SouthFla
03/17/2017, 11:09 AM
I'm not complaining, just REALLY curious if not totally confused. I'm constantly reading posts with folks who have younger and less coral-stocked similarly-sized tanks, and they're dosing 20, 40 and even 75ml a day for their Alk consumption!
Here's the most recent photo I have of my 18 month old 125G (taken ~2-3 months ago). My tank has 100lbs of HEAVILY coralline-covered rock, one good sized leather, 3 lg gorgonians, 8 growing SPS colonies, several spreading Montis, some favia/brains, and multiple LPS's including multiple large-ish frogspawn, torch and hammer colonies:
http://imagesbyjda.com/Web_Photos/Reef1Year.jpg
While my SPS coloration could be better (dosing KNO3 now to try and keep NO3 ~1-2ppm), my PE and growth has been amazing; my SPS colonies have quadrupled in size, with 4 colonies going from 3 and 4 stalks to the size of grapefruits.
I change 10G per week, using regular IO which I alter with Muriatic acid to drop to 7.7dkh and add Mg and Ca to match the water in my DT. I use Kalk in my ATO @ 1.5tsp/g. My Ca has been permanently fixed at 440ppm. My Mg is constant at 1350ppm.
Don't you find it unusual that I dont need supplemental dosing outside of Kalk?? Certainly I MUST be using up Alk & Ca because of the continual growth, right? I just read a post with a lightly stocked 120 dosing 75ml/day! What's going on here, why such discrepancies???
Here's the most recent photo I have of my 18 month old 125G (taken ~2-3 months ago). My tank has 100lbs of HEAVILY coralline-covered rock, one good sized leather, 3 lg gorgonians, 8 growing SPS colonies, several spreading Montis, some favia/brains, and multiple LPS's including multiple large-ish frogspawn, torch and hammer colonies:
http://imagesbyjda.com/Web_Photos/Reef1Year.jpg
While my SPS coloration could be better (dosing KNO3 now to try and keep NO3 ~1-2ppm), my PE and growth has been amazing; my SPS colonies have quadrupled in size, with 4 colonies going from 3 and 4 stalks to the size of grapefruits.
I change 10G per week, using regular IO which I alter with Muriatic acid to drop to 7.7dkh and add Mg and Ca to match the water in my DT. I use Kalk in my ATO @ 1.5tsp/g. My Ca has been permanently fixed at 440ppm. My Mg is constant at 1350ppm.
Don't you find it unusual that I dont need supplemental dosing outside of Kalk?? Certainly I MUST be using up Alk & Ca because of the continual growth, right? I just read a post with a lightly stocked 120 dosing 75ml/day! What's going on here, why such discrepancies???