Higher alk and calc

[scuzy]

Interesting video

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide.../&utm_campaign=brstv&utm_content=brstv_083118


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[sfsuphysics]

Yeah just saw that video. Throw in 100% more stuff to maintain a 50% increase tells you something is sucking that juice up. Wonder what the limit of this is, and if it'd be more feasible to set up smaller frag grow out system to fast track frags to possible "mini colony" status before placing them in a display tank the smaller system volume could allow less upkeep as compared to the display tank volume.

 

[fishy408]

A little off topic, but 100% brightness! I'm barely at 50% brightness and about 38% intensity. [emoji854]

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[Bruce Spiegelman]

Yeah just saw that video. Throw in 100% more stuff to maintain a 50% increase tells you something is sucking that juice up. Wonder what the limit of this is, and if it'd be more feasible to set up smaller frag grow out system to fast track frags to possible "mini colony" status before placing them in a display tank the smaller system volume could allow less upkeep as compared to the display tank volume.

The limit of this is of course the line at which parameters kill corals. Which seems to be somewhere just above 12.5 ALK. I ran my frag tank and main tank and 12 ALK for over a year and my experience was it did result in more growth than I currently see, but at a lot more risk. At high levels of alk and calc a small dosing error can become a big issue. Growth was fast, but I felt the corals were more "on the edge". I believe I experienced more STNing and RTNing than I currently do with a more moderate level of 9.5. I also experimented with a frag tank at a 6 ALk and actually found colors to be enhanced, but it was a lot more risk as well.

 

[RandyC]

The limit of this is of course the line at which parameters kill corals. Which seems to be somewhere just above 12.5 ALK. I ran my frag tank and main tank and 12 ALK for over a year and my experience was it did result in more growth than I currently see, but at a lot more risk. At high levels of alk and calc a small dosing error can become a big issue. Growth was fast, but I felt the corals were more "on the edge". I believe I experienced more STNing and RTNing than I currently do with a more moderate level of 9.5. I also experimented with a frag tank at a 6 ALk and actually found colors to be enhanced, but it was a lot more risk as well.

I found even running much above 9.5 is on a line of a danger zone, especially if you're running ULNS. I find much less RTN/STN now that I run my alk around 7.7.

 

[scuba71]

Though my tank is still new, I have been running DKH around 11-12, and calcium around 475-495 consistently for the past month. Since doing so, I saw an explosive amount of Coraline growing. Even the snails now have Coraline growing on them.

Forgot to mention my magnesium is currently at 1395.

 

[kinetic]

My Magnesium is already at 1700ppm, and calcium never falls below 475 or 480. I'm keeping my Alk at 8.2 dkh by dosing.

Maybe I should up my Alk to 9 dkh and see if Calcium intake starts happening!

 

[xcaret]

My Magnesium is already at 1700ppm, and calcium never falls below 475 or 480. I'm keeping my Alk at 8.2 dkh by dosing.

Maybe I should up my Alk to 9 dkh and see if Calcium intake starts happening!

Just keep the Mag in check. I kind of try (or in the past) to keep 3:1 Mag and Cal ratio

 

[kinetic]

Just keep the Mag in check. I kind of try (or in the past) to keep 3:1 Mag and Cal ratio

My AquaForest salt mixes in at about 1700 - 1800 ppm right away. Which is why it's so high. I could switch salts, but I still have a one big bucket left...

 

[sfsuphysics]

high magnesium in your salt is fine, you just use it to help keep up with magensium levels on water changes.

Do you have much of a demand on your tank though? I'm sorry I don't remember your tank outside of the anemones.

 

[Ibn]

I was hoping that outside of the big 3 parameters, they would have tested the nitrates and phosphates in those systems. I noticed that the experiment frags had algae on them whereas the control tank frags didn't. Did they remove the algae prior to testing the weight? Also, what's contributing to the algae? Higher nutrient levels overall? Fish load? What else is going into the tank to feed the fish?

Running at higher alk doesn't work well with ULNS so I'm presuming that they ran the experiment tanks at higher nutrients level as well, but that's not stated. It would explain the algae, better coloration, and increase in growth. If this is the case, then I believe the experiment is a failure since you can't conclude that the growth, coloration, and overall health is just from the elevated levels.

 

[kinetic]

high magnesium in your salt is fine, you just use it to help keep up with magensium levels on water changes.

Do you have much of a demand on your tank though? I'm sorry I don't remember your tank outside of the anemones.

Ah yes, that's what you mean! I have almost no demand yet (still tiny frags of SPS). But dosing pumps are already hooked up and waiting =)