Alkalinty and salt mix for an sps tank

[Spartan76]

I'm rebooting my tank from a long neglected softie tank to sps (180g display, system volume 285g including a 55 g refuge w chaeto and caulerpa on reverse day schedule).
I've been using instant ocean throughout.

Current parameters: alk 10.1; ca++ 490, ph 8.4-5; po4 1.0, no3 10.

I'm not quite where I want to be with po4 and no3 but I don't know that I can improve it much more. Note this is dramatically better than where I was 2 months ago with readings way off the charts for both. Ive been topping off with an ATO hooked up to a kalk resevoir, and I have probably overdosed the kalk a bit hence the very high pH. That said things appear to be on the right track with new spots of coralline popping up everywhere. Right now I just have a few leftover softies in the tank and no other corals. I won't put sps in until right parameter range and stable.
I'm reaching the end of my IO supply and need to order new batch of salt which I typically do in bulk.
From what I've been able to find the majority of folks here prefer an alk in the 8-8.5 range. I do not need to win the fastest growth award, but obviously I'd like the sps to grow and thrive.

My questions:
1- I don't think I can do much better with po4 since I'm using lathanum a couple times a week aiming for .03 po4 and still getting rebounds to 1.0. Nitrate seems to be dropping mostly because of water changes (about 15% weekly), the refuge chaeto don't seem to be growing much at all. Ive read here in these "higher" nutrient ranges higher alk is preferred, but I am not sure why?
2- IO and reef crystals have an alk of around 10. If it is true that in this nutrient range that higher alk offers some advantage, then I would think I'd go w a salt in the higher alk range like Reef crystal of red sea pro etc?
3- if an alk of 8-8.5 is better overall for sps; then I would have to change to a lower alk salt like red seas blue bucket etc.
4. I understand that stability w alk is a crucial point but I just need to know where to target. (?)

Appreciate some advice on this. thx!

 

[Crustaceon]

You can put sps in now and don't worry so much about numbers. The key to keeping sps isn't having specific parameters. It's not changing things like crazy and when you do HAVE to adjust something (not just because it's slightly not ideal) make sure to make it a VERY gradual change over the course of a few weeks or months.

 

[biom]

I am keeping kH around 9 and can use whatever salt is available. I prefer blue Red Sea but happens to purchase black one- small market here so I have to be opportunistic
I would be careful adding SPS in tank with 1 ppm PO4 . The frags would be stressed since probably they would come from a system with much less phosphate

 

[Stephen Glover]

If you do small water changes (>5%) then you can use whatever salt you want without shocking anything. I recently switched back to IO from Red Sea blue bucket.

 

[bushdoc]

I cannot imagine that your phosphate comes from feeding, it’s probably leaching from the rock.
I would not convert tank into SPS before this problem is resolved.

 

[Spartan76]

I would be careful adding SPS in tank with 1 ppm PO4 . The frags would be stressed since probably they would come from a system with much less phosphate

I cannot imagine that your phosphate comes from feeding, it’s probably leaching from the rock.
I would not convert tank into SPS before this problem is resolved.

Ok I hear that. It's definitely leaching from the rocks. I'll keep at lowering it further and see where I'm at in a few weeks.

As for the alkalinity, any thoughts as to my questions there? I can change the alk more easily without sps in there.

 

[Spartan76]

Current parameters: alk 10.1; ca++ 490, ph 8.4-5; po4 1.0, no3 10.

UGH was just rereading this and saw typo: my PO4 is 0.1. (Not 1.0)!!!

 

[Graemesreef]

I use the IORC and just recently started 2% daily changes #s seem to stay spot on. The only thing that changed was the brs 2 part hasn't seen the light of day in 3 months.

 

[homer1475]

If your phosphates are 0.1 and not 1.0 then your in a good place to add SPS.

Just keep in mind, SPS like stability, not any specific number.

As far as ALK goes, anywhere between 7 and 10DKH is fine, just pick a number and try and keep it there.

 

[Alfie]

You can put sps in now and don't worry so much about numbers. The key to keeping sps isn't having specific parameters. It's not changing things like crazy and when you do HAVE to adjust something (not just because it's slightly not ideal) make sure to make it a VERY gradual change over the course of a few weeks or months.

This is pretty much bang on. I have a tank full of sps and acros, PO4 - 0.6 and NO3 > 75 for over 2 years, stability is key

 

[Spartan76]

So - if my alk is at 10 I'll just go with that for the long haul and choose a salt that matches it.
I had read a few times somewhere here that higher alk somehow offsets a higher no3, but I don't know if that's actually true and ,if it is true, what in chemistry is that supports that concept.

 

[90's reefer]

So - if my alk is at 10 I'll just go with that for the long haul and choose a salt that matches it.
I had read a few times somewhere here that higher alk somehow offsets a higher no3, but I don't know if that's actually true and ,if it is true, what in chemistry is that supports that concept.

Pics please.

First determine what range you want to run all parameters and then focus on stability.
No3<5 po4 <.1. Yours are fine you just need to keep a eye on them.
What is your mag level?

Alk can be lowered to whatever level you want with sodiun bisulfate. Its what I do. Just pic a salt with your ca and mag levels and your good to go.

I am not a fan of high alk. I run 6.5-7.5 with a target of 7. My corals grow quite well at close to NSW levels. You can check my build threads.

Also start a "build thread" so we can all follow and you can document your progress.

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

.1 po4 your all set. For Alk I try to target 8. With lower nutrient tanks if you get 8.5dkh+ then alk burn on the tips is possible. As you get a tank full of corals you will find that they actually suck all the nutrients out of the system and then you will have issues with trying to keep them up.