Unfortunately, I do not have pictures with results because this was back when I was 15 years old, with no social media accounts, and no knowledge of reef forums. Worst yet, I never had a phone until I became 18 (I'm 20 now). However, I did some experiments back in the day and it all started with one chart from Red Sea that my friend showed me.
Majority of us know that Alkalinity correlates with skeleton growth and Nitrogen and Phosphorus correlates with tissue growth as they are part of the building blocks of life (along with Carbon). However, not many people know about proper ratios, which is important for the pace of skeleton growth in conjunction with tissue growth. Doesn't mean you can't have success without knowing this, but results can be more prominent when you apply those ratios the proper way.
Many people keep Alk. at around 8, and high nutrients like 0.08 ppm PO4 and 10 ppm NO3 (yes that is high!). At best they get sufficient growth, but I want the best of the best for my animals.
I started my first acro growout tank (DIY 48x24x12, 60g) with 12 dkH, 0.1 ppm PO4, and 2 ppm NO3. No protein skimmer, just a refugium that had a volume of 10% of the display with a return pump that gave 10x turnover. I did water changes or dosed KNO3:KPO4 in a 16:1 ratio depending on NO3 and PO4 levels. Used a Korallin CaRX with TLF Reborn with occasional Kalk to supply Ca and Alk. and maintain optimal pH. Dosed Seachem Potassium, Magnesium, Strontium, Iron, Reef Plus, Lugol's , and TLF Acropower every Tuesday and Saturday using recommended dosage. Broadcasted zooplankton every night. PAR was 400-500, close to evenly distributed with 3 EM Radion XR15 Pro Gen 3 hung up pretty high. Flow was achieved using 2 VorTechs MP40s, giving me about 60 times turnover (70x in total with the return). The acros grown was Oregon Tort (Acropora Tortuosa), SC OP (Acropora Tenuis), and Strawberry Shortcake (Acropora Microclados). All started at 1". There was only one fish which was a Splendid Pencil Wrasse (Pseudojuloides Splendens).
Growth was slow at the beginning, but after first month, I had insane growth. I was getting 2-3 inches depending on species per month. However, color was dull. Oregon Tort was like dirty purple. SC OP was dark turquoise with dark orange polyps. SSC was brownish green with dirty pink corallites. After 5 months, the Oregon Tort was growing out of the water and the acros were almost touching. So I trimmed them and started lowering parameters very slowly by lowering dosage and effluent output each week until I got 7 dkH, 0.01 PO4, and >1 NO3. Took about a month. Then it took another few months for my acros to finally color up. Coral growth was almost halted under these parameters, but the color was amazing.
Then I wondered, what if I went with the middle? So I started a new experiment, same as above but now with two tanks (taller this time, 18" height). One tank has the method I have explained above. The other tank was just going to a consistent 9.25 dkH, 0.05-0.08 ppm PO4 and 1 ppm NO3.
Tank with 9.25 dkH grew half as the 12-7 dkH tank with only growing around 1, maybe 2, inches per month. However, acros in 9.25 dkH had MUCH better coloring, almost as good as 7 dkH, but not amazing. By 5-6 months when the acros in the 12-7 dkH tank got around the 12 inch mark, I started to lower parameters. Took another few months til the acros to color up nicely. However, there was a twist.
By the time the acros in the 12-7 dkH tank colored up, the acros in the 9.25 dkH grew MORE by then, with nice coloration as mentioned previously (not as good as 7dkH though).
The 12-7 dkH method is a great method for someone who wants a well established reef display fast, while the 9.25 dkH method is great for someone who does aquaculture and/or has a fragging business.
The biggest difficulty of this experiment was maintaining optimal NO3 and PO4 levels. This tends to be a common issue with a lot of reefers.
Lower Alk. is only better for low nutrient tanks. As I mentioned, nutrients correlate to tissue growth while alkalinity correlates to skeleton growth. In low nutrient tanks, high alkalinity will cause the skeleton to grow faster than the tissue, resulting in burnt tips in mainly acros. With low Alk., you won't get the growth, but you will have amazing colors. This is more catered to fully matured reef packed with colonies.
However, people with high Alk. can combat low nutrients (in most cases from nutrient export doing too much) with broadcasting any form of zooplankton every night. That is somewhat how the ocean works as well. Despite very low nutrients in NSW, corals consume zooplankton (not as much as you think though), during night to compensate for nutrients (N and P). However, NSW's Alk. is at 7, so low nutrients is not a big deal in the ocean. Tanks with higher dkH and lower nutrients will definitely benefit from feeding.
In higher nutrient tanks, lower alkalinity would create poor coloration with poor growth. With higher alkalinity along with higher nutrients, both can keep up with each other's pace resulting in much faster tissue and skeleton growth, however, due to higher nutrients, you won't get those amazing colors. More catered to frags that you just want to grow out fast as possible.
In conclusion, applying proper ratios of nutrients and elements can result in more prominent success. My new acro growout build will go with the 9.25 dkH method just because stability is key and the fact that I will be fragging a lot in this tank.
Thank you Earl and Karl who made this experiment possible.
Majority of us know that Alkalinity correlates with skeleton growth and Nitrogen and Phosphorus correlates with tissue growth as they are part of the building blocks of life (along with Carbon). However, not many people know about proper ratios, which is important for the pace of skeleton growth in conjunction with tissue growth. Doesn't mean you can't have success without knowing this, but results can be more prominent when you apply those ratios the proper way.
Many people keep Alk. at around 8, and high nutrients like 0.08 ppm PO4 and 10 ppm NO3 (yes that is high!). At best they get sufficient growth, but I want the best of the best for my animals.
I started my first acro growout tank (DIY 48x24x12, 60g) with 12 dkH, 0.1 ppm PO4, and 2 ppm NO3. No protein skimmer, just a refugium that had a volume of 10% of the display with a return pump that gave 10x turnover. I did water changes or dosed KNO3:KPO4 in a 16:1 ratio depending on NO3 and PO4 levels. Used a Korallin CaRX with TLF Reborn with occasional Kalk to supply Ca and Alk. and maintain optimal pH. Dosed Seachem Potassium, Magnesium, Strontium, Iron, Reef Plus, Lugol's , and TLF Acropower every Tuesday and Saturday using recommended dosage. Broadcasted zooplankton every night. PAR was 400-500, close to evenly distributed with 3 EM Radion XR15 Pro Gen 3 hung up pretty high. Flow was achieved using 2 VorTechs MP40s, giving me about 60 times turnover (70x in total with the return). The acros grown was Oregon Tort (Acropora Tortuosa), SC OP (Acropora Tenuis), and Strawberry Shortcake (Acropora Microclados). All started at 1". There was only one fish which was a Splendid Pencil Wrasse (Pseudojuloides Splendens).
Growth was slow at the beginning, but after first month, I had insane growth. I was getting 2-3 inches depending on species per month. However, color was dull. Oregon Tort was like dirty purple. SC OP was dark turquoise with dark orange polyps. SSC was brownish green with dirty pink corallites. After 5 months, the Oregon Tort was growing out of the water and the acros were almost touching. So I trimmed them and started lowering parameters very slowly by lowering dosage and effluent output each week until I got 7 dkH, 0.01 PO4, and >1 NO3. Took about a month. Then it took another few months for my acros to finally color up. Coral growth was almost halted under these parameters, but the color was amazing.
Then I wondered, what if I went with the middle? So I started a new experiment, same as above but now with two tanks (taller this time, 18" height). One tank has the method I have explained above. The other tank was just going to a consistent 9.25 dkH, 0.05-0.08 ppm PO4 and 1 ppm NO3.
Tank with 9.25 dkH grew half as the 12-7 dkH tank with only growing around 1, maybe 2, inches per month. However, acros in 9.25 dkH had MUCH better coloring, almost as good as 7 dkH, but not amazing. By 5-6 months when the acros in the 12-7 dkH tank got around the 12 inch mark, I started to lower parameters. Took another few months til the acros to color up nicely. However, there was a twist.
By the time the acros in the 12-7 dkH tank colored up, the acros in the 9.25 dkH grew MORE by then, with nice coloration as mentioned previously (not as good as 7dkH though).
The 12-7 dkH method is a great method for someone who wants a well established reef display fast, while the 9.25 dkH method is great for someone who does aquaculture and/or has a fragging business.
The biggest difficulty of this experiment was maintaining optimal NO3 and PO4 levels. This tends to be a common issue with a lot of reefers.
Lower Alk. is only better for low nutrient tanks. As I mentioned, nutrients correlate to tissue growth while alkalinity correlates to skeleton growth. In low nutrient tanks, high alkalinity will cause the skeleton to grow faster than the tissue, resulting in burnt tips in mainly acros. With low Alk., you won't get the growth, but you will have amazing colors. This is more catered to fully matured reef packed with colonies.
However, people with high Alk. can combat low nutrients (in most cases from nutrient export doing too much) with broadcasting any form of zooplankton every night. That is somewhat how the ocean works as well. Despite very low nutrients in NSW, corals consume zooplankton (not as much as you think though), during night to compensate for nutrients (N and P). However, NSW's Alk. is at 7, so low nutrients is not a big deal in the ocean. Tanks with higher dkH and lower nutrients will definitely benefit from feeding.
In higher nutrient tanks, lower alkalinity would create poor coloration with poor growth. With higher alkalinity along with higher nutrients, both can keep up with each other's pace resulting in much faster tissue and skeleton growth, however, due to higher nutrients, you won't get those amazing colors. More catered to frags that you just want to grow out fast as possible.
In conclusion, applying proper ratios of nutrients and elements can result in more prominent success. My new acro growout build will go with the 9.25 dkH method just because stability is key and the fact that I will be fragging a lot in this tank.
Thank you Earl and Karl who made this experiment possible.
Magnesium I like to keep it high, at around 1400, no lower than 1350. Helps with stability.
However, Ca and Mg levels aren't as important as long they are in good range. As long as your Alk. is stable, no need to chase numbers.