Back into the hobby

[jshoxk]

Hey all, I’ve been out of the hobby for about 12 years recently got back in. Before I never chased numbers, rarely checked water params, also slacked on water changes and had a successful mixed reef.

Now I’m back have a 2 month old Waterbox AIO 20 cube and have since learned maybe everything I knew about reefing has changed, such as not wanting a pristine tank. Filtration I run a water sock and cheap UV filter I had then. Trying to keep it simple until I have a need for anything. I was doing 3 gallon water changes weekly, but was going to start biweekly to try to get my phos and nitrates up a bit. But they are still dropping mag and calc are high, and alk/ph low. I dose some microbacter7 and AB+.

I do have some frags sps, lps, most are doing good, except a hammer that doesn’t want to extend. I’ve got 2 clowns, watchman goby, pistol shrimp, flame shrimp, pithos crab and hermits/snails.

Test kits have checker for Phos and Alk, the rest are salifert (also have Alk salifert).

So my question is, do I chase the parameters?

I guess right now I’m thinking I should get my alk up. I am using blue and black bucket Red Sea mixed 50/50. So should I try to dose alk with baking soda or something? (Also the Hanna Alk says 7.3 but salifert says 8.6 l but I go with checker) Do a couple water changes? Or am I just over thinking it?

Thanks! Excited to be back in the hobby!

 

[jdpeters]

I think there are so many ways to skin a cat you know? I have my 40b on an embarrassingly low All For Reef dose and typically do just a weekly water change. My system is relatively young. I’m having a problem with bottomed out nutrients and Dino’s currently.

 

[jshoxk]

I think there are so many ways to skin a cat you know? I have my 40b on an embarrassingly low All For Reef dose and typically do just a weekly water change. My system is relatively young. I’m having a problem with bottomed out nutrients and Dino’s currently.

Oh ya, everyone has different opinions on what to do, but that’s where I go back and forth cause one posts says one thing, but the next says the opposite. Bottoming out the nutrients is what I’m worried about. Trying to avoid a dino fight mainly. Worried if I keep trying to do water changes to bring up alk, then I’ll bottom out completely. Have been over feeding a little, to raise phos and nitrates, but that probably is leading to lowering the alk some.

 

[BryanM]

I think there are so many ways to skin a cat you know? I have my 40b on an embarrassingly low All For Reef dose and typically do just a weekly water change. My system is relatively young. I’m having a problem with bottomed out nutrients and Dino’s currently.

This may or may not help with your choices.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

I think for initial sanity some testing is really needed. If you're going to do regular water changes, there's a lot of good info in the thread above.

 

[jdpeters]

I think there are so many ways to skin a cat you know? I have my 40b on an embarrassingly low All For Reef dose and typically do just a weekly water change. My system is relatively young. I’m having a problem with bottomed out nutrients and Dino’s currently.

Oh ya, everyone has different opinions on what to do, but that’s where I go back and forth cause one posts says one thing, but the next says the opposite. Bottoming out the nutrients is what I’m worried about. Trying to avoid a dino fight mainly. Worried if I keep trying to do water changes to bring up alk, then I’ll bottom out completely. Have been over feeding a little, to raise phos and nitrates, but that probably is leading to lowering the alk some.

Neonitro and Neophos make it easy to manage nutrients

 

[rishma]

I’d suggest this thread if looking to dose nutrients.

Have low nutrients? Here’s how you can dose them

This will be a simple glossary for the dosing options we have to raise nutrients Dosing N (nitrate, ammonia, urea, etc) If you need something available immediately, you can purchase Brightwell NeoNitro. It is more expensive and diluted, but it raises nitrate and many LFS carry it. Sodium...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dan_P]

Oh ya, everyone has different opinions on what to do, but that’s where I go back and forth cause one posts says one thing, but the next says the opposite. Bottoming out the nutrients is what I’m worried about. Trying to avoid a dino fight mainly. Worried if I keep trying to do water changes to bring up alk, then I’ll bottom out completely. Have been over feeding a little, to raise phos and nitrates, but that probably is leading to lowering the alk some.

Sounds like you have made a tentative decision to increase nitrate and phosphate. I think you made a sound observation that maintaining alkalinity is at odds with your goal of increase nitrate and phosphate.

Feeding more to increase nitrate and phosphate seems to be a hit or miss method of increasing nitrate and phosphate. The method has the unintended consequence of increasing the input of organic matter to your system, another bugaboo of the hobby. Just dose nitrate and phosphate to achieve whatever concentration goal you have.