How are my water levels for my Corals

[JDUB916]

Hi all,

Im new to the forums and have had my talk for about 2 years. I got it from a friend who had it for 6 years before me. I am starting Coral and I wanted opinions on how I am doing so far, and my parameters.

Specs
100 gallon glass tank, Reef Octopus Skimmer, 2 Powerheads, Eshopps over flow box, correct volume of live rock, 1" of live sand, and I recently added a MR1 reactor with ROWAphos for phosphates. I also have a RO setup in my garage that I use to top off and for water changes. I have long tube like bulbs for my day lights (not T5's but bigger), Ice Cap halides with new bulbs, and moon lights. My lights are hooked up to a Coralife Power Center strip so my long bulbs come on from 1-5pm, then the halides come on from 5-9:30pm, and the moon lights stay on.

Fish
2 Clowns - about 7 years old
1 Flame Angel - about 7 years old
1 young naso tang
1 young to adult Powder Blue Tang

Other
1 star fish for the sand bed
1 turbo snail left
5 Nasarius Snails
1 Skunk Shrimp
1 Purple-tipped Anemone

History
We moved the tank from my buddies house, used 1/2 of the water and mixed fresh salt water. We used the same rock and fish. At that time I didnt have the two tangs, but I had a foxface, yellow tang, and a hippo tang, all have passed on.

After the tank cycled a bit from the move I kept it with no corals for a while, I did try a frog spawn for a bit but it only lasted about 4 months, i also did some zoanths and those didnt last much at all, maybe a month. so i stopped coral.

During that time I had to buy the eshopps overflow because of a leak and the setup i had was really outdated, and the original reef octopus died and it was also really old and small for my tank.

My water levels have always been relatively good, I use the API kit for the standard measurements (Amonia, PH, Nitrite and Nitrate). I rarely do water changes, maybe once every 3 months. I never had any algea problems and the glass stays relatively clean, hardly any maintenace in that area.

About a month and a half ago my yellow tang started to get really really skinny. After I did some research I found that just feeding all the fish pellets wasnt good enough and I learned about feeding Nori, Mysis, and pellets/flake, but it was too late for my tang. After feeding fresh food (mysis) I notice my tank started to become very dirty as the sandbed was turning very brown and I had to wipe the glass a lot more.

At this time I also wanted to start doing Coral and so my LFS had a sell for 10 frags for $80. I got a Hammerhead, frog spawn, 2 zoanthids, 2 mushrooms, 1 toadstool, another type of zoanthid that looks like flowers, one that was ont he sandbed that looks like a small open brain (sorry I forgot the names), and 2 more I cant think of. As of now only my frogspawn, hammer, and 2 zoanthids are thriving, the toadstool was doing okay, but now his tenticles havent come out on about a week he just looks like a mushroom sorta, and the rest died.

Also at this time I bought the NextReef MR1 reactor and filled it with ROWAphos. Witihn a week I noticed that the phosphates are going away and the sandbed has been doing good since. I also added the nasarus snails.

Current Situation
It has been about a month since I got my corals and about 2 1/2 weeks since I got my MR1 reactor. I also began dosing for my KH, Calcium, and Mag for about a month now with ELOS test kits for all 3 as well as the Phosphates.

I also just added a purple-tipped Anemone a week ago

Initally my KH was 7, my Magnesium was 1100, and my Calcium was 350. I didnt get a test kit until recently for the Phosphate but I assume it was pretty close to 1. Dosing for the KH and Mag was simple, but the first time I dosed my calcium I precipitated very bad, super cloudy water. Since then I use a medical IV bag that drips the calcium into my sump over a long period of time and no longer have any issues with precipitation.

Water Levels
I just did an entire test of my water and I wanted to see if you guys think im on the right track. I want to add more corals if its safe. My goal is to have a beautiful tank with awesome corals so its a great show peice but is also being maintained very well, stable, and safe for fish and Corals.

Here are my statistics
Magnesium - 1350
KH - 10
Calcium - 380
Phosphate - .25
Ph - 8.4
Amonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10

The goal I have set for my Corals are:
KH: 9-10
Magnesium: 1350-1450
Calcium: 400-450

Thanks a lot and your feedback is greatly appreciated. Here are some pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Aquarium.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Tank2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Coral_HammerHead.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Coral_FrogSpawn2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Fish_NasoTang.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Fish_PowderTang.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Anemone3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/Starfish.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/Jdub916/Reef%20Tank/SkunkShrimp.jpg

[JDUB916]

FYI - The first pic was when I got a new bulb for the left halide before I got the matching bulb for the right. Also you see some HUGE power heads in one that are in the corners, those are gone, I only have the 2 that are suctioned to the glass. 4 was overkill.

[Felixc395]

Your goals sound great! And is your phosphate 0.28 or 0.028? Your tank looks to clean for 0.28 in my opinion...

[bertoni]

Other than the phosphate number, which I agree is suspicious, those parameters seem fine. Bumping the calcium up as you suggested should be fine, as well. The nitrate level is high enough that you might see coloration changes, and some people seem to have troubles with stony corals at that level, although others don't. There are a lot of species of corals available. :)

[JDUB916]

Your goals sound great! And is your phosphate 0.28 or 0.028? Your tank looks to clean for 0.28 in my opinion...

It's either .05 or .25. The ELOS kits are great with how the water changes color to measure, however the phosphate kit is the only one I have that doesn't do that, u add the 2 additives and "judge" with your eye and to me, .05 and .25 look identical on the color chart. I just recently added more ROWAphos to the MR1 so that's helping I'm sure.

O yea I was also starting to get some green algea for the first time ever but that's pretty much gone since the MR1.

On a positive note, my clowns are now hosting in the anemone as of today!! Yeeee I may buy another cuz they're brotherly arguing over who gets it

[JDUB916]

Other than the phosphate number, which I agree is suspicious, those parameters seem fine. Bumping the calcium up as you suggested should be fine, as well. The nitrate level is high enough that you might see coloration changes, and some people seem to have troubles with stony corals at that level, although others don't. There are a lot of species of corals available. :)

High enough as in good color change or bad? I'm under the impression I want the nitrates as close to 0 as possible with 5-10 being max for a reef tank?

[JDUB916]

So I'm good to add more coral slowly? Did the first few due because of parapaters that weren't ideal yet, stress and/or placement too high in the tank?

Thanks for the feedback

[tmz]

PO4 is a bit high but might be ok for the corals you are keeping. Othe nos look ok; a bit higher incalcium won't hurt.
Salinity?

[JDUB916]

Thanks tmz, salinity stays good at 1.025, I just testes that 2 days ago

[jpfishfan09]

Tell that cleaner shrimp to be careful :/

[JDUB916]

Tell that cleaner shrimp to be careful :/

Why is that?

[bertoni]

Maybe he's worried about the shrimp going through the powerhead? :)

[JDUB916]

I must be slow! True I see what u mean. That pic was from a long time ago, now he stays in the rocks