00W's AIO Smorgasbord

[Calmwaters]

Feeling even better?

Yes! They make my heart happy.

 

[kingranch2003]

Beautiful brother! See, you are an enabler!

Lol thanks Keith, I can't deny this lol. I love seeing you guys get new corals!

 

[kingranch2003]

Torches remind me of ET's finger and I can't unsee it
y'all are welcome for that visual now

 

[tbrown]

Any reason why Tim? Love it

We haven't worked on the grass pit that was the raised bed. We've got some new beds for it, it just takes time and energy and when it's 100° outside...

 

[luis angel]

Not saying it's not important sir. I do believe in what he advocates. He is simply saying that testing is not necessary since the tests are so inaccurate is all.
This specifically.... "ANY time that you add calcium, add 5-10% as much magnesium (so for 10 ppm calcium, add 0.5 - 1 ppm magnesium). If coralline is the main user of alk in your tank, use the 10%, if corals are, use 5%. A lot of products, like commercial two parts, AFR, CaCO3/CO2 reactors with suitable media, and my DIY two part systems all add magnesium for you, without measurement."

For my peace of mind I have to check parameters weekly lol

 

[luis angel]

 

[Rocks reef]

Finally feeling better today than I have the rest of the week...

I am glad you are feeling better Amanda!

 

[tbrown]

With all love and respect, I've read this and I don't agree with this article. At all. To say Mg is unimportant in the ocean is imo irrelevant. We're not necessarily trying to mimic the ocean like we say we are. We're trying to be more precise, and control these small environments with as perfect parameters as possible. I dont believe our tanks would survive very many "bad ocean" days. I mean, I wouldn't dump 10 gallons of freshwater in the tank to simulate a large rain event bc sometimes that happens in nature. The ocean can replenish and turn itself over all the time. While I agree that testing mag may or may not be accurate. I dont subscribe to the theory that it has no bearing on a reef. With no other changes, I've seen benefits and it adds other trace minerals as well, and it's hard to over dose. Just my 2 cents.

I will throw my $0.02 in as well.

Some of you may remember I was having "droopy" SPS where my Montis, Birdsnest, and Anacropora were growing new growth with no skeleton?

Anyway, I tested and found my magnesium and calcium were low - mag was under 1000, calcium was like 290. Alkalinity and Phosphates were both up (10.4 alk, .83 phosphates) so growth was being encouraged. I brought the magnesium up to 1600 and calcium up to 420 and now my SPS are encrusting like crazy and my Birdsnest is working and branching like never before. Magnesium is at it's highest in a long time, calcium and alkalinity are at my normal running levels.

IME, magnesium at lower levels causes fatter growth rims/tips and slower growth, higher magnesium makes more branches and faster growth but more delicate features.

 

[Rocks reef]

Those look simply delicious!

 

[Rocks reef]

I will throw my $0.02 in as well.

Some of you may remember I was having "droopy" SPS where my Montis, Birdsnest, and Anacropora were growing new growth with no skeleton?

Anyway, I tested and found my magnesium and calcium were low - mag was under 1000, calcium was like 290. Alkalinity and Phosphates were both up (10.4 alk, .83 phosphates) so growth was being encouraged. I brought the magnesium up to 1600 and calcium up to 420 and now my SPS are encrusting like crazy and my Birdsnest is working and branching like never before. Magnesium is at it's highest in a long time, calcium and alkalinity are at my normal running levels.

IME, magnesium at lower levels causes fatter growth rims/tips and slower growth, higher magnesium makes more branches and faster growth but more delicate features.

That post wasn't meant to NOT test mag, it was simply saying you don't really need to if you are dosing extra mag with your alk and cal. Only reason I posted that is to show how inaccurate mag tests are and it's not really needed if you are dosing it responsibly. I use Randy DIY two part which has mag added and I don't test mag since if the alk and cal are in range, the mag is good to go.

 

[kevgib67]

I will throw my $0.02 in as well.

Some of you may remember I was having "droopy" SPS where my Montis, Birdsnest, and Anacropora were growing new growth with no skeleton?

Anyway, I tested and found my magnesium and calcium were low - mag was under 1000, calcium was like 290. Alkalinity and Phosphates were both up (10.4 alk, .83 phosphates) so growth was being encouraged. I brought the magnesium up to 1600 and calcium up to 420 and now my SPS are encrusting like crazy and my Birdsnest is working and branching like never before. Magnesium is at it's highest in a long time, calcium and alkalinity are at my normal running levels.

IME, magnesium at lower levels causes fatter growth rims/tips and slower growth, higher magnesium makes more branches and faster growth but more delicate features.

That was more like $.03 Tim, thanks.

 

[kevgib67]

It was 80 and sunny here yesterday!

Same! Loving it!

 

[tbrown]

That post wasn't meant to NOT test mag, it was simply saying you don't really need to if you are dosing extra mag with your alk and cal. Only reason I posted that is to show how inaccurate mag tests are and it's not really needed if you are dosing it responsibly. I use Randy DIY two part which has mag added and I don't test mag since if the alk and cal are in range, the mag is good to go.

I understand that, but even with inaccurate tests my magnesium tested very similar to what my ICP said...

 

[kevgib67]

I understand that, but even with inaccurate tests my magnesium tested very similar to what my ICP said...

I was wondering at first if I got a bad batch of salt, Fritz RPM said it’s salt mixes to 1350. I mixed up a batch and tested with Salifert and it came out exactly 1350.

 

[kevgib67]

Good morning y'all!

Good morning Wes!

 

[Rocks reef]

New additions. The lights were almost out, so the pics are aren't the greatest. Plus I was in a hurry to take them before lights out. I had a busy day yesterday. Got the boat out of storage, did spring maintenance then had to take it out since it was 80 and sunny. I did the maintenance while waiting for the torches to be dropped off. As soon as they arrived. I dipped them and put them on the rack. Fired up the truck and hit the lake!
I need to do some arranging as my euphyllia collection is growing and the tank is not. Lol.
The new tank should be here soon.
First pic is banana grail next to highlighter holy grail. The highlighter is neon yellow, the banana is a bold yellow if that makes sense.
Second pic is a master torch. Some tentacles are yellow, some green, some mixed, some striped.
Third pic, which is fuzzy and crappy, is a solid green torch. The green on it is unlike anything I've seen. It's jade green in person.
I'll get better pics when the lights are on when I get home.

 

[Rocks reef]

That was more like $.03 Tim, thanks.

Tim always has great information

 

[Rocks reef]

I understand that, but even with inaccurate tests my magnesium tested very similar to what my ICP said...

I get that and understand. I haven't sent off an ICP yet. I want to once the other tank is up and running. I'd like to have a good base point to start from.

 

[Rocks reef]

I was wondering at first if I got a bad batch of salt, Fritz RPM said it’s salt mixes to 1350. I mixed up a batch and tested with Salifert and it came out exactly 1350.

You use Fritz salt as well Kevin?

 

[tbrown]

I get that and understand. I haven't sent off an ICP yet. I want to once the other tank is up and running. I'd like to have a good base point to start from.

I've been running reef tanks for a while now. This was my first ever ICP and I was really concerned about what my tank was going to test at... I had 0 answers to any of my woes. :face-with-tears-of-joy: For a guy that doesn't do water changes, randomly adds stuff to the tank, hasn't tested in over a month, etc, etc, etc... My parameters were almost all in the green. Phosphates were high (which I knew), nitrates were low (which I knew), and lithium was high (because I use Reef Crystals).