coraline and testing calc and alk

[HeavyHittah]

Hey fam,
So today I bought this real nice piece of LR to seed my other dry rock in my ten gallon nano. I really like the coraline on it and don't want to lose it so I've been looking at dosing calcium and Alk using BRS. My questions are what kit should I use to test? And should I buy the BRS 2 part small or should I get the starter kit?

 

[Waddi]

Im sure if you run your lights and keep up water changes that you wont need to dose calcium, and that will keep coraline alive. Have you tested your levels for these things?
Plus if it does die, it always grows back.

 

[BL1]

Yep, without any corals in your tank sucking up the Cal, alk, and mag you won't have to dose anything to get the coraline growing. Just do normal water changes and after your cycle scrape a little bit of it off your LR and let it float around the tank some.

 

[HeavyHittah]

Hmmm so if I want mostly lps,palys,zoas after I get (how many) corals should I think about dosing?

 

[BL1]

It's different for everyone, there's no set amount of corals when you'll have to start dosing. You'll just have to test your water parameters and when you see that your water changes aren't able to keep your levels where they need to be then you'll have to start dosing.

 

[RedTornado]

+1 on the water changes

Coraline will spread just give it time and light soon enough you might even be hating it cause you will have to scrap it off the glass. I did what BL1 said and scraped some off it off and its now ever where 3 months later.

 

[sen5241b]

The need coralline has for alk is generally underestimated.