How far should I really go!

[Tonynose188]

I have a JBJ 29g nano tank, it is a reef setup. I am big on videos and these forums... And there are a thousand setups I could do but I don't know which makes sense to do to actaully benefit my tank.

Also I have a HOB skimmer/refugium that is still breaking in.

What I wanted to do is:
-add Kalk to my ATO
-get a reef keeper lite controller
-and in the refugium put in a CPR tumbler for GFO and chaeto algae.

Let me know what you guys think!

Thanks

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Sounds like all your ideas for equipment is rock solid. You certainly did your research.

 

[Tonynose188]

Sounds like all your ideas for equipment is rock solid. You certainly did your research.

Thank you I spend tons of time on forums. I have an off topic question, does Kalk take the place of my alk/Cal chemical iam dosing my tank with now?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Yes, kalk maintains both calcium and alkalinity. If your levels are where you already want them it'll help them stay stable. Some corals absorb more alkalinity than calcium or the opposite can be the case. Because of this it's a good idea to have separate calcium and alkalinity supplements around just in case you need to rebalance the ratio every once in a while. I've had great results from kalk.

 

[Tonynose188]

Yes, kalk maintains both calcium and alkalinity. If your levels are where you already want them it'll help them stay stable. Some corals absorb more alkalinity than calcium or the opposite can be the case. Because of this it's a good idea to have separate calcium and alkalinity supplements around just in case you need to rebalance the ratio every once in a while. I've had great results from kalk.

Thanks I thought that from what I heard but I will certainly have those around.

 

[Tonynose188]

Another off topic for you, I have a polyp and it has been half closed in certain spots for about a week now, but every other coral is fine do you have any reasons it might not be happy. I also moved it to see if the placement was the problem but it is still sad looking. Should I use coralrx on it?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You have a few options. Keep your dKG consistently at 10-11, check magnesium and if it's good (around 1320) you may want to consider adding in a small amount of vitamin C supplement. I think Kent has some. Otherwise bring the magnesium close to 1320. I always used a small amount of iodine but it's debatable on weather or not it's helpful. I always had superb soft coral and zoa growth with half doses of iodine. If you have any SPSs I'd pass on iodine though.

Having said all that, one half closed zoa colony means you're tank could still be in pretty good shape as long as everything else is thriving.

 

[Tonynose188]

You have a few options. Keep your dKG consistently at 10-11, check magnesium and if it's good (around 1320) you may want to consider adding in a small amount of vitamin C supplement. I think Kent has some. Otherwise bring the magnesium close to 1320. I always used a small amount of iodine but it's debatable on weather or not it's helpful. I always had superb soft coral and zoa growth with half doses of iodine. If you have any SPSs I'd pass on iodine though.

Having said all that, one half closed zoa colony means you're tank could still be in pretty good shape as long as everything else is thriving.

Well tested my mag levels and got around 940ppm so I bought Kent tech m mag and it said add 1ml per gallon a day so that would be around 30-35 ml per day does that sound right. I am going to test mag levels tomorrow to see what the raise was.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Well tested my mag levels and got around 940ppm so I bought Kent tech m mag and it said add 1ml per gallon a day so that would be around 30-35 ml per day does that sound right. I am going to test mag levels tomorrow to see what the raise was.

Good thing you tested it! Follow the label and don't add more than recommended. Always adjust your levels slowly. If you have a 30 gallon then adding 30ml a day is the right dose. If you have a lot of rock adding slightly less would be a good idea to account for water displacement.

 

[Tonynose188]

So I got around 1300ppm now from adding 30ml, and should I be adding 30ml per day or less to maintain this level?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Definitely less. You may only need 2-4ml a day for uptake. Could be more or very likely less. You may even only need a weekly dose. Testing will show you the way. You want your level to be about 3X your calcium level. That's the ratio. If calcium is say 450 you'll need 1350 to be just right.

Let us know if your corals or coralline algae respond at all.

 

[Tonynose188]

Definitely less. You may only need 2-4ml a day for uptake. Could be more or very likely less. You may even only need a weekly dose. Testing will show you the way. You want your level to be about 3X your calcium level. That's the ratio. If calcium is say 450 you'll need 1350 to be just right.

Let us know if your corals or coralline algae respond at all.

Thanks a lot for all the advice, and yes my calcium is around there. I am getting a new test kit.... Red Sea I think the api one sucks. But I'll do 2ml tonight and check level tomorrow.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

You're so welcome! I agree on the API calcium test. Never had a complaint from Red Sea test kits other than the boxes are so big. lol

 

[Tonynose188]

LOL agreed about the boxes but they give you tons of things, syringes viles if I left this out my wife may think I have a drug problem.... Haha

 

[Tonynose188]

Hey you know anything about the reefkeeper controllers?

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I've never tried them. For something like that you'll want to make a thread asking about it. I'm sure somebody here uses them.

 

[Tonynose188]

How long should MG stay in you system before it lowers cause I said I have around 1300 a day ago then I checked it the next day and it was like 960 or so, normal

 

[Tonynose188]

Is the Vit C for the fish or corals and is it 100% needed.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

How long should MG stay in you system before it lowers cause I said I have around 1300 a day ago then I checked it the next day and it was like 960 or so, normal

Wow, you're probably going to need to dose daily for a while. Just go slow and don't raise it to fast. Also, never test right after dosing or you'll get falsely high results. Wait at least a couple of hours.

Is the Vit C for the fish or corals and is it 100% needed.

It's for your closed polyps. Zoas and palys respond beautifully to Vit C. It even colors up your polyps. It definitely isn't 100% needed unless you have zoas that refuse to open over a long time period. It's just a supplement that is specifically helpful for zoas and a few other corals. If you aren't interested in trying it you can definitely skip it. My brother is using it and has seen rapid improvement in his polyps. I only mentioned it because you were concerned about some of them not opening.

 

[Tonynose188]

Wow, you're probably going to need to dose daily for a while. Just go slow and don't raise it to fast. Also, never test right after dosing or you'll get falsely high results. Wait at least a couple of hours.

It's for your closed polyps. Zoas and palys respond beautifully to Vit C. It even colors up your polyps. It definitely isn't 100% needed unless you have zoas that refuse to open over a long time period. It's just a supplement that is specifically helpful for zoas and a few other corals. If you aren't interested in trying it you can definitely skip it. My brother is using it and has seen rapid improvement in his polyps. I only mentioned it because you were concerned about some of them not opening.

Hey iam willing to try anything to open up my polyps, It is worth a shot. As far as the MG I will be monitoring it and raising it up to the right spot. I thanks again