New Coral QT parameters all low

Susan Edwards · Mar 7, 2018

I set up a new qt for corals (RS Max e170 45 gal). I used live sand and rock from the display refugium I took down, and probably about 4-8 gal of water to avoid a "new tank cycle". I didn't really test or do much to the DR as it just has "weedy corals and 2 fish.

Tested water today
CA: 340
ALK: 7.6
MG: 1230
PO4: .03

Using the ESV dosing calculator I need to dose:
150 ml CA (to get to 400)
50 ml ALK (8.6)
480 ml MG (1350)

My plan is to dose 2x's a day the following ml's for x amt of days
starting today with just 1x to bring it up and then retest on Sat. and maybe do a 10% water change on Sat.

Wed: 20 ca, 7.5 alk, 30 mg
Thur: 40 ca, 15 alk, 60 mg
Fri: 40 ca, 15 alk, 60 mg
Sat: 30 ca, 5 alk, 60 mg
Mg needs a few more days

Is this a good plan to up the parameters? Should I go slower?

Tank has some xenia (1 pc), and kenya trees (ripped most out to make room for corals) and has an on the way out bta that just got moved from a 10 gal qt)

Add 10 new corals on (2 types of gsp, duncan, tenius, stylophora, goneapora, torch, 2 micro's, pavona,) Sunday. Good PE and all look good. Only the pavona not tentacled out. Tossed in a couple corals from my 66 gal that aren't doing so well (high nitrates) to see if they do better. If they do, they'll go into the new 125 build.

Tank does have some diatoms or powdery brown algae. Thinking I should add some biospira? Or will getting numbers up take care of it? Did dose with vibrant and do have nopox

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 8, 2018

That sounds like a fine plan.

What is the salinity and is it designed to match your tank?

It seems like it may be low, and raising it will also raise all the things you are dosing.

Susan Edwards · Mar 8, 2018

Actually, the salinity was a bit high at 1.029 so I topped off some more water and brought it down to 1.026 which is where I normally keep it.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 8, 2018

OK. It's just that those values do not match any salt mix I know of at 35 ppt.

What salt mix are you using?

Susan Edwards · Mar 8, 2018

I'm using the live aquaria but I had used some older tank water and some new water. The old water was rarely tested as I didn't have corals in the tank or not ones I cared about so some of the water probably was very low in numbers. I'll do a 4-5 gal water change on Saturday or Sunday to add some better salt in and then retest and readjust what I need to dose.