How are my numbers?

[Starry Night Reef]

Still trying to track down some problems I've had with my tank. Seems I've been running into one problem or another. Dosed ruby rally pro and kick ich and lost a bunch of corals. Everything started to make a comeback. I added a skimmer and all my zoas lost their color after growing like weeds.

I don't test my water regularly, though I may start now. I think maybe the zoa's problem was the addition of the skimmer? My nitrates dropped pretty dramatically.

Also, started tank off with reef crystals, then switched to tropic marin pro, and am considering switching to red sea coral pro as it's less expensive and easier to get. I didn't like the way IO reef crystals left my mixing bin, otherwise I'd stick with them .


Anything stand out with my numbers?
Tank is heavy LPS.

Also, what ICP company does everyone recommend?

Thanks!

 

[bluemon]

I recommend doing a bit more research into everything, seems like you’re just doing things on the fly.

One thing I can tell you from the get go is that the Alk is a bit too low. You want to be in the 7-8 range.

Your nitrates could probably be higher given your phos level, maybe around 10-15.

You can try feeding more but I wouldn’t turn off the skimmer.

Ruby rally pro doesn’t cure and kick ich do not cure ich.

And I wouldn’t use broad medications in the DT even if it is supposedly reef safe.

Also, I don’t see a point in ICP if you do not regularly test the main parameters yourself.

The most I can actually recommend a hobbyist do is couple times a year for a sanity check on trace elements.

But again I don’t find too much benefits in that. Just test the big numbers yourself

 

[Starry Night Reef]

I recommend doing a bit more research into everything, seems like you’re just doing things on the fly.

One thing I can tell you from the get go is that the Alk is a bit too low. You want to be in the 7-8 range.

Your nitrates could probably be higher given your phos level, maybe around 10-15.

You can try feeding more but I wouldn’t turn off the skimmer.

Ruby rally pro doesn’t cure and kick ich do not cure ich.

And I wouldn’t use broad medications in the DT even if it is supposedly reef safe.

Yea, learned my lesson about medications.
On the fly used to work with my tanks back in the day, but now it's killing me lol

Can't figure out why I keep having such low alk though.

 

[bluemon]

Yea, learned my lesson about medications.
On the fly used to work with my tanks back in the day, but now it's killing me lol

Can't figure out why I keep having such low alk though.

I added a bit about ICP in the original comment as well but:

What do you dose into the tank?

And why aren’t you measuring calcium along with all and magnesium?

 

[Starry Night Reef]

I added a bit about ICP in the original comment as well but:

What do you dose into the tank?

And why aren’t you measuring calcium along with all and magnesium?

Ah ok, thanks I see the info about the ICP. I don’t currently dose anything, Have an auto feeder that feeds x3 a day and I usually squirt a few drops of
NYOS brine shrimp into the tank in the morning.

Only reason I don’t check Ca is because I haven’t purchased a Ca test yet lol I was researching them and eventually forgot to actually buy one.

I hate switching up salts as I know it’s rough on stability. But Red Sea has a much higher ALK, If I start with 10% weekly water changes, does the salt switch make sense?

Thank for all your replies so far!

 

[bluemon]

I added a bit about ICP in the original comment as well but:

What do you dose into the tank?

And why aren’t you measuring calcium along with all and magnesium?

Ah ok, thanks I see the info about the ICP. I don’t currently dose anything, Have an auto feeder that feeds x3 a day and I usually squirt a few drops of
NYOS brine shrimp into the tank in the morning.

Only reason I don’t check Ca is because I haven’t purchased a Ca test yet lol I was researching them and eventually forgot to actually buy one.

I hate switching up salts as I know it’s rough on stability. But Red Sea has a much higher ALK, If I start with 10% weekly water changes, does the salt switch make sense?

Thank for all your replies so far!

Well the reason your alk keeps dropping is because you are not dosing anything while your corals are eating your alkalinity up. You cannot really rely on just water changes if you have a lot of LPS like you stated.

Once you start dosing, you can go for the cheapest salt as well

 

[Starry Night Reef]

Well the reason your alk keeps dropping is because you are not dosing anything while you’re corals are eating your alkalinity up. You cannot really rely on just water changes if you have a lot of LPS like you stated.

Yep, that one I should’ve known. Looking into dosing and regular testing/water changes. Hopefully my next 2 month post will be better news lol