First Time Coral Purchase Need Advice!

[TheReefDiary]

Okay so recently purchased my first corals yesterday. I have alveopora, ricordea Florida, and rock flower anemones arriving on Thursday.

By the way this is a fluval evo build. Nothing crazy.

I currently do weekly 25% water changes. I have 4 fish, 6 snails, and 4 sexy shrimp. I use a protein skimmer, sponge filter, seachem purigen and chemipure blue, as well as fluval biomedia.

Using API test kits but have salifert on the way and plan to use both in order to make sure I'm not having crazy swings. I know they are often different results but will be tracking trends. Tested my water parameters and had these results.

Nitrate - 10ppm (API test) -
PH - 8.2ppm
Alkalnity - 10 or 180ppm
Phosphate - .25ppm

Ultimately I have a few questions.

1) would you recommend not dosing in the beginning and just perform my regular water changes and test a few times a week?

2) would you run kalk?

3) is my method of using multiple tests a good idea? Can't currently justify the price of Hanna checkers for a 13.5g tank I've already spent more money than I'd like to admit on and still have a few more things to buy before the coral come.

 

[Lavey29]

You don't need purigen if you are using chemipure blue. It's already in there. Nano tanks just need weekly water changes unless you are very heavily stocked with stony corals.

 

[Mikedawg]

I don't see any reason to dose or use Kalk given your parameters. If anything I would try to lower po4.
Validity and reliability of test results is important so I would not bother with API.
In a small tank regular water changes should be enough
Good luck

 

[TheReefDiary]

I don't see any reason to dose or use Kalk given your parameters. If anything I would try to lower po4.
Validity and reliability of test results is important so I would not bother with API.
In a small tank regular water changes should be enough
Good luck

Should I run rowaphos?

 

[Reefer Matt]

I suggest just doing water changes for now. A few frags don't need anything more than that. See if you can keep the coral thriving for a few months before adding anymore. Sounds like you are on your way! Good luck!

 

[TheReefDiary]

I suggest just doing water changes for now. A few frags don't need anything more than that. See if you can keep the coral thriving for a few months before adding anymore. Sounds like you are on your way! Good luck!

Thanks, appreciate it!

 

[TheReefDiary]

I suggest just doing water changes for now. A few frags don't need anything more than that. See if you can keep the coral thriving for a few months before adding anymore. Sounds like you are on your way! Good luck!

Also definitely not purchasing more until I keep these guys alive. I kinda bought a bit more than I should have probably, got a bit carried away haha. But luckily picked ones that are relatively easy to care for.

 

[TheReefDiary]

You don't need purigen if you are using chemipure blue. It's already in there. Nano tanks just need weekly water changes unless you are very heavily stocked with stony corals.

also quick question. would you run chemipure elite then with the purigen?

 

[Dkmoo]

It sounds like your WC has a Alk @ 10dkh. With WC alone, I think you will start noticing your alk level start to slowly drop bc you are only replacing 25% what has been consumed. This will eventually reach a new equilibrium bc the lower your levels get, the more "quantity" of alk you will replace since your new water is at 10. Most consider 7dkh minimum which is the equilibrium that will be reached with 0.1dkh daily consumption and 25% weekly wc of 10DKH SW.

I think anything between 1 to 2 weekly dkh consumption you can manage with WC and manual weekly supplement. Anything more I think is when an auto doser will be helpful

 

[Lavey29]

also quick question. would you run chemipure elite then with the purigen?

You don't need purigen with either. The elite has GFO so may help lower your phosphate. You need to keep it simple with a new nano tank. Give it time to go through the ugly phases and start to get some stability. Weekly water changes. See how your first corals do and 3 months later add a few more to the tank. You want nitrates at 10 and phosphate. 05 to .1.

 

[Daniel92481]

You will be fine with regular water changes. The percentage you want to do is up to you, and your natural filtration. I like to use Hanna checkers for ALK and phosphates. I know they’re expensive, but priceless when it comes to testing your reef. Try to budget for those two. You’ll be happy you did.

 

[Mikedawg]

Should I run rowaphos?

I would minimize use of chemicals in favor of water changes for a small tank, especially a "new" one.