Help me achieve on how to reef.

[NitrateKillah]

Evening All,

My success is horrible. I like to start reefing right, I have purchased a dosing pump for my 2 part and other elements.

I will be using IO Reef Crystals, I also will be checking the parameters for 8 DKH, 1400 Mag, 450 Cal. I will add those if needed, I like to know if I will be successful before trying other frags. Do I still need to test my water for a single SPS daily? Google says weekly is fine, since the uptake is very little.

I do not have a problem dosing or checking, just looking for advice if anyone here ever kept a single frag and what was needed on your end.

Thank you for helpful and KIND advice.

 

[Subsea]

Evening All,

My success is horrible. I like to start reefing right, I have purchased a dosing pump for my 2 part and other elements.

I will be using IO Reef Crystals, I also will be checking the parameters for 8 DKH, 1400 Mag, 450 Cal. I will add those if needed, I like to know if I will be successful before trying other frags. Do I still need to test my water for a single SPS daily? Google says weekly is fine, since the uptake is very little.

I do not have a problem dosing or checking, just looking for advice if anyone here ever kept a single frag and what was needed on your end.

Thank you for helpful and KIND advice.

Consider starting a tank journal where all information is in one place.

What size tank?

Describe your biofiltration? Do you have a sump, refugium or protein skimmer?

“My success is horrible“
A full tank picture with white light would help me evaluate your ecosystem.

@NitrateKillah
Keeping SPS is not the best method of ensuring success. I suggest soft corals which are not as demanding.

Weekly testing and partial water changes are well established protocol.

 

[tzabor10]

Weekly testing is good but dosing for the first time can be hard. You should adjust things slowly. The best way to tell if the parameters are correct is to test again. Buying beginner SPS should increase success. Highly recommend the 52 weeks of reefing on YouTube

 

[Ron Reefman]

You might have been better off with a hearty LPS rather than an SPS to start with. However, you are right, with just one coral the Ca and alk uptake will be limited.

Testing weekly is fine once you have things going smoothly. But until then every day or every other day until you are sure things are OK. I dose 2 tanks (40g & 20g) manually every morning and I only test once a week (Monday mornings without fail).

Are you 100% sure you are through the nitrogen cycle? Have you been testing for Ammonia & Nitrite?

Knowing how big your tank is and what kind of light you have would be very helpful. The light is more important for the SPS coral than any other type of coral. Also, what kind of filtration are you employing with this tank? With just one coral you shouldn't need much. But you didn't mention if you already have fish andor CUC in the tank. And what and how much you might be feeding them?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

sps are the more difficult corals, suggest to start with soft corals which are considered "easy", then move on to lps, and then finally sps.

Dosing is a very small part of being successful, what about the lights, the flow, tank maturity, filtration, etc...?