Numbers and water changes.

[Dirtyshoez]

Pretty easy question, sure i know but I do appreciate the feedback from more experience.

I typically change my water weekly but I let it run for 2 since I added some coral for the first time and wanted to let numbers settle in.

When I started my alk was 7.2 my calcium was 600, no coral everything else was good.

I added a total of 12 frags and let them ride. Slowly acclimating them daily to more and more light and flow...

Have some new corals arriving tomorrow and so I was going to boost the system with a water change, but today I tested and my water has held a stable 8.20-8.24 with about 8.16 at night. Tested this morning and alk is 7.8, cal is 460, mag is 1275...

My thoughts and question is... after testing and with my numbers being pretty stable and not bad should I introduce them like this so that they acclimated to expected parameters and then do a water change maybe Sunday or so after a retest or should I just get it out of the way today? I also have some esv 2 part I was thinking trying to bump alk a smidge but first dose don't really wanna play with new coral coming like that.

My Question is yalls thoughts on what you would do.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Looks like your alk, mag, and calcium need to come up a bit. A water change will likely help this.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Looks like your alk, mag, and calcium need to come up a bit. A water change will likely help this.

That was my first thought, except my second thought is it isn't bad and consistency over anything is most important. I mix coral pro so automatic it will bump my numbers right back up to high calcium and ideal everything else.

Just not sure if I should leave that bullet in the chamber for another day or just pull it.

 

[littlebigreef]

Whether introducing fish or coral it’s nice to have a set baseline. However, doing a water change a few days before or after shouldn’t affect things greatly.

2 things -

Are you consistently testing at the same time each day? Readings at 9am, 2pm and 10pm will be slightly different.

Are you currently dosing?

I’m a strong proponent of water changes but I’m mostly bi weekly at this point. Regular water changes are great for replenishing trace elements (when using a high grade salt) but shouldn’t be a crutch for poor nutrient export.

 

[Euphyllia97]

If you want to be really accurate you should stay as close to the parameters from the tank that your frags came from. But from my view just do whatever you like. A WC of 10-20% is always good. Your tank is not gonna crash if you don’t do a WC. I would just do a WC before you put the new frags in and just continue your standard maintenance schedule. Don’t overthink it :)

 

[BryanM]

Redsea coral pro salt? Or something else? That redsea salt mixes a lot higher than 7-8 dkh.

And its hard to see stability here when your first calc number was 600, and then down to 460.... Granted I think the 600 is likely a test error, but these numbers do not look all that stable to me, unless I've misread something along the way.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

For the most part they're early morning checks and evening checks but I don't have a time schedule for checking the water.

No I don't dose, and want to avoid that as long as possible ultimately

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Yeah coral pro salt. It has mixed ideal for me but the calcium was through the roof. Mind you the last change was the salt into a tank with no coral just fish so I am pretty sure that alk was taking a big hit from nothing consuming calcium and already coming in high. That's my thoughts atleast.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

For the most part they're early morning checks and evening checks but I don't have a time schedule for checking the water.

No I don't dose, and want to avoid that as long as possible ultimately

I have been dosing all for reef with the BRS doser and for me, it has been one of my best decisions. My alk, calc, and mag have been super stable at the levels i want them to be at.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

I have been dosing all for reef with the BRS doser and for me, it has been one of my best decisions. My alk, calc, and mag have been super stable at the levels i want them to be at

How often do you water change?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It will be months before the corals fully acclimate to your tank and start growing and start consuming elements from the water.... its not something that happens right away. Personally I would suggest to maintain regular water changes. I have a 5 year old 15 gallon tank fully packed with corals that I have never dosed anything, only weekly water changes.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

It will be months before the corals fully acclimate to your tank and start growing and start consuming elements from the water.... its not something that happens right away. Personally I would suggest to maintain regular water changes. I have a 5 year old 15 gallon tank fully packed with corals that I have never dosed anything, only weekly water changes.

I am going to do a water change after all. Just now it will have to be later today unfortunately..

Props on the 15 gallon, I have an 18.5 that has been stupidly temperamental but not killing anything so I'm not mad at it lol

 

[Red_Beard]

It will be months before the corals fully acclimate to your tank and start growing and start consuming elements from the water.... its not something that happens right away. Personally I would suggest to maintain regular water changes. I have a 5 year old 15 gallon tank fully packed with corals that I have never dosed anything, only weekly water changes.

^^ this

also your numbers are perfectly acceptable to grow sps as is. If you do add them, just continue making any changes slowly so as not to shock anything, especially while they are trying to acclimate to your tank. Ocean water in some heavy coral growing areas average low 7s, The alkalinity's affect on pH is going to be more important within acceptable lower ranges though. As long as it isn't lower than 6.5dKh or so and your pH is still 8+, no problem. Usually in our homes with elevated co2 levels, that is not the case and elevated alk levels go a long way to help raise pH.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

^^ this

also your numbers are perfectly acceptable to grow sps as is. If you do add them, just continue making any changes slowly so as not to shock anything, especially while they are trying to acclimate to your tank. Ocean water in some heavy coral growing areas average low 7s, The alkalinity's affect on pH is going to be more important within acceptable lower ranges though. As long as it isn't lower than 6.5dKh or so and your pH is still 8+, no problem. Usually in our homes with elevated co2 levels, that is not the case and elevated alk levels go a long way to help raise pH.

Yes, this was a really cool lesson about co2 abd homes. I started airing out the house when the weather cooled down and it helps extensively. Granted it always accounts for outside weather conditions. I did pick up a scrubber but haven't had the time to concoct a way to mount it where it works.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

I have been dosing all for reef with the BRS doser and for me, it has been one of my best decisions. My alk, calc, and mag have been super stable at the levels i want them to be at

How often do you water change?

Usually once or twice a month but i haven’t done one in a month and a half at the moment. Planning to do one this weekend. I’ve been testing and all has looked well so i’ve been reticent to bother it

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Usually once or twice a month but i haven’t done one in a month and a half at the moment. Planning to do one this weekend. I’ve been testing and all has looked well so i’ve been reticent to bother it

Nice, I really want to keep the tank as organic as possible but I am sure that is dang near impossible. How old is your tank? Mine is just a couple of months

Ended up doing the water change and my numbers are beast right now so I'm pretty comfortable with putting the new coral in.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

My tank is just over a year. I have had a lot of ugly phase so hoping i’m getting past that!

 

[Dirtyshoez]

My tank is just over a year. I have had a lot of ugly phase so hoping i’m getting past that!

Im hoping mine doesnt come back but I do have a heck of a crew right now so I do feed through the day and now im running lights full cycle and slowly cranking them up. So all goes well it creates a good balance but my tank is spotless currently and wasn't for a bit

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

My tank is just over a year. I have had a lot of ugly phase so hoping i’m getting past that!

Im hoping mine doesnt come back but I do have a heck of a crew right now so I do feed through the day and now im running lights full cycle and slowly cranking them up. So all goes well it creates a good balance but my tank is spotless currently and wasn't for a bit

Mine will be spotless of green hair algae and then come back a month later. Its done that like 3 or 4 times.

 

[Dirtyshoez]

Mine will be spotless of green hair algae and then come back a month later. Its done that like 3 or 4 times.

Yeah i assume that will happen eventually... just mothernature letting you know your place in the game lol