Where to dose

[Gomer4378]

Where do you dose your tank at?
In the main tank or in the sump.
If in the sump then in the refuge or
The return tank?
I'm going to start dosing calcium, iodine,
and strontium for my inverts and to get ready for
some corals.

 

[buddha_red]

Make sure you get test kits for those. people tend to over supplment. I wouldnt start dosing a tank with anything until you have actual numbers to examine.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with Shane. What makes you think you need to dose those? Rule no. 1 is never dose anything you dont test for. For two of those PWC`s will take care of.

 

[Innovator]

I prefer to dose in the sump, if available, after the protein skimmer and just before the return.

 

[Gomer4378]

ok well I won't be concerned over the stron, and iodine but I did test foe calcium and there's none.
My phos was around 5
And I used 12 drops in the alk and it still never turned yellow, that maybe due to user error.
Thanks

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Sorry... it's impossible that you have "no" calcium, unless you are testing freshwater. And phosphates of 5 are well... not impossible, but highly improbable.

What kind of test kits are you using, and what exactly are you testing?

 

[Gomer4378]

I got the API Reef master test kit, for calcium, KH, phosphate, and nitrate.
I followed instructions to a T, and phosphate came out to 5.0
the only user error that I may have had was reading the KH test, I went through 12 drops and still really blue( 1 drop at a time, replacing cap and inverting several times before next drop).
sorry I said no calcium, what I meant was very little, 3 drops and it was blue(around 60ppm).

I also have the API master kit for ammonia, ph, nitrite, and nitrate that I have been using throughout the cycling period. Never have any problem with those.
Thanks everyone

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Sorry... something is really wrong. There are absolutely no commercial salt mixes that will give you 60ppm calcium at normal tank salinities, and a tank can't deplete calcium that much and still have anything living. Let's take a few steps back...

Where are you getting the source water to mix up your saltwater?
What salt mix are you using?
What salinity are you mixing it up to?

 

[Gomer4378]

I'm using my tap water(city) at the moment, I'm getting an to system in the future
Also using a dechlorinator.
Salt mix is Instant Ocean and I keep the mix at 1024.
I'll take another testing whenever I get off work and let you know what the results are.

 

[ccCapt]

Salt mix is Instant Ocean and I keep the mix at 1024.

Mix a batch and test it before adding it to your tank. You should get about 380 calcium and about 11 dKH alk. If you don't see those #'s, you are not testing it right.

 

[Gomer4378]

I will give it a shot tonight, thanks for the help, I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Gomer4378]

It was user error, I have retested today and everything looks alot better.

Heres a pic of my sump/ref, could anyone tell me if it is set up correctly?
There wasn't any instructions and I've never done this before.

Here's a pic of my tank also just to let everyone see.
Thanks

 

[melosu58]

Plenty of LR in that tank. Very impressive

 

[Gomer4378]

60 lbs LR from someones tank off ebay
90 lbs fiji standard LR from Liveaquaria.com
50 lbs dry base rock off ebay
200 lbs total + 200 lbs live sand

All the LR was purchased at around $2 per lb.

 

[Gomer4378]

heres a pic of my night led setup before all the rock was in but just wondering if its too much?

 

[melosu58]

60 lbs LR from someones tank off ebay
90 lbs fiji standard LR from Liveaquaria.com
50 lbs dry base rock off ebay
200 lbs total + 200 lbs live sand

All the LR was purchased at around $2 per lb.

What are you trying to do, make me upset. LOL I also have over two hundred lbs of LR that I paid 8.99 a lb and that was 10 yrs ago. I had forgotten all about that till I saw your post. LOL

 

[Gomer4378]

my lfs sells it for $9 per lb and thats when I decided to look everywhere else that I can to find it cheaper.