Water changes for water chemistry

[Zerc]

So far I have not noticed any problems in my reef. I keep approximately 10 kinds of zoas/palys, a chalice, some mushrooms, an anemone, a torch, and an m. Setosa. I have a 75 gallon DT with a 55 gallon refugium, total water is probably in the area of 100 gallons after you account for rocks and equipment. I know that i need to maintain calcium and ph for my stony corals to maintain their health. I do not own calcium or ph supplements or their respective test kits. I do a 10% water change every week using brightwell reef salt. None of my frags are particularly large yet, but everything is growing. My setosa has not had its polyps out as much, but I recently bought a phosban reactor and it seems to be getting better (i discovered that some of my rocks are leeching phosphates).

How long should I expect these water changes to be able to maintain healthy water chemistry?

 

[NanaReefer]

The best possible answer to your question is....get a reliable reef test kit. This will tell you exactly what your corals are using up. Most importantly they tell when the 3 majors (ALK-CA-MAG) are in balance.
More often then not your ALK will deplete quicker then your CA and your MAG helps balance the 2. But without testing you wont know.


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[Eileen60]

The best possible answer to your question is....get a reliable reef test kit. This will tell you exactly what your corals are using up. Most importantly they tell when the 3 majors (ALK-CA-MAG) are in balance.
More often then not your ALK will deplete quicker then your CA and your MAG helps balance the 2. But without testing you wont know.


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I agree with this statement.

 

[1guydude]

+1 alkalinity or dkh will drop 1st imoe. 2 part dosing is usually the 1st step in the calcium battle. Ur tank imo by than will have lots or coraline algae and ur w/c s won't keep up with demand.
So watsup with ur rocks leeking phosphates??? I think ur phophates may just b to low to read. Still effects corals and algaes though.
Hths
-d

 

[senji]

i just use a kalk reactor on the auto top off. works very well on a mixed reef i dose mag 1ce every 2 weeks. more times than not magnesium is causing cal and alk problems. and i believe is the most important thing to monitor if doing a regular water change schedule.

 

[Zerc]

Nope, my phosphates were above .75 ppm. I have some lace rock... but it has coral glued all over it so I want to keep it. What chemical should I get for dosing calcium?

 

[senji]

use bulk reef supply's 2 part or start using kalk wasser. it doses for calcium and helps raise ph as well

 

[1guydude]

Research 2 part dosing. Lots of makers.

 

[Zerc]

wow, I just went to BRA and test kits are expensive... 1 calcium test kit is almost $40! but I need Calcium, Alk, and PH right?

 

[mfinn]

Ca., alk., and mag. test kits
I really don't see any reason you should have to dose ca. and alk. But if your going to dose those two, you may need to dose mag. It all ties in together.
But with low ca. and alk demand corals, regular water changes should keep things in check for now.

 

[Eileen60]

wow, I just went to BRA and test kits are expensive... 1 calcium test kit is almost $40! but I need Calcium, Alk, and PH right?

Yeah those test kits are expensive. I'd buy Alk, Ca and Mg.

 

[senji]

mg too its cheaper in the long run to buy hanna checkers or pinpoint meters.

 

[Zerc]

None of my corals are more than "frags" atm, my chalice is the biggest and it is only about 2" across. I just don't want things to get away from me.

Coraline algae (purple and red) is starting to grow, but there is not a huge amt of it yet. Now that my phosphates are under control I wanted to start with another parameter, but it sounds like I will have to do three at once! This is fine, just going to take a little longer than expected. I will get my water tested tomorrow at BRA for ph/cal to see where it stands. I did a water change day before yesterday.

 

[Zerc]

Once I know where my parameters are atm I guess I will have a better idea of what I need to start dosing. (darn it, i was going to buy an acan this weekend too!)

 

[mfinn]

Once I know where my parameters are atm I guess I will have a better idea of what I need to start dosing.

Like I said you really shouldn't need to dose anything, with the corals you have.
Water changes will do wonders.

 

[Zerc]

That would be awesome

I do plan on getting one acan and probably a 2nd chalice, hopefully that won't be too much of a load.

 

[NanaReefer]

That would be awesome

I do plan on getting one acan and probably a 2nd chalice, hopefully that won't be too much of a load.

PM sent to you zerc!!


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[rayjay]

I'm curious as to how you discovered phosphate leaching from the rocks if you haven't isolated the rock in new water and then found phosphates later.
You most certainly are getting more phosphates from the food you add than what leaches from the rock, unless your rock came previously from a phosphate laden tank and had been that way for some time.
Every time you feed whatever food you want to the tank, you are feeding phosphates, just more with some foods than others. All foods have natural phosphates in them, but many use added phosphates as preservatives.

 

[Zerc]

I feed 1/2 of a cube of mysis shrimp daily. My refuguim is full of algae, and I do a 10% wc weekly. Lace rock is known to leech phosphates. BRA also suggested that this is probably what it is.
What else could it be?

 

[mfinn]

While I said that right now you really don't need to dose ca. alk. and mag., it would be worth it to start picking up those test kits.
If you plan on keeping corals that do put a demand on those elements, then having a good tool kit is a good idea.
And since you think you have a phosphate problem, a phosphate test kit should be included.