What are your ideal parameters

[jonh5150]

I have a 75 gallon reef. Lps and softies only. I keep my Temperature at 77-79 and my salinity at 1.025. I use Red Sea coral Pro salt And currently don't dose anything. I want to start testing But I am not even sure what my level should be. Kal alk mag

 

[Lil BamBam]

Here is where I try to keep my levels

ALK 9
CAL 420
MAG 1350

Hope that helps

 

[gonebad395]

Here is where I try to keep my levels

ALK 9
CAL 420
MAG 1350

Hope that helps

+ 1

 

[lysy85reef]

ALk -7.5
Cal- 450
Mag-1450
closer to natural see water

 

[jonh5150]

I have a tests for cal. Kh phos nitrate.... Is mag the only other one I need ?

 

[William Lutman]

Cal 480
Alc 9.3
Mag 1300

 

[madjoe]

i have all sps tank and have no clue what my levels r . they must be good id guess lol . i have test kits i just dont use em . i only dose kalk in my top off and do regular water changes . oh and u should test . i just dont not sure why lol

 

[EricTheRed]

Here's a great resource to start with ... http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Then take a look at this one ... http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

 

[capysolo]

i have all sps tank and have no clue what my levels r . they must be good id guess lol . i have test kits i just dont use em . i only dose kalk in my top off and do regular water changes . oh and u should test . i just dont not sure why lol

I like your style!

 

[Smith11]

i honestly think that unless your tank is very new or you notice different patterns in the tank ex. fish moving/breathing faster, algae growth quickens etc that there is no reason to test weekly or biweekly. Fish tank parameters change by the hour and normally their line of best fit follows relatively good params. so chill if it looks great.

Theres a saying thats like "I ignore my tank for months and i notice its doing great, then i start caring for it again and it crashed" so i just go along the middle of that.

 

[ReefJunkie1015]

Alk-9
Cal-480
Mag-1400

 

[jonh5150]

I agree that too much tinkering isn't good but I recently switched salts and I have always seemed to have high cal low kh

 

[EricTheRed]

i have all sps tank and have no clue what my levels r . they must be good id guess lol . i have test kits i just dont use em . i only dose kalk in my top off and do regular water changes . oh and u should test . i just dont not sure why lol

To me, kalk was the best thing since the Mag-Float!! I added it to my ATO resevior. It keeps everything sooo stable. However, in my tank, Mg would still decrease slowly even when doing weekly wc's with a salt mix high in Mg. As far as Ca Alk, the only fluctuations I'd see would be when the seasons change and the rate of my evaporation changed or a couple times a year I'd need to adjust the amount of kalk due to meet the demand of my growing sps.

It was a sad day this fall when the kalk could no longer keep up with my demand. I'm dosing 2-part with a dosing pump and now check my levels regularly again because the levels tend to float slightly up or down over time. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping that I finally have the dosing pump dialed in so my levels will stop creeping around.