Who Gives A Fish Forums

lakefox wrote: ↑Sat Jun 21, 2025 11:30 am I'm still new to this, but my LFS guy told me to let the ATO run for a day or two before tweaking it. Sometimes it just needs to settle in.

That's a good point. Rushing the calibration can make things worse. Patience is key.

What ATO unit are you using? Some models need a specific calibration sequence. For example, the Tunze Osmolator requires you to hold the sensor at the desired water level during setup.

Floating plants are great for nitrate control, but you'll need to thin them regularly. In my 40 gallon, I run Duckweed and Salvinia. They're low maintenance but can block light for anything below if not managed.

My venustus has recently developed these small blue patches, which I knew they could have, but it slipped my mind until I saw him swimming over that weird flooring in my tank today. Will he colour up, and if so, how long will it take? He's not the most dominant, but he's definitely one of the most ...

I'm new to this, but my LFS told me to aim for 0.05 ppm. Is that too low for soft corals? I've got a 20-gallon with zoas and mushrooms, no skimmer yet.


Nah, 0.05 ppm is fine for softies. They're way more forgiving than SPS. Just keep an eye on your nitrates too—zoas can be weird if those swing ...

You're right to check phosphates. For most corals, you wanna keep it between 0.03 and 0.1 ppm. Higher than that, and you'll get algae blooms, lower might starve them. What's your current reading? Also, what salt mix are you using?


Spot on. I'd add that SPS are more sensitive, so aim for the ...