I think I got it!....wait no I don’t...

[Shinte122305]

Cost aside, Hanna for alk, mag and calc or salifert?

I forget what brand I have now for those tests but I feel like I’m back in chemistry class when I’m doing them! Beakers, vials, syringes!

The ones ive found the easiest is
Hanna for Alk and Phosphates
Salifert for Calcium Mag and nitrates

 

[Geebs19]

Cost aside, Hanna for alk, mag and calc or salifert?

I forget what brand I have now for those tests but I feel like I’m back in chemistry class when I’m doing them! Beakers, vials, syringes!

I will be getting the Hanna for Alk as soon as I can (I need $$$). I have not heard of great reviews on the Calc and Mag from Hanna and from what I have seen on this site, most use Salifert for those.

 

[Deiblerj]

Interesting...thanks for the input!!

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I would clean the algae as often as you can, removing it from the tank as quickly as possible. One of the reasons you may be reading 0 ppm on nutrients is that the algae is consuming a large portion. Your outbreak doesn't look to bad. It may take a little time to work its way out, but if you practice good tank feeding and maintenance, you will get through it.

 

[Shinte122305]

I was looking at my email and just read what you wrote about the GFO and carbon in the same bag and just wanted to let you know it doesn't work good that way lol. GFO needs to softly tumble to work if it doesn't tumble it will brick up and just hold detritus and you don't want that.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-dual-reactor.html

This is the best option and use half the recommended of both things to start of, they have a calculator in their website. you have 0 phosphates so dont run GFO at all but carbon needs to be tightly packed. carbon should not be able to move at all or you'll be literally dosing carbon dust into your tank.

Until you can buy a proper reactor use the bags (separate for both) make sure carbon gets flow but not too hard and GFO needs to be in a bit higher flow in a bag so it tumbles the GFO around.

 

[Deiblerj]

I was looking at my email and just read what you wrote about the GFO and carbon in the same bag and just wanted to let you know it doesn't work good that way lol. GFO needs to softly tumble to work if it doesn't tumble it will brick up and just hold detritus and you don't want that.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-gfo-carbon-dual-reactor.html

This is the best option and use half the recommended of both things to start of, they have a calculator in their website. you have 0 phosphates so dont run GFO at all but carbon needs to be tightly packed. carbon should not be able to move at all or you'll be literally dosing carbon dust into your tank.

Until you can buy a proper reactor use the bags (separate for both) make sure carbon gets flow but not too hard and GFO needs to be in a bit higher flow in a bag so it tumbles the GFO around.

Dang it! And I thought this LFS was great and the guy was full of knowledge!!

 

[rhymechizel]

I had 0 phosphates and 0 nitrates until I got the Hanna UL phosphorus and Red Sea pro nitrate test that could detect it. I bet you have them as much as you feed, your tests just aren’t detecting them. Be careful with chasing numbers. Sometimes it’s best to just let things ride and keep things stable with weekly water changes and feeding the same amount every day. I doubt your tank is consuming much Ca and Alk right now. You should be able to keep stable numbers with just water changes.

 

[rhymechizel]

I didn’t have any phosphate or nitrate until I got the Hanna UL phosphorous and Red Sea nitrate pro test kits. I’m sure you have some. Our tests are not perfect. I’d focus on keeping things stable and try not to change too much of what you do everyday. Feed the same amount everyday, do weekly water changes and let your tank ride it out. It just takes time. I would not focus on chasing numbers right now.

 

[Maggie321]

I have a 39g. My tank looks best when I am mostly hands off. I am in my 2nd year. The first year I did 10% Wc's weekly. Near the end of my first year, the colors of my corals started to fade. My nitrates were about 5 to 7 and my phosphates were about .15 usually. I got pretty busy with work and things around the house and I reduced the frequency of my wc's to about 10% monthly instead of weekly. Because of the reduction in Wc's I also reduced feeding. I gotta say my tank never looked better. I scrub the coraline occasionally from the glass and feed no more often than every other day. My fish are great and corals have colored up very nicely. I don't feel the pressure to watch this number or that number anymore. What I am doing is working fine for my tank. It may not work for everyone's, but it works for mine. I don't have a refugium, I only have a protein skimmer and an ato that I use with Kalkwasser. Relax and let it settle.

 

[Royce White]

I use to have all of the problems stated above. I actually did KISS my tank. I was running a lot of the things that my LFS told me I needed. I noticed that everything that he told me I needed was on his shelf. I would try one thing then another then something else would happen, couldn't keep algae out of the tank. To make a long story short, 2yrs, I got fed up and pulled every thing out.The only thing I am now doing I start with good RODI water, a slightly under sized skimmer and a filter sock. I have no algae in DT, corals are happy and growing, fish are happy and I am happy now for 0ne year now. I have a 75 gal tank, that
I change 10 percent weekly, and a 30 gal. refuge that is full of copepods and a good amount of algae's. I am now enjoying my Aquarium.