The value guide

M

McReefer

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After the shell shock of finding out that 8 hours of light a day is low I decided to re-learn a bit more. If others could post similar to below for new and veteran hobbiest to compare.

This is what I aim for.
Temp:78
High light hours:9
Dkh/alkalinity: 10.4
Ca: 420
Mag: 1420
Salinity: 1.025
Flow high when lights are on
Flow low when there off.

I have zoas/palys which are the happiest.
Mushrooms which are bullet proof.
Chalice thats always hungry
And acros that seem a little off. Color is good but polyp extension just isn't what it should be.

Im an idiot I know but i have yet to buy a new Ph, phosphate, nitrate and nitrite test kit. Im worried i have a bad ph swing. Ridicule is welcome =D
 
I keep my levels at around 8 alk, and 450+ calcium, lights are on 10hrs a day, with 3 tanks I keep one lit at all times. Check PE at night, so long as they are out at night you don't have much to worry about. If you'll run more blue and less white you'll usually get better PE in the daytime IME.
 
Each of my Metal Halides is on for six hours a day. http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/120-Staggered-Lighting-why
 
I keep mine just like yours except 1.026 specific gravity, and I run my royal blue LED spotlights 13 hours, and the t5s, and the rest of the LEDs 6, or 7 hours per day.

David
 
This is a touchy subject because every tank is different. Some people lean more to the Softy side which would require less time of light or less intense light and parameters. What i am saying is take what everyone else tells you with a grain of salt and learn what your tanks likes. Also the equipment that you run has a lot to play into everything. For instance someone who runs Bio-pelets would not want to keep his DKH at 10 and more around 8. Also a SPS keeper would need to keep his tank at a S.G. @ 1.025-1.026 as a softy lover would keep it around 1.023-1.024. I would not worry about PH much, if all other parameters are good because if they are good the PH will take care of itself. If it doesn't i would look into the amount of Rock in the tank or the filtration, or even the Bio load compared to the feeding and waste being produced. Hope this helps and can't wait to see others take on the subject.
 
I will run my salinity high when I am battling a critter or algae...it works but, I dont leave it that way for very long. All the rest I try to keep the same as you.
 
The last numbers I posted were from someone else's test kit. I used my Red Sea cal kit yesterday. I did it 3 times and each time it wouldn't ever give me a read. The bottle of powder has 2003 stamped on it. Did I just buy a way over expired test kit? I really hope not since it was so expensive.
 
The reactant will be very very sluggish so your wait times will be longer....if it still dosent work after doubling the times...your reactant might be dead.
 
I would return it to where you bought it. As Red Sea new test kit came out after 2003 prob 2010 is when it came out. The original Red Sea test kit were awful


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Follow up on this. I emailed the Texas rep of Red Sea and related my experience and they shipped me the supplies that needed to be replaced.
 
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