Returning to the hobby with new IM 50 EXT build and documenting the process
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TheLegendaryBarlowe072
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So up until now I havent been dosing anything, and I havent really been testing regularly. I tested through the inital cycle and checked Nitrate and ph a few random times since. I didn't feel the need since I didn't have much in the tank, and I have been very dedicated to weekly water changes. I also spend a lot of time staring at my tank and never felt there was any issues to warrant alarm.
Since I've got a few corals in the tank now I thought I'd better start with with some kinda dosing and a more regimented testing schedule. Im gonna give all for reef a try. Needed a baseline to start.
Salinity 1.024
Alkalinity 9.3 dkh
Calcum 310 ppm
Magnesium 750 ppm
pH 8.26
Nitrate Undetectable
Phosphate Undetectable
My salinity has been an issue. I have a old swing arm hydromiter and it would consistantly read low. 1.022 and I had a cheap handheld digital salinity probe from amazon that would always read high. 1.027. I figured I was somewhere in the middle, and always measured and mixed to my buckets directions. I added the hydros launch to my tank today with a salinity probe. It gives the 1.024 reading (they are suposed to have a break in period so I didnt calibrate it yet). I also bought a refractometer but I didnt try it out today, cause the 1.024 reading was safe and consistant with IO's recomended SG. Hopefully I have an instrument I can trust and can get constistantly to 1.025
Nitrate and Phospate being undectable isnt ideal but I prefer it to wildly high. I am confident nothing in my tank is starving for nutrients, and it’s simply the tests that are not picking it up. I’m not going dose nutrients. So Im going to continue my normal feeding and turn my skimmer off until I can at least register something. Once I get some kinda detectable reading I'll turn the skimmer back on and increase my fish feeding. I'd actually like to feed more, as I want some big fat fish.
For my calcium and Magnesium I'm hoping that its actual uptake from the corals I've had in the tank. I just did a water change yesterday, but I may do another tommorow, because IO's salt should have higher levels of both. Maybe that could bring them up a bit without moving my Alk. And then have the All for Reef balance out the up take. I don't wanna dose very much initially and get Alk any higher while my nutrients are low. I may have to consider a magnesium supplement in the future as it seems much lower than the calcium. But for now only gonna change one thing at a time.
I got the AquaticLog app to track my manual testing. I'll be keeping that as my record but I may try to post my parameters on here as well with a weekly FTS. No Promises tho lol. Unless I can just get a clean screen shot on the app.
Since I've got a few corals in the tank now I thought I'd better start with with some kinda dosing and a more regimented testing schedule. Im gonna give all for reef a try. Needed a baseline to start.
Salinity 1.024
Alkalinity 9.3 dkh
Calcum 310 ppm
Magnesium 750 ppm
pH 8.26
Nitrate Undetectable
Phosphate Undetectable
My salinity has been an issue. I have a old swing arm hydromiter and it would consistantly read low. 1.022 and I had a cheap handheld digital salinity probe from amazon that would always read high. 1.027. I figured I was somewhere in the middle, and always measured and mixed to my buckets directions. I added the hydros launch to my tank today with a salinity probe. It gives the 1.024 reading (they are suposed to have a break in period so I didnt calibrate it yet). I also bought a refractometer but I didnt try it out today, cause the 1.024 reading was safe and consistant with IO's recomended SG. Hopefully I have an instrument I can trust and can get constistantly to 1.025
Nitrate and Phospate being undectable isnt ideal but I prefer it to wildly high. I am confident nothing in my tank is starving for nutrients, and it’s simply the tests that are not picking it up. I’m not going dose nutrients. So Im going to continue my normal feeding and turn my skimmer off until I can at least register something. Once I get some kinda detectable reading I'll turn the skimmer back on and increase my fish feeding. I'd actually like to feed more, as I want some big fat fish.
For my calcium and Magnesium I'm hoping that its actual uptake from the corals I've had in the tank. I just did a water change yesterday, but I may do another tommorow, because IO's salt should have higher levels of both. Maybe that could bring them up a bit without moving my Alk. And then have the All for Reef balance out the up take. I don't wanna dose very much initially and get Alk any higher while my nutrients are low. I may have to consider a magnesium supplement in the future as it seems much lower than the calcium. But for now only gonna change one thing at a time.
I got the AquaticLog app to track my manual testing. I'll be keeping that as my record but I may try to post my parameters on here as well with a weekly FTS. No Promises tho lol. Unless I can just get a clean screen shot on the app.
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