2024 Ohio Reef Frag Swap

2024 flyer

Author Topic: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now  (Read 2356 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Warhawk937

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 424
Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« on: September 26, 2018, 20:46:42 »
With the recent light upgrade I have move all the softies to the bottom of the tank and was able to get some sps coral to try out with the generosity of rustybuckeye who gave me some broken pieces from his recent move and jjoose99 who allowed me to buy a Frag from at work.  Thanks guys!!!  I am now focused on getting the water quality spot on.  I purchased a new set of quality test kits. Yeah my wife was not to happy.  What parameters do you guys try to maintain for rapid spa growth and that amazing coloration I have seen at Lazys? And par levels should I shoot for to keep the Zoe garden happy at the bottom of the tank while maintaining the sps corals?

Offline CoralBeauties

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,804
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2018, 23:06:59 »
Like we spoke about, I feel that alkalinity is probably one of the most important things to monitor for happy sps. Along with alk, stability is probably one of the most important goal to strive for.  Keep your nutrient levels in check with all the major items (ca, alk, mag, salinity) in line and stable and you will see good things happen in your tank.  Adjust your dosing to match what your tank requires and not play with things too much.  Many times when things are doing good we want to try and make things better and add this gizmo or that additive and just end up messing things up.  Everyone with sps experience will tell you that things can go wrong overnight but good things can take months to show.  Patience is a must with this hobby.  Last piece of advise, use the knowledge that is available to you with this forum!!  We are all in this together with the goal of our own slice of the ocean.  Welcome to the obsession.
Jeff

Offline CoralBeauties

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,804
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2018, 22:09:43 »
How are your trial sps doing in your system so far?
Jeff

Offline Warhawk937

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 424
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2018, 22:39:53 »
I’m seeing polyp extension and no loss off color I’m a little nervous about the tank parameters. My tank was running 7.8 ph and the calcium was low.  Keep in mind I’m converting to an sps tank. withe the apex purchase I also got brs two part I used the calculator to make up the deficit and decided to only dose half the portion. Still a big mistake my ph shot up to 7.4 and has not dropped. We will see what happens to the tank after such a dramatic swing

Offline Warhawk937

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 424
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2018, 22:48:51 »
I only live  about 5 minutes from where you work, right off little York you should swing by and check out the system I would love to have some feed back and pointers on coral placement parameters and par stuff like that I don’t really know anybody in the hobby I just sift through the Internet forums for information

Offline Agame43

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 721
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2018, 10:33:16 »
 WarHawk937  Still a big mistake my ph shot up to 7.4 and has not dropped. should this comment read 8.4 and not 7.4? You are on the right track, easy SPS, stable Alk - Calc - Mag, good placement with Flow and good PAR - take things slow.

Offline Warhawk937

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 424
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2018, 11:09:07 »
yes 8.4ph.  It has dropped back down to 8.0 over night.  this two part has me nervous.  I does equal parts yesterday and took a reading this morning the alk is up at 9.5 dkh but the cal has dropped. do you guys believe this is do to precipitation?

Offline SweetReefOH

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,654
Re: Finally pulled the trigger on an apex!!!! What now
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2018, 12:12:49 »
When you raise alk, your calc will usually drop. And vice versa. It’s a minor struggle when you first start dosing. They will eventually level out once you get more consistent. Take it slow, test OFTEN and you will gradually understand your consumption better. I have a spreadsheet on my tablet that allows me to track my parameters over a long period of time. 

 

Powered by EzPortal