help starting a reef

[Lance]

Originally Posted by randy123

Ive kept fish for about a year now, and about 5 months ago I tried some soft corals. Now I want to try some real reefing. Due to the expense involved, I would rather learn my lessons the easy way,so I am hoping for any wisdom that others might share.

I have prepared by upgrading my lights to a 6bulb teklight, and my flow is up around 40x turnover. I have a skimmer that is rated for a system 2x as big as mine. My understanding is that I can have most SPS corals, provided that they are built up a little on the rock to ensure enough light is reaching them.

The main area for me that is a little muddy is nutrient dosing. What tests should I be running, and how often? And what is good to add? I am on instant ocean saltmix, so my understanding is that dosing is a must.

Also if anyone had any other random pointers, it would be appreciated.

Thanks!

You may not have to dose Ca, Alk or Mg for awhile. As your corals, clams, corraline, etc. grow they will use up more of these elements. Frequent testing will tell you when it is time to dose. Get yourself some good test kits.