Dosing and testing

[neptune22]

Have a 5 gallon reef with lots of lps that aren't growing much, dont dose just water change with reef crystals. Need to start taking better care of them by testing, what do I absolutely need to test for to make them grow, can I just test calcium or do I also need alkilinity and magnesium? What are some good test kits that are acruarete but wont break the bank. Should I dose something, if so what?

Thanks

[Tamberav]

Alk is the most important factor. I test Ca and Mg rarely just to make sure they are in line.

 

You only dose for what is being used by growth (including Coraline). 

 

That being said...these parameters may not be an issue at all since you do regular water changes. 

 

Lighting and flow are important and corals also need some nutrients.

 

Feeding the LPS that have mouths will increase growth.

[neptune22]

6 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Alk is the most important factor. I test Ca and Mg rarely just to make sure they are in line.

 

You only dose for what is being used by growth (including Coraline). 

 

That being said...these parameters may not be an issue at all since you do regular water changes. 

 

Lighting and flow are important and corals also need some nutrients.

 

Feeding the LPS that have mouths will increase growth.

Thanks for the response, so I really only need to test alkilinty? Is there anything else I need to test for? I also do feed my corals but mainly only my duncan.

[Tamberav]

5 hours ago, neptune22 said:

Thanks for the response, so I really only need to test alkilinty? Is there anything else I need to test for? I also do feed my corals but mainly only my duncan.

I would still test Ca and Mg just to make sure they are correct but I use a 2 part and dose based off my alk which I test alk frequently....once or twice a week. The Ca and Mg I test maybe once a month.

 

I use Hanna for alk and red sea or salifert for the others.

[Clown79]

There are alot things that effect the health and growth of coral.

 

Alk, phos, nitrate, lighting, flow.

 

I check phos and nitrate weekly because you need those present in the tank.

 

Alk is twice a week but to determine if dosing is needed, you got to check every day for a week from waterchange to waterchange. Only way to know where alk starts and how much is used by the tank.

 

I use hanna for alk and phos

 

Salifert for nitrate(get same results with api)

 

Salifert for ca and mag