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Second opinion needed regarding dosing / water change routine


NanoReefer147741

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NanoReefer147741

I was hoping I could get a second opinion regarding my dosing and water change routine. I have everything tracked in an Excel spreadsheet, but I'll spare you the raw data and just summarize below.

 

Tank: IM Fusion 10g, actual water volume is around 7.5 gallons

Livestock: Clownfish, orange spotted goby, cleaner shrimp, various snails/hermits

Coral livestock: Green slimer, strawberry shortcake acro, blue tip acro, red/green cauliflower, purple/green cauliflower, pink/blue montipora cap, favia, frogspawn, small acan colony, 8 head duncan,

 

Parameters:

 

- undetectable nitrates (I use the API kit, so I can't detect anything very low, but the vial is always crisp yellow)

- undetectable phosphate (same comment, API kit)

- target 9 dKH

- target 440 Ca

- target 1350 Mg

- pH fluctuates between 8.1 and 8.4, but doesn't move more than 0.1 in any given day (its more seasonal change)

 

 

Routine:

 

- Dose 5mL of part 1 and 2 (E.S.V. Bionic) every morning around 8am

- Dose 10mL to 15mL of E.S.V. magnesium as needed to maintain target, usually every 10 to 14 days

- Weekly 1 gallon water changes using Red Sea Coral Pro (I used to do 2 gallons, but the dKH swing due to the high yield of this salt would stress out my tank)

 

 

This allows the dKH to remain steady around 8.5 to 9.5, and calcium fluctuates between 400 and 440 (right now it is around 420/430, but I can live with that). Does anyone have any concerns or thoughts? Should I get a different dKH test instead of the API one I bought when I didn't know anything back in December? Does 5mL per day sound outrageous?

 

Thanks!

 

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Maybe my biggest concern is that you restrict water changes for the sake of stability. I would get another salt mix that's more in line with your target parameters. This way, water changes will not alter your water parameters (promoting stability).

 

As you know, if you are using an API phosphate kit (a high range kit), you are not really testing for phosphate. By the time you can detect it, it's at least ten times higher than recommended (with recommended levels being between 0.01 and 0.03ppm). And typically you'll have a bloom of some sort before it gets that high. However, while there are better (or sometimes easier) test kits for other parameters, API kits are better than nothing.

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NanoReefer147741

Thanks, seabass. In your opinion, is a 1 gallon change on an IM Fusion 10g (which holds around 7 gallons of water) not enough on a weekly basis?

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That's about 14%, which should be enough. Do you run a skimmer and/or use any chemical media as well?

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smeagol108

Red Sea blue bicket will allow u to keep pretty close to target levels and do as big water changes as u like.

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NanoReefer147741

That's about 14%, which should be enough. Do you run a skimmer and/or use any chemical media as well?

 

I run the IM desktop skimmer, filter floss, and chemipure elite (6.5 oz. bag rated for up to 25 gallons).

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