I used to stay on top of what the latest and greatest thinking is in the hobby for parameters and the like, but I just haven’t been able to do that for some time. If I’m being honest, I haven’t been testing my own parameters at all either. I want to start getting back into a rhythm, but it dawned on me that my targets might not match what folks are going for anymore. So… what are your typical parameters?
Here are mine:
Temp 78F
Salinity 35ppt
Alk: 8.0
Calc: 410
Nitrate: detectable, but low
Phosphates: ~0.04
Temp usually around 78
Salinity goes from 1.025-1.026
Alkalinity in the 120 is usually under 7, in the Biocube, 7.5…efforting to get both to 8
Calcium: in the 120 hovers around 380, in the Biocube 360…efforting to get both in the 420 range
Nitrates: in the 120 0. IN the biocube 3, but both tanks have algae in one shape or form, so those are false positive readings.
Phosphates: in the 120 0.01, in the Biocube since adding GFO, 0.00
Here are mine:
Temp 77.4 - 78.9F
Salinity 1.026
Alk: 8 to 9
Calc: 440 - 460
Nitrate: 10 - 16ppm hard for me to maintain currently at <4 and steady dosing potassium nitrate at the same strength as brightwell nitro stuff.
Phosphates: .04 to .1 depending where my nitrates are. Current is 0.04
Mag: 1400 - 1460 as of my last tests I’ve done.
I actually just ran some tests this past Saturday;
Temp- 77.5-78.5
Salinity- 35.2
Alk- 8.0
Calc- 420
Nitrate- 10
Phosphate- .05 I prefer this to be at .1-.15 to keep dinos from returning. I mat have to cut my photo period on the fuge.
My Temp is usually 79 but in the summer it will go as high as 81
Alk is typically 8-8-5 (8 is the norm/goal)
Calcium between 400-420 (400 is the norm/goal)
Magnesium is typically 1350 ish (1350 is the goal)
I am struggling to get my nitrates above .25 (I would like them to be above 1)
My phosphates are around .05 I’m ok with this but would prefer to be at.04-.03)
As you could maybe guess I always have a bit of cyano on the sand bed.
I am experimenting with nutrient export now and haven’t perfected it yet. My sand bed/plenum does a great job with nitrates but not phosphate so I jacked up the photo period in the refugium to help with the phosphates. The problem is the nitrates are too low. So recently started using GFO. The balance is in there somewhere, just haven’t found it yet. Cutting back lights in the fudge slowly to see if I can get the sweet spot.
My nitrates tend to stay around or under 5 I think based on the color and po4 hovers from .07-.11 as of late. Think I need to increase nitrate to get my oo4 to drop some more.
At <5 no3 I wouldn’t want po4 that high. I would aim more around .04 range. I’ve noticed personal at <4 no3 and .06+ pp4 I get some snot algae but only in my grow out tank. It’s not much but I have noticed it. Probably has to do with all the par I am pushing to feed it as well.
I just got my new reagent for my red sea kit and I have to say those kits when they expire will give false readings. Old kit was always reading really high turns out I am much lower then my target i am <4. I have been daily dosing potassium nitrate. I mixed it to have the same concentration as neonitro and dose the same as they recommend. I am now dosing 1.5x the recommended dose to try and boost no3.
Have to say for not being at my target goals the corals have been doing great. I thought I had it good before but now it’s really starting to show. Growth and coloring has been better then I ever had before. I have even rescued a couple 1 to 3 polyp frags.
This hobby sure is a learning curve no matter how long you’re in it.
When I test today I will lost a pic of the color and see what you guys think. I know had rather have them higher as they used to be a lot higher but steadily have come down. Maybe time to take out some more cheato.
You are supposed to use the other vial to compare cause our tanks are not all crystal clear water unless you tend to run carbon. If the pro kit goes all the way to 4 or darker do a high range test. 15ml rodi with 1ml tank water. you do need to be pretty spot on I believe for accurate results as well. Also top down is how you are supposed to view that kit.
i found NYOS to be easier to read. the Red Sea was very very difficult for me, but that said is my preferred nitrate test when I’m under 1 on the NYOS.
Nyos is supposed to be the best but limited to 10ppm I believe. Red sea is second but goes up to 16. It is a slight pain to use the red sea kit. I use a magnetic stirrer when I do it
