Is stability more important than high readings?

[Moorahs]

Hi collective brains trust,

 

So my little box of the ocean is a month old and in addition to zoas and shrooms I'm now starting to slowly add some lps - so it's time to worry about calcium and alk  

 

A water change brings me up to 400ppm calcium and a dKH of 8. Over a week that drops to 380 and 7. I get that as I continue to add more lps the consumption will rise. But anyways...

 

Given that my baseline is at the lower limit of acceptable, should I be trying to raise it? Ie do I dose immediately at water change, shoot for say 420 and 9 and then dose to maintain that? Or do I use 400 & 8 as "my normal" and just dose based on consumption to keep it there? 

 

(If this is relevant: either way, my method of raising / maintaining levels will be manual addition. I don't have an ATO - glass lid, hardly any evap - but I do have bottles of Reef Complete and Reef Carbonate )

 

thanks 

 

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

Your values are close to NSW numbers.  Stability is key.  If you want to raise it, I would double the amount of alk and calcium it's using daily to slowly bring it up to your goal.  So if it's using .15 DKH daily, add .30 DKH.  I would do that and get it to your numbers over a week or so, and then after that dose for consumption only.  That's what I am doing right now.  I would dose over a couple of times daily too rather than all at once if your manual dosing.

[Moorahs]

Thanks - I use NSW so no surprises that's where the levels are at  - I don't *want* to artificially raise it unless there's some compelling reason to... if I'm ok just maintaining it then I'd much rather leave it as nature intended (though nature didn't intend on 36l of ocean being in a box, I wasn't sure if that means a need to tweak)

[Thrassian Atoll]

Yeah, nsw levels are fine.  You might have slower growth, but colors may be better.  It all depends on your nutrient levels too.  I am trying to keep my alk around 8.0 DKH right now and calcium 420-450.

[flatlandreefer]

Dose to keep levels consistent with whatever levels your fresh salt mix mixes to, nsw in your case. 

[Moorahs]

Awesome. Thanks to both of you - guess I was overthinking again ?

[Clown79]

Stability is the most important as long as your levels are within the normal range.

 

Your numbers are fine. Unfortunately as you add lps your alk will be consumed more and then dosing will be needed.

[Moorahs]

Yup. Not sure what this says about my nerd brain, but I'm actually looking forward to needing to track consumption and adjust dosing. I think one of the reasons I've been bitten so hard by the nano reef bug is that it's such a blend of art and science...