aware of.

1. many salt mixes have been selling a product with extremely elevated levels of alk and calcium. The issue is much precipitates out before it becomes bio-available. some have gotten so high that they post very specific instructions for mixing due to the chance of a massive calcium precipitation event.

2. the most expensive salt mixes (usually) are anhydrous. is there an advantage? well possibly. if one is going to store large amounts for a long period of time, then an anhydrous salt should not have any negative effects from water crystallization, provided it is in a sealed container. also consider less product is required to mix to 35ppt as there is no water weight. that said its probable minimal.

3. seachem salts use a lot of borate in their salt mix this can confuse the karbonate hardness test kits to give false high readings when using seachem salt its best to use either their test kits for alk or make sure the kit you choose measures total alkalinity over KH. for reference salifert measures KH.

 

[cilyjr]

Correct me if I am misunderstanding what I am reading. So with weekly water changes and the proper salt I can have softies? Without any Carbon reactor or Phosphate remover. I do have a larger skimmer and vu

I assume by carbon reactor you mean a tube to actively run filter carbon and not a biopellet reactor (carbon as a food source for bacteria). This and a po4 binder like GFO (granular ferric oxide) have very little to do with alkalinity and calcium supplementation.

I'm trying to be clear here as the thread seems to be leaning toward alk and ca supplementation. regular water changes can help with all of the above but one does not necessarily negate the other. There may be a circumstance where regular water changes will be sufficient for maintaining ca and alk but filter carbon might be beneficial for the removal any number of organics.

I may be over complicating it for the OP. At the end of the day, stable water closely resembling the characteristics of natural seawater will allow for coral growth, however one gets there.