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(SPS Tank) What other water para did you test?


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  • SRC Member

Dear SPS reefer,

May I know how many of you are testing for (on top of PO4 NO3 PH KH):

1) Sr

2) I2

3) Mg

4) Ca

5) Potassium

cos I am thinking whether to buy 1) 2) 3) 5) testers or not... Also, the steps for testing Sr are like testing for DNA, I doubt how accurate it will be loh...

子非鱼,焉知鱼之乐... (you are not the fish so you...)

Then: my 4FT low tech selling off tank... (2006)

Now: (2014)

@Sept 2014

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I test for: kH,Mg,Ca, Potassium, Nitrate on a weekly basis. But kH is tested once every 2 days. Potassium is one important element many people failed to noticed.

Thanks bro. I am just trying to find out whether it is worth spending the money on these test kits. I am also worry about over dosing those trace elements.

子非鱼,焉知鱼之乐... (you are not the fish so you...)

Then: my 4FT low tech selling off tank... (2006)

Now: (2014)

@Sept 2014

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For me:

KH - 1-2 times a week

Mg, Ca, Salinity - once a week, before water changes (time to correct if deviated)

NO3, PO4 - once in a while

Potassium, I2 - once in a blue moon (wasted my test kit)

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For me:

KH - 1-2 times a week

Mg, Ca, Salinity - once a week, before water changes (time to correct if deviated)

NO3, PO4 - once in a while

Potassium, I2 - once in a blue moon (wasted my test kit)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks bro for the infor. May I know for potassium and I2, if you test value is below recommended value, do you dose to bring up the value or just do WC?

子非鱼,焉知鱼之乐... (you are not the fish so you...)

Then: my 4FT low tech selling off tank... (2006)

Now: (2014)

@Sept 2014

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So if the lack elements are the concern , u will need the whole range of test Kits u mentioned from 1-5 . Don't miss out any coz u might overdose or be lacking on some elements .generel rule of dosing ... Don't dose anything u don't test ..

Stairway to Heaven

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So if the lack elements are the concern , u will need the whole range of test Kits u mentioned from 1-5 . Don't miss out any coz u might overdose or be lacking on some elements .generel rule of dosing ... Don't dose anything u don't test ..

子非鱼,焉知鱼之乐... (you are not the fish so you...)

Then: my 4FT low tech selling off tank... (2006)

Now: (2014)

@Sept 2014

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yo bro. wont you worry about over dosing those trace elements?

One thing that I've learnt about dosing. I used to chase numbers and in the process, it cause more parameter fluctuations instead.

Lost quite a few SPS due to that, and somehow I've came to the conclusion that as long as your SPS are doing fine, it doesn't matter if your parameters are off (could even be faulty test kit - but actual fact your parameters are ok)

Last time I checked, my kh was 13, cal 260, but as long as visually my SPS are not STN/RTN, I'm not worried at all. (Although I noticed little or no growth - expected due to low cal)

I've not tested NO3 or PO4 either and I don't plan to. Everyday I flood my tank with food and dose amino acids heavily and my SPS have never been more colourful.

I'm dosing 2 parts, cal and kh, fixed amount each day.

For trace elements I'm dosing Grotech ABCM. Few drops of all 4 bottles daily with 1hr interval each bottle.

Every tank is different though, just sharing my experience.

Sometimes the good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay. - Harvey Specter

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One thing that I've learnt about dosing. I used to chase numbers and in the process, it cause more parameter fluctuations instead.

Lost quite a few SPS due to that, and somehow I've came to the conclusion that as long as your SPS are doing fine, it doesn't matter if your parameters are off (could even be faulty test kit - but actual fact your parameters are ok)

Last time I checked, my kh was 13, cal 260, but as long as visually my SPS are not STN/RTN, I'm not worried at all.

I've not tested NO3 or PO4 either and I don't plan to. Everyday I flood my tank with food and dose amino acids heavily and my SPS have never been more colourful.

I'm dosing 2 parts, cal and kh, fixed amount each day.

For trace elements I'm dosing Grotech ABCM. Few drops of all 4 bottles daily with 1hr interval each bottle.

Every tank is different though, just sharing my experience.

Thanks bro, that is assuring to hear. I am also a person who judges by coral and not by numbers. But I am so new to SPS that I have very limited confidence that my relatively successful way of managing LPS might not be applicable to SPS. seven up eight down ing...

btw, i am always dosing ABCM, hopefully it works for my tank too.

子非鱼,焉知鱼之乐... (you are not the fish so you...)

Then: my 4FT low tech selling off tank... (2006)

Now: (2014)

@Sept 2014

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Thanks bro, that is assuring to hear. I am also a person who judges by coral and not by numbers. But I am so new to SPS that I have very limited confidence that my relatively successful way of managing LPS might not be applicable to SPS. seven up eight down ing...

btw, i am always dosing ABCM, hopefully it works for my tank too.

Drop by and we can exchange pointers on tank setup and keeping SPS. I too have lots more to learn from others as well.

Sometimes the good guys gotta do bad things to make the bad guys pay. - Harvey Specter

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Thanks bro for the infor. May I know for potassium and I2, if you test value is below recommended value, do you dose to bring up the value or just do WC?

Bro,

For potassium and iodine/iodate I only test for the sake of knowing if my tank generally is deficient or not. I will try to dose a little bit if deficient, but since these 2 params are a bit leceh to test, I do not try to keep them in the normal range. The dosing is just like adding few table spoon of potassium powder during water changes or few drops of Iodine any other day if deficient.

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