Ready for SPS, now what?

[dstipple]

I plan on going to my LFS tomorrow to pick up some new corals, and will be trying SPS. I currently only have LPS (frogspawn, 4 headed Duncan colony, Christmas favia, superman favia) and a small zoa colony. But with the introduction of SPS into my system I am assuming water changes won't cut it to keep my levels where they need to be. Right now they are:
Ca- 420
Alk- 9.2 dkh
Mg- 1300
Ammonia- 0
Nitrate- 10
Nitrite- 0
(Ca, Alk, Mg tested with Red Sea Pro test kit, Ammonia, Mitrate, Nitrite done with1.5 year old API so who really knows lol)

So when I add SPS and they start to suck up Ca, Mg, and Alk what should I do? I figure I will need to do some sort of dosing but am kind of confused, even after reading all kind of stickys and threads.

[TimeConsumer]

For starters. Just keep an eye on parameters for a week or two and see if you do in fact need to dose, you might not. If things do start dropping then I would like into a 2-part setup or using some kalk in your ATO. We can work out the math once we know how much your system is consuming.

[dstipple]

Ok thanks, once I put the corals in how often should I be testing?

[Hal]

Testing once a week should be fine.

For your size tank, adding a 2-part type solution is probably more cost effective than a calcium reactor. Generally only when your tank size gets large (greater than 100g) do people look at calcium reactors. A kalk reactor would help with the calcium, but not with the alkalinity (carbonate).

Read this for how to do a two-part yourself.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Short version:
1. Calcium: buy a calcium supplement from BRS, Field Supply, or somewhere else. Don't use Dow Flake or other driveway ice melters now because they've added bromide since Randy wrote his article.
2. Carbonate/alkalinity: buy a box of baking soda from your grocery store
3. Magnesium: buy mag chloride from BRS, Field Supply or somewhere else. Buy mag sulfate (epsom salts) from your grocery/pharmacy. Mix in proportions as directed.

[Palting]

If you do regular water changes at a salinity at 1.026 using a salt with high alk/cal/mag numbers like reef Crystals, it will be quite a while before you need to dose. Maybe never, depending on your tank's demands. I was doing weekly 10% water changes on my SPS dominated mixed reef, and it was about 18 months before I had to do any alk/cal/mag supplementation. My tank is a high demand tank, using 150cc's each of 2 part daily, plus 2 gallons fully saturated kalkwasser daily. I would just wait until you need to dose, it comes pretty easy and self explanatory once you actually get into it.

Howw often to test is quite personal. I was doing it weekly for a while, now I do it once every 6 months or so, or whenever something seems off. For a tank that is still maturing, no less than once a month is what I would recommend.

[danjones]

I would agree with the post from Palting, it will be a while before you need to suppliment as long as you don't add too much to begin with. I would try to get those nitrates lower, though. with high nitrates you will get no PE, brown color, and very slow growth. For SPS to do well you need stability in your system as SPS doesn't like fluctuations especially in Alk.

Dan

[Spyderturbo007]

I'm going to echo Palting on this one.

I don't think you'll see a dramatic drop in Calcium or Alkalinity like you might be thinking. I have some SPS, maybe 7 frags and a decent sized Hammer and Frogspawn. I'm calling them frags, but some are 6 - 8 months old and have some decent growth.

Anyway, I find myself adding 1tsp of Kalk per 5g of ATO water is sufficient to hold my levels. If I did water changes each week, as opposed to every other week, I suspect I could get away without having to add the Kalk.

Here is an example. I have since stopped dosing Kalk, because of a faulty Red Sea Pro Calcium test kit causing me to elevate my Calcium levels. I'm trying to get my Calcium down so I have stopped dosing and am adjusting each component independent of the other.

May 8th
Ca = 480ppm
Alk = 7.84dKh

May 11th
Ca = 475ppm
Alk = 7.78dKh

May 14th
Ca = 470ppm
Alk = 7.45dKh

So over the course of 6 days, my coral has consumed only 10ppm Calcium and .39dKh.

[dstipple]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys! I think if I keep with my current routine I should be good then.

[kurt_n]

Agree with all the others... just keep testing and you'll know when it's time. But...

Don't forget that LPS use cal/alk too! Even without SPS, depending on how happy your corals are, you may need to dose just due to the Duncan, frogspawn, and favia. Time will tell.

[Sk8r]

Curiously, I added corals, and the week they started eating, I went from a level teaspoon Kent Turbo Calcium a week for a 54 gallon, to 2, then to 1 a day. At which point I discovered kalk and life has been good since: I have a huge topoff reservoir and just add it by the pound ever few months. I don't know how much I really use, but definitely, lps and clams can use a fierce amount of calcium when they get going. Look into kalk when they wake up: should do you fine for the life of this tank.

[dstipple]

Sk8r, how do you regulate how much kalk you dose since its in your ATO reservoir? I would prefer to not have to buy any more equipment (dosing pumps, extra reservoirs etc) and wnt to keep every thing relatively simple, if that's even possible in this hobby lol!

[nbgen12]

Curiously, I added corals, and the week they started eating, I went from a level teaspoon Kent Turbo Calcium a week for a 54 gallon, to 2, then to 1 a day. At which point I discovered kalk and life has been good since: I have a huge topoff reservoir and just add it by the pound ever few months. I don't know how much I really use, but definitely, lps and clams can use a fierce amount of calcium when they get going. Look into kalk when they wake up: should do you fine for the life of this tank.

Dont mean to hijack, but i have a question that may also assist the OP in the kalk discussion.

When adding kalk to the ato...do you just mix it as best as possible and let it settle in the container with no flow? If you do, do you remove the precipitate?

Im not sure how to use kalk effectively without mucking up the pumps over time....

[Sk8r]

Put your pump on a block or grid in the reservoir, keeping it out of the muck.

Stir the kalk only once, let it settle 24 hours, then start the ATO again. Keep it lidded. Residue in bottom is good kalk, will dissolve as soon as you add more fresh water. No need to measure closely: ONLY the right amount of kalk will arrive in the water...it's chemistry. The water (ro/di) only has 'room' for the right amount. So keep test ing magnesium, which is the one that will deplete first: if it depletes, the alk and cal will soon follow. Keep the mg up, and alk and cal won't fall so long as the kalk supply holds.

Dosing is just because water always 'knows' the right amount to pick up, and that's tagged to your evaporation rate. It can't over-saturate, because if it's 'full' it's 'full' and that's that. this is pretty well how the ocean does it, by dissolving old shells and reef. We just help it out by crushing same.

[wonderz]

Dont mean to hijack, but i have a question that may also assist the OP in the kalk discussion.

When adding kalk to the ato...do you just mix it as best as possible and let it settle in the container with no flow? If you do, do you remove the precipitate?

Im not sure how to use kalk effectively without mucking up the pumps over time....


see Sk8r's answer above. ^

[nbgen12]

For the OP:

What is your phosphate level? I didnt see any info on that which is a very important parameter to keep low with sps...