New Reefer Advice

[TheMikeLane]

I started my first reef tank a few months ago. Its been through a cycle and it looks like it's doing good! 

 

The tank is 10g with Kessil a80

1 Kenya Tree

1 Meteor Shower Cyph

1 Clown

1 Firefish

1 Nassarius snail (laying eggs like crazy)

 

Parameters:

Salinity- 1.024

Calcium- 490

PH- 8.1

KH-  13.5 - 14 (hard to judge)

NO2- 0

NO3- <1

PO4- .03

Ammonia- 0

Mg- 1400

Fe- 0 - .05

K- 400 

I2- .07 - .08

 

I was dosing NoPOx (.2ml and <) to control algae and high PO4 before adding fish for about 2 weeks. At the same time dosing RS Reef Energy AB for the tree and cyph, which look healthy. I havent started dosing RS Foundation or Trace Elements. I have them both and my knowlege base is expanding quickly but I need some guidance. 

 

Thanks!

[Clown79]

I'd stop dosing nopox, especially if you don't have a powerful skimmer.

 

You have barely any nitrates and your phos is right at the lowest point it should be.

 

As for all the other products to dose, you don't really have enough in the tank to need any of those products.

 

 

[naothan]

holy moley ! i change my water 1ce a week and i thought i was stringent

[Spencer7]

Lower your alkalinity to like 9dKH. Get a thick sheet of white paper to use as a background, please. 

 

Add some more coral! Eventually, you can dose some Lugol's (Iodine) but you don't need to dose anything with this tank as is. Just do a small water change every 2-4 weeks.

 

Be consistent. Your organics are fine. 

[TheMikeLane]

8 hours ago, Spencer7 said:

Lower your alkalinity to like 9dKH. Get a thick sheet of white paper to use as a background, please. 

 

Add some more coral! Eventually, you can dose some Lugol's (Iodine) but you don't need to dose anything with this tank as is. Just do a small water change every 2-4 weeks.

 

Be consistent. Your organics are fine. 

I am going to put a black bg when I move next week. Thankfully its only 10g bc we all know moving tanks sucks. I know I dont need to dose until the elements are used and not enough coral to make much depletion yet. So far so good I think.

10 hours ago, naothan said:

holy moley ! i change my water 1ce a week and i thought i was stringent

Eventually you will need to do more than just change water.

[TheMikeLane]

19 hours ago, Clown79 said:

I'd stop dosing nopox, especially if you don't have a powerful skimmer.

 

You have barely any nitrates and your phos is right at the lowest point it should be.

 

As for all the other products to dose, you don't really have enough in the tank to need any of those products.

 

 

I dont dose NoPOx anymore and i have a HOB skimmer and filter for a 50g tank. This tank is 10g. My skim, filter and flow doing good. Eventually there will be more life in the tank requiring supplementing.

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, TheMikeLane said:

I dont dose NoPOx anymore and i have a HOB skimmer and filter for a 50g tank. This tank is 10g. My skim, filter and flow doing good. Eventually there will be more life in the tank requiring supplementing.

Yes but for right now you have 2 corals which doesn't consume much or require more than waterchanges.

 

There are hobbyists with full reefs that don't dose amino's.

 

 

In a tank that is fairly new, it's best to focus on allowing the system to mature, get your parameters balanced and stable.

[TheMikeLane]

Im going to order a Hanna checker and compare with Red Sea test. In the meantime, thanks for the advice as any and all is welcome! I'll keep testing and posting for all to see! 🙂