New Reefer

[Stonefish1]

I wouldnt start dosing until you start testing for those parameters, could do more harm than good. Testing will show how much to dose a day. I like using 2 part from BRS but mixing is a little hard without proper jugs, Tropic marin all for reef seems to be a good all in one solution once you start getting corals. If/when dosing with a dosing pump, i find 2 part super easy to use on its own. The alkalinity part of 2 part needs to go into a super high flow area or precipitation will occur.

What parameters besides PH and alkalinity should I be testing and what kits do you recommend to test all the parameters?

 

[dedragon]

I dont bother testing pH much if ever. I only test nitrate phosphate calcium and alkalinity. Once every couple of months i also check magnesium to make sure it hasnt strayed far from normal. I use both salifert and red sea test kits which are both solid kits. Hanna checkers are good too especially for nitrate and phosphates

 

[Stonefish1]

Stonefish1, I started my Reefer 250 with an RSK-300 skimmer and I remember it overflowing in a significant way when I first started using it. Finally raised it up so it was sitting in less water, let the hose drain back into the sump, and let it run till it had a chance to break in. I don't remember specifically, but I think it was 7-10 days before it calmed down some.

Nice tank and good luck. Lots of very nice folks here with great advise.

Joe

It's still overflowing like crazy and I noticed after a little while a large loud amount of air is release from under the skimmer. I have the water level in the center of the red water level label on the control valve...how high did you have to raise yours?

 

[JKenny]

Stonefish1,

I remember raising the skimmer up with some small 2oz plastic cups (about the size of a shot glass) - so probably about 2"-2 1/2". It was well below the red water level mark on the plastic stem. I remember also adjusting the flow so that it was making the least amount of bubbles - and opening the drain valve so it would just constantly empty back into the sump.

I don't remember how long it took, but, it was probably a week or three at that elevated position before the bubbles stopped constantly filling the cup. Also, my bio-load at the time was pretty light. I think I had just 3 Damsels, 50 pounds of dry rock and a bare bottom so I'm sure that also played into the time it took for the simmer to settle down.

When I was going through this I had an email exchange with the Red Sea support folks. Initially because I thought the skimmer was loud, which they told me would quiet down over time, but by the end of the exchange it was because the constant overflow was making me crazy. It was Red Sea that suggested raising the skimmer up and adjusting the flow until it started to break in.

It did work itself out eventually and worked very well after that.

Hope this helps and good luck...

Joe

 

[Stonefish1]

What do I do? I accidently set the timer for the ALk doser to go on at 1am and off at 1:18pm instead of 1:18am and didn't notice it until a couple days later and 3/4 of the gallon jug emptied into the tank. There is now a white residue all over the glass and powerheads. The fish and few corals I have seem to be doing fine, but the devils hand is all shriveled up.

 

[dedragon]

water change asap and then check alkalinity

 

[dedragon]

you need to get the alk back down to a normalish level. Then readjust to target over the course of a week or so

 

[Stonefish1]

you need to get the alk back down to a normalish level. Then readjust to target over the course of a week or so

The weird thing is that the alk is still only around 8.5 but my calcium went from 410 to around 360.

 

[dedragon]

probably most of it precipitated out then, when doing water changes try to clean off the white residue and suck it out of the tank

 

[Stonefish1]

probably most of it precipitated out then, when doing water changes try to clean off the white residue and suck it out of the tank

Thanks!

 

[Stonefish1]

Will hammers and torches sting each other

 

[Stonefish1]

Ok...my tank is now 13 weeks old and I started dosing BRS 2part about 3 weeks ago.

My current readings are:

ALK 9.4 (dosing 34ml daily) It was 8.2 on the 14th and 8.8 on the 17th
Cal 140 (dosing 40ml daily) It was 325 on the 14th and 17th
PH 8.2 which it has been fluctuating between 8.0 and 8.2 since I started the tank
Phos 0, which Im not totally sure about. Im using a Hanna tester but my readings have been all over the place since I started the tank. I did three readings today and got 2.9, 0,0.

It looks like I got the ALK dialed in, but I have no clue why the Cal is so low. Phos...no clue.

I only have 1 small torch, 1 tiny Galaxia, 1 2" birds nest, 1 small devils hand, purple tang (mean as hell) killed the mimic tang I got in 2 days, 2 clown fish

Any suggestion are appreciated.

 

[Stonefish1]

Ok...my tank is now 13 weeks old and I started dosing BRS 2part about 3 weeks ago.

My current readings are:

ALK 9.4 (dosing 34ml daily) It was 8.2 on the 14th and 8.8 on the 17th
Cal 140 (dosing 40ml daily) It was 325 on the 14th and 17th
PH 8.2 which it has been fluctuating between 8.0 and 8.2 since I started the tank
Phos 0, which Im not totally sure about. Im using a Hanna tester but my readings have been all over the place since I started the tank. I did three readings today and got 2.9, 0,0.

It looks like I got the ALK dialed in, but I have no clue why the Cal is so low. Phos...no clue.

I only have 1 small torch, 1 tiny Galaxia, 1 2" birds nest, 1 small devils hand, purple tang (mean as hell) killed the mimic tang I got in 2 days, 2 clown fish

Any suggestion are appreciated.

Im also running a refugium with very healthy chaeto