kabboord
03/29/2005, 01:14 PM
I've kept a soft coral tank for the last two years and in an attempt to do something other than school work, I converted my tank to start growing SPS two weeks ago. I bought some kind of purple (?) cap and a green digi two weeks ago (despite some problems with calcium--unpredictable oceanic batch sent it up to 600! and my new lights gettin up to 85 for 3 hours one day) they've been growing great and seem healthy. The digi as a tiny frag with 3 white growth tips, and its already budded 6 little branch nubs and has about 10 little white growth tups now.
Since I'm new to SPS and adapting to the more stringint water quality requirements, I've got a few questions about phosphate, carbon, filter bags, kalkwasser and what not, and any help or direction in any of those will be much appreciated. Here are my tank permitters to help anyone asnwer some of my questions:
SG:1.023
Ph 8.35day-8.25 night
temp 80 +-.5
Alk dkh8.5-11.5
Phosphate nil- 0.2
Am-NO2 nil
NO3 nil-3
Calcium 410-460 +- 20
Mg 1250-1350
light 2 (250 14k) 12 hrs
tank 90gal sys. 110 gal
Water Changes 10-20gal every 1-2 weeks
Substrate 2-3 inches of large grained argonite
110 # of Gulf live rock
1, maroon clown, 1 flame angel, 1 yellow tang
Since I've just finished changing the tank to SPS I aggressively made sure I had zero phosphate. Since I don't really trust the substrate (but havent been able to remove it; aesthetics) and the grains are too big for anarobic benefits I blow any detritus of\out of the sand and rocks once a week.
Phosphate?
Every now and then I'll get a very low trace amount of phosphate on a test and run the Kent Phosphate sponge. What is the opinion of that product. Once I get a zero phosphate reading should I remove it, or leave it in for prophalactic reasons? How often should I test phosphate once I'm sure I have it all gone and how often will I need to use the kent product?
Carbon?
I also run the Kent reef carbon to keep any Am-N02,3 problems in check. I currently run 3.5 cups in a filter bag where water most flow through it. The amount was just a guess and what happened to fit in the filter bag. Is this a good product? How often should I run it, how long should I run a bag? What kind of schedule should I use?
Calcium?
My tank's calcium level drops about 50 (ppm?) every 24 hours. I've been using the two fishes two part AB and use about 25ml of each a day. My alk drops seeming disproporitionate to my calcium and even the the two part is supposed to maintain alk, I dose abour 20ml of the kent alk buffer when I dose the calcium everynight. This stuff is kind of expensive, and in a desire to cut down on cost and keep my pH dead stablle between day and night (and I've got a bunch of extra kalkwasser mix around) I'd like to start using kalkwasser and baking soda. I just built a kalkwasser dripper. This question is kind of tricky: How much powder should I mix per 2 gallons (my evap rate for 24 hours) if I would like to raise my calcium 50 ppm by drippiing that two gallons into the tank through the course of the night? I also supliment a capful of strontium stock mixed as per the kent concentrated stront directions. Should I dose the strontium?
Mechanical Filtration?
I currently use the blue and white double spiralled whatever pads in my sump and change them out about once a week as a means of mechincal filtration. I was also going to begin using those filter socks. Can I use them on the output of my skimmer (Red Sea Berlin, big one)? This way its not pulling stuff out before it gets to the skimmer, but should still 'see' all my tank water many times. What micron filter should I use?
Refugium?
I'm not sure if I want to add a refugium (space better used for other things) given my current regimen should I be able to export nutrients and have a successful SPS reef without one
Silicon?
I recently used silicon in my kalk dripper. How long must this cure? Will it leach anything?
I will add any questions if I seem to forget anything. I appreciate any help, so if this is all to newbish.
If I people w/ SPS tanks could respond I wouuld appreciate it. As the requirements and maintnance of SPS tanks is more intensive, and what works for soft coral tanks may not cut the mustard for SPS tanks. Thanks
John
Since I'm new to SPS and adapting to the more stringint water quality requirements, I've got a few questions about phosphate, carbon, filter bags, kalkwasser and what not, and any help or direction in any of those will be much appreciated. Here are my tank permitters to help anyone asnwer some of my questions:
SG:1.023
Ph 8.35day-8.25 night
temp 80 +-.5
Alk dkh8.5-11.5
Phosphate nil- 0.2
Am-NO2 nil
NO3 nil-3
Calcium 410-460 +- 20
Mg 1250-1350
light 2 (250 14k) 12 hrs
tank 90gal sys. 110 gal
Water Changes 10-20gal every 1-2 weeks
Substrate 2-3 inches of large grained argonite
110 # of Gulf live rock
1, maroon clown, 1 flame angel, 1 yellow tang
Since I've just finished changing the tank to SPS I aggressively made sure I had zero phosphate. Since I don't really trust the substrate (but havent been able to remove it; aesthetics) and the grains are too big for anarobic benefits I blow any detritus of\out of the sand and rocks once a week.
Phosphate?
Every now and then I'll get a very low trace amount of phosphate on a test and run the Kent Phosphate sponge. What is the opinion of that product. Once I get a zero phosphate reading should I remove it, or leave it in for prophalactic reasons? How often should I test phosphate once I'm sure I have it all gone and how often will I need to use the kent product?
Carbon?
I also run the Kent reef carbon to keep any Am-N02,3 problems in check. I currently run 3.5 cups in a filter bag where water most flow through it. The amount was just a guess and what happened to fit in the filter bag. Is this a good product? How often should I run it, how long should I run a bag? What kind of schedule should I use?
Calcium?
My tank's calcium level drops about 50 (ppm?) every 24 hours. I've been using the two fishes two part AB and use about 25ml of each a day. My alk drops seeming disproporitionate to my calcium and even the the two part is supposed to maintain alk, I dose abour 20ml of the kent alk buffer when I dose the calcium everynight. This stuff is kind of expensive, and in a desire to cut down on cost and keep my pH dead stablle between day and night (and I've got a bunch of extra kalkwasser mix around) I'd like to start using kalkwasser and baking soda. I just built a kalkwasser dripper. This question is kind of tricky: How much powder should I mix per 2 gallons (my evap rate for 24 hours) if I would like to raise my calcium 50 ppm by drippiing that two gallons into the tank through the course of the night? I also supliment a capful of strontium stock mixed as per the kent concentrated stront directions. Should I dose the strontium?
Mechanical Filtration?
I currently use the blue and white double spiralled whatever pads in my sump and change them out about once a week as a means of mechincal filtration. I was also going to begin using those filter socks. Can I use them on the output of my skimmer (Red Sea Berlin, big one)? This way its not pulling stuff out before it gets to the skimmer, but should still 'see' all my tank water many times. What micron filter should I use?
Refugium?
I'm not sure if I want to add a refugium (space better used for other things) given my current regimen should I be able to export nutrients and have a successful SPS reef without one
Silicon?
I recently used silicon in my kalk dripper. How long must this cure? Will it leach anything?
I will add any questions if I seem to forget anything. I appreciate any help, so if this is all to newbish.
If I people w/ SPS tanks could respond I wouuld appreciate it. As the requirements and maintnance of SPS tanks is more intensive, and what works for soft coral tanks may not cut the mustard for SPS tanks. Thanks
John