Pico Reef AIO lifegard 4.14

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Bahura-Living

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What salt mix are you using right now? Do you have coral in your tank right now? If you do change salt just slowly change it over time every time when you do your water changes. Right now I am changing out 2 gallons every week but I am still cycling. Once I get everything set I think that I can get away with 1 gallon water changes weekly. Currently using IO and that is what I used in my old 40g breeder (wish I still had that tank). If I can keep from it I don't want to dose but if I get to a point with SPS that I need to I have no choice. I am also looking at changing salts to get to the parameters that I want I am looking at Fritz or the Red Sea Blue bucket as well. I can get Aquaforrest locally, however, the cost is high but then it will last a while and I don't have to pay for shipping. Still researching which one I want to use. Hope that helps.
I suggest finding a salt that meets the parameters that you want at the salinity you want and go from there.
These are the two I was looking at: at the parameters at 1.026 specific gravity
Instant Ocean
Alk 10.68
Ca. 409
Mg 1313

Red Sea Blue bucket
Alk 8.27
Ca. 426
Mg. 1289

Fritz RPM
Alk 8.73
Ca. 435
Mg 1455
No fish or corals yet.
my saltwater comes from my lfs he mentioned that its coming direct from sea and just being filtered or somekind. I’m doing 1 gallon water change a week.
the total water after rockscape and sand is just a lil bit morethan 3 1/2 gallons
 

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Have you tested the parameters of the water you buy? Also look at the cost you will need a good RO/DI to mix the fresh salt water. The third salt I was considering is the aquaforest reef salt or sea salt both parameters come pretty close to each other. I can get it locally.
 
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Bahura-Living

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To be honest, No.
I’ve been using it for awhile now and I didn’t have any problem with it.
interms of pricing Red sea blue bucket is more expensive by only $2
Salt water from lfs is $68.75 on 55 gallons
While RS Blue bucket plus RO/DI water is
$70.25
 
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Here’s some parameters that I was able to test tonight. I use Red Sea blue bucket. Salinity 1.026, ALK 7.2, phosphates 0.04, and nitrates <2. I haven’t been testing Mg or Ca lately.

I highly recommend getting your own RO/DI system, if possible. The 4 stage value plus model from BRS is a solid choice.
 
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Here’s some parameters that I was able to test tonight. I use Red Sea blue bucket. Salinity 1.026, ALK 7.2, phosphates 0.04, and nitrates <2. I haven’t been testing Mg or Ca lately.

I highly recommend getting your own RO/DI system, if possible. The 4 stage value plus model from BRS is a solid choice.
What test kits do you use to test your parameters? Are you also using RS blue bucket?
 
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Fun tank to own. Resist the temptation to add too many fish, or the wrong size fish, and you should be able to enjoy it for many years to come :)
Even on a tank size this still need to learn some more. Hope it’ll be successful to. Do you also own pico tank?
 

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I had two LifeGuard Aquatics 7-gallon all-in-ones up a running for quite a while; so just a little bit bigger than yours. I used Kessil A80 Tuna Blue lights on a controller.
F8AB64B5-6CB6-4D5D-9BDF-1B3C3E6FF028.jpeg
 
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I had two LifeGuard Aquatics 7-gallon all-in-ones up a running for quite a while; so just a little bit bigger than yours. I used Kessil A80 Tuna Blue lights on a controller.
F8AB64B5-6CB6-4D5D-9BDF-1B3C3E6FF028.jpeg
Yeah i did consider that 7g. I was deciding between the 7g or the 4.1g. But my sister surprised me with the 4.1g.
but that is a beautiful tank
 
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Can someone help me identify my parameters. I really need to get a different test kit.
salifert is nitrate is it 10?
 

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DDenny

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Just remember API is not the most accurate But I would say that your ammonia is between 0-0.25, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate looking at the Salifert is 10. With API the ammonia is probably 0 with that color. Mine came out a really bright yellow very easy to determine which is kind of weird cause usually it is hard to tell.
 
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Just remember API is not the most accurate But I would say that your ammonia is between 0-0.25, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate looking at the Salifert is 10. With API the ammonia is probably 0 with that color. Mine came out a really bright yellow very easy to determine which is kind of weird cause usually it is hard to tell.
Thats my guess to. But its hard to tell. Maybe ill give it 2more weeks just to be safe.
ill gonna be starting to change the water to a RS blue bucket.
 

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I will test my ammonia tonight with API test haven't tested it in 4 days but the last time it did it was pretty yellow but your right the API tests are not the most accurate but for cycling they work until you need more definite answers. Will be later tonight though working late.
 
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Here’s some parameters that I was able to test tonight. I use Red Sea blue bucket. Salinity 1.026, ALK 7.2, phosphates 0.04, and nitrates <2. I haven’t been testing Mg or Ca lately.

I highly recommend getting your own RO/DI system, if possible. The 4 stage value plus model from BRS is a solid choice.
I do have the RO/DI aquatic life. I know 0 TDS is the best but is it ok to have 0001pm or 0002 ppm
 

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brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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your ammonia has been misreading this whole time and the tank was ready the day you set it up.

sounds crazy I know, but consider this thread below. some of the sub links here are other threads on live rock skip cycles pages running of examples. try and find one instance of it failing below. live rocks always transfer as skip cycle moves. nothing dies off or has to recycle.

you have this kind of a tank, your cycle is long done. :)
 
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brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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you don't have to have all live rock to meet that criterion.

any live rock meets it, because any live rock in a tiny pico is so powerful it would not matter if you didn't even have sand its enough surface area for your fish loading, immediately. welcome to skip cycling where no nine dollar test agrees with ya
b


regarding parameters: don't think you have to daily test a pico for calcium, alk, pH etc

that's only one way. another way is to not

and just change water weekly to some degree and feed it nicely, it all balances out and carries massive coral loading without dosing. its possible to run the whole reef fifteen years off salinity and temp alone, Im certain of that. whatever mix the lfs uses won't matter, even if they change just keep up the exchange.

any mix is fine to use, this rate of refreshment balances out issues quite easily. once you want to go more hands off, less water changes, then dose the calcium and monitor alk and pH. its not required though with water changes. we could grow 2 thousand dollars of corals in that container for years on the method alone. in fact four gallons is a volumous dance hall of a pico reef we could do it in half the gallonage.
 
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DDenny

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@brandon429 I started with dry rock and dry sand there was no bacteria other than the Bio-Spira I put in. Still waiting a little while before adding coral maybe week after next just cause I will be out of town next week.
 

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