It's looking great!
How does Modern Reef compare (cost wise) to running the Kalk plus Trace dosing you were doing before?
I know Kalk is inexpensive, and this is not a cheap hobby, but I'm curious about the general approximation of cost for simplicity? I was unaware that Modern Reef existed until you posted about it. I'm still in the process of reading up on it, but it seems to be a good system.
Simplification is a huge part of this hobby as there is so much going on that unless you pay someone to monitor larger systems such as yours, or chain yourself to the tank so you can monitor it personally.
We all know that if something is easier to do, it is more likely to get done. Having a simple dosing/trace element system means hobbyists are not tethered to their tanks 24/7 and able to have a life outside of the hobby.
The Purple Monster is looking happy and healthy. It has always been one of my grail pieces...
Thanks bud. I hope one day I can grow a colony of that PM, then a backup colony, then start to get it out there again. I can’t find anyone with it anymore.
The Modern Reef Program seems to be economical for what it supplies.
Previously
Daily: 3 gallons Kalkwasser, 200ml all for reef, 40ml esv magnesium, moonshine dailys, 3ml TM Bacto balance, various foods and aminos etc. in addition, monthly ICP corrections for parameters far out of place. I’m ok with a little deficiency as long as available in water lol.
Currently
Daily: 85ml each 4 part (broken into 24 daily doses), 3.5ml complete food, 6ml polyp pop. I recently started adding 8 drops of their “Elixir” but that’s not a necessary product I am changing salt to modern reef as well since aquaforest raised their prices and it’s very deficient in many trace anyway. I’ll be able to comment on this programs ability to hold
Trace levels better in time after using their salt for several water changes and continuing to dose longer.
Since starting I have noticed a substantial increase in polyps, more growth and colored tips, increase in anything red or orange for some reason, clear water-ozone like, a decrease in brown diatom/algae on sand, way less detritus not using Kalkwasser while keeping the same high ph (actually hitting like .06 higher). Nothing negative to report at the moment.
So at my current rate dosing a heavily stocked and fast growing 300g system;
Modern Reef 4 part and required foods runs me about $135 per month. The way I was doing it with kalk, all for reef, mg, carbon source, foods, and trace…. I don’t even think it was cheaper. Certainly wasn’t easier. I was burning out lol.
the old days…. 
