First Change out, what to expect?

[jmcmahon66]

I am on my 6 week changeout of the Zeolites, and have seeded the new rocks with the old. I will increase my dosing of bak/food to every other day. I still dose start2 daily. My doses are as follow for 100g net volume. 3 drops food, 3 drops bak dosed twice weekly, 0.3ml of start2 dosed daily in am and again in pm. What should I expect with the addition of the new rocks?

My experience in first 6 weeks has been mixed. I have greatly improved coloration on all corals, but I also have had some STN on 1 or 2 acros, and have 1 acro with STN right now. I have seen phosphates rise, then fall, but they are not completely gone. I have had an increase in cyano, that is slowly going away. I hope that the next 6 weeks will be less of a rollercoaster ride. Parameters are as follows, any advice is greatly appreciated.

tank 135 g RR
3x250W 14KK MH with 4X96W PC actinic
Knop Ca reactor with ARM media
SG: 1.023
pH: 8.1-8.3
Temp: 79-81.5F
Ca: 440
kH: 9
NO3: undetectable
PO4: 0.06 and changes frequently

thanks again,
Dr. Joe

[Diesel3443]

with my first change out the corals lightned up a little. Keep an eye out for overdosing in this period and tailior your dosing accordingly.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Doc, as Sean said, with new zeolites, your nutrients will continue to be depleted, therefore, the zeo-dosages must be adjusted accordingly. With that in mind, I recommend the following for the next 6 wks:
1)dose 1ltr. zeolites at a flow of 100gph--still cycle the stones at 3 hr. intervals. Pump clean the stones 3-4x's/day
2)dose 1 Cup carbon & knead 3x's/wk
3)dose 2 drops Bak every other day for 2wks., then, 2 drops 2x's/wk.
4)dose 1 drop Food7 every other day for 2wks., then, 1 drop 2x's/wk
5)dose Start2 .5ml 2x's/day daily, or better, .25ml 4x's/day.

Dr. Joe, also remember, that in lower nutrient waters,, minerals must be kept at NSW levels, so KH reduction to 7-8 is desireable or TN can occur. Bob

[jmcmahon66]

Thanks for the advice guys. The problem I have is that 1 acro has STN, and the acro next to it is thriving!! It really makes me wonder if I should alter any parameters or not. I have 2 acros that have small white patches, but the other 20+ look fantastic. I did not elaborate much on the color shift in my initial post, but color is outstanding. My browned out acros are now vivid blues/teals/purples. I truly trust the method, but often wonder how to fix those 2 darn acros with STN. I will try to remain patient and watch my dosing scheme for the next 2 weeks. Thanks again,

Regards,
Joe

[jmcmahon66]

I forgot to mention, I am in the slow process of lowering my kH levels to 7. I also prefer my SG to be 1.025, so I am bumping that up slowly. Thanks for the advice on that Bob!!

Joe

[Aged Salt]

Thnx. Dr. Joe, just gradually reduce the KH & you'll be fine, Bob

[Diesel3443]

Joe, ive found that anything from 7-8 keep my corals extremely happy

[jmcmahon66]

As a follow up, I have been slowly reducing my kH. It is now at 8. I have bumped up my salinity to 1.025. I have been very careful (read- reduced levels) with dosing bak/food/start2. I have noticed slightly more cyano, and reduced colors in my healthy SPS. I obviously have a large nutrient pool, and any reduction of start causes a slight darkening of tissues. As for the acros with STN, I fragged them. They were so large (greater than 8") that the bases probably had reduced flow/light anyway. All I really lost was the base. I am glad I kept with the program. I'm seeing great results. Thanks for all the great advice,
Regards,
Joe