Starting to accrue more SPS and LPS - calcium solutions?

[LisaJill]

Alright, last time I was in the hobby I didn't have enough lighting for any hard corals, really. This time I've got good lighting and have started adding some SPS to the tank, which are doing well except that I'm not really getting much growth. Its only been about 3 weeks, so I'm not sure how much growth I should see and how quickly. The tank was setup in May and Im also not yet getting much Coralline - found a dot of it on the back of the tank yesterday and did a jig, though.

I am finally through most of the expected algae cycles, which is nice. But I think it's time to figure out a dosing regime. I don't have a sump or fuge - anything I do is going to have to be manual or HOB.

What are some of my options here? Last time I tested Calcium it was at 400ppm, but that was about 2 weeks ago, and I'm scheduled for a new test today.

Any primers or information would be great. Thanks!

[flipcyd]

For a light sps loaded 65 gallon, regular 10% water changes should keep your calcium up. If you increase your sps load then you'd want to dose. Check out www.bulkreefsupply.com for a good calcium, alk, mag dosing kit.

In my experience, sps when introduced to my tank will take about 4-6 weeks til I start seeing growth. Sometimes, the growth is just so gradual and steady that I don't notice til I look at before and after photos of my tank.

[an411]

You can dose bionic 2 part manually or through a dosing pump
calcium reactor
kalkwasser through a stirrer.

My current method to 2 part manually but just purchased a liter meter to make it more automated

[LisaJill]

Yea, right now I only have 3 SPS, but I'm purchasing more today, as well as some LPS. I foresee this as becoming a problem in the not to distant future; so trying to figure out my options early. ;)

I do water changes every 2-3 weeks; the tank has no fish and gets fed once a week, so nutrient export hasn't been an issue; it's more of an issue of getting in trace elements.

[gws76]

I'm running a small calcium reactor (knop-c) and dripping kalk on my 80 gal. w/30 gal. sump (sps,lps,& zoa's). Plus I do 5 to 10 gal. water changes weekly to replenish the lost trace elements.

On my daughters 20 gal. zoa garden, we do a weekly water change and dose a product simular to B ionic made by two little fishies as needed. I wouldn't just dose these 2 part solutions without testing to see how much to add. Seems to me the 2 part solutions give the idea that you just dose and forget, they should not be used this way.