I can't keep up levels

[mattdean]

I think you are stressing too much on having the "perfect" numbers. I have a 125 gallon mixed reef. I dose 260ml of Ca EVERY DAY and can't get my levels over 400! In fact, I usually get a reading of 350. My Alk is 9, my Mg is 1350 to 1400 (still trying to balance it better), BUT.......I have about 140 SPS,LPS, zoa corals/frags/clams in my tank - everything grows like a weed in my tank and all my corals are happy and healthy. My tank is gorgeous, so I will try to up the dosage a little more, but I'm through stressing over it.

So, use your coral's health as an indicator and the numbers just as a reference/guide. If you have a lot of SPS/Clams, etc. using up calcium, you are going to have to dose more.

[whatcaneyedo]

Holy crap thats over 100 more coral in your 125 than I have in my 120gal! What do you plan to do in a few months when they all start killing each other?

[spawn]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

Holy crap thats over 100 more coral in your 125 than I have in my 120gal! What do you plan to do in a few months when they all start killing each other?

This is something I wonder about... how is it that some tanks we see are so packed with sps on top of sps on top of sps with very little issue & others start killing right a away, different types of coral yes but not always with the same results. I think I'll likely run into some issue's as well, as I've got 45-50 in an RSM 250 & they're all growing happily. When I have to start fragging it's gonna be like frag-mas in CT for whoever wants them.

[mattdean]

Well, they are not ALL SPS. About 40 or 50 are SPS - and all frags at the moment - and the rest are Zoas, LPS, Rics, Favia, Acans, etc. However, I am not placing my SPS frags right next to each other. It will fill in nicely and I will simply sell of the frags as I need to trim them. Also, it's a peninsula, so I am placing corals on both sides of the rocks, which gives them more places to grow.

It's laid out fairly nice ATM. Here's a vid to give you an idea :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I89KENiWMEw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq7CS...eature=related

[spawn]

No video, but her is a fresk FTS.

[StirCrazy]

ya I would say your going to have a fairly high consumption.

my recomendation would be to buy a Ca reactor used or new depending on what you want to spend. get the biggest co2 tank you can hide. I used a 30 lb one as it fit under my stand, fill it up and then enjoy the tank instead of testing and dosing every day.

the alternative to this is to buy a stand alone dosing pump and set that up. once you get it dialed in it is pretty nice also.

Steve

[mattdean]

I use a Profilux SA3 standalone dosing pump. I highly recommend it. Works well. I wanted a Ca reactor, but have no room for it. Be careful trying to set up auto dosing cheap. I know guys who have almost killed their beautiful tanks by trying to use aqualifters and normal light timers.

[spawn]

Originally Posted by mattdean

I think you are stressing too much on having the "perfect" numbers. I have a 125 gallon mixed reef. I dose 260ml of Ca EVERY DAY and can't get my levels over 400! In fact, I usually get a reading of 350. My Alk is 9, my Mg is 1350 to 1400 (still trying to balance it better), BUT.......I have about 140 SPS,LPS, zoa corals/frags/clams in my tank - everything grows like a weed in my tank and all my corals are happy and healthy. My tank is gorgeous, so I will try to up the dosage a little more, but I'm through stressing over it.

So, use your coral's health as an indicator and the numbers just as a reference/guide. If you have a lot of SPS/Clams, etc. using up calcium, you are going to have to dose more.

Thanks, I know I stress over it to much, like I said I'm sick of trying, everything looks good but I was eager to level it off @ 420 or just a bit higher. guess not. spring is here, time to start kayaking already.